Governance

Grantmaker/Grantseeker Relationships

Tips for Effective Grantee Relations

Council on Foundations
A checklist to help grantmakers to develop a win-win relationship with grantees.
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Listening to Grantees: What Nonprofits Value in Their Foundation Funders

Center for Effective Philanthropy
This report reveals what really matters to nonprofits — and what doesn’t — in their relationships with their foundation funders, based on a nationwide survey of grantees.
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Family Trustees

Family Foundations: A Resource List

Foundation Center
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Families Wrestle With Closing Foundations

Beatty, Sally, Wall Street Journal, April 27,2007.
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Generations of Giving: Leadership and Continuity in Family Foundations

Gersick, Kelin E., Foundation Center
Published in collaboration with the National Center for Family Philanthropy, the volume provides a research study of 30 family foundations. The case histories look especially at the formative years, and how family members became involved in leadership—and transitions—over the life of the philanthropy.
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Strategic Planning

Strategy Formation: Beyond Strategic Planning

La Piana Associates, Inc.
This is a four year research and development initiative, which was undertaken by La Piana Associates in November 2003. The initiative was undertaken to address the need for effective methods of forming strategies in the nonprofit sector.
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Ten Keys to Successful Strategic Planning for Nonprofit and Foundation Leaders

TCC Group
A briefing paper that includes articles such as “Plans into Action: Prerequisites of Success”, “Components of an Effective Strategic Plan”, and “Why Vision Matters”. Login required to view paper.”
Link to Website

Driving Strategic Planning: A Nonprofit Executive’s Guide

BoardSource
A comprehensive guide to strategic planning.  Available for purchase.
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Succession Planning

A Colleague’s Perspective

Council on Foundations
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Reflections: A Meditation on Grand-Child/Grant-Parent Philanthropy as an Element in a System of Family Governance

James E. Hughes, Jr., Esq.
One of a series of articles written on families in affinity.  This, as well as other articles regarding succession and family foundation issues can be found on his website under “Articles and Reflections”.
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Successful Succession and What to do Today for Successful Succession

Login to website required to view article.
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Boards

Board Recruiting

Step-by-Step: Recruitment and Orientation

Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers
BoardSource
A four-part system to recruit and orient new board members.  Available for purchase.
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The Board Building Cycle: Nine Steps to Finding, Recruiting, and Engaging Nonprofit Board Members

BoardSource
Available for purchase.
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Board Profile Worksheet

Council on Foundations
A tool to help identify some desired characteristics and current gaps on a nonprofit’s board.
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