Management is about human beings. Its task is to a make people capable of joint performance, to make their strengths effective and their weaknesses irrelevant. That is what organization is all about. And it is the reason that management is the critical, determining factor. - Peter Drucker

Heather Carpenter spells out eight operational areas which are critical to running the day to day work of a nonprofit organization. In her extremely useful Nonprofit Operations Toolkit, Carpenter details key competencies in the area of Legal, Human Resources, Accounting/ Financial Management, Fundraising/ Development, Board of Directors/ Governance, Technology, Planning and Training.

You can find more detail on many of these topics and more at Common Good Vermont’s Nonprofit 101. And you can take advantage of a variety of high quality training opportunities that help nonprofit leaders improve their skills including Marlboro Nonprofit Certificate Program, University of Vermont Management Program and Champlain College program.

Learn More

• Toolkit: Four Policies Every Nonprofit Needs (11/30/2011)
• Watch it Now: Workload Management How-To w/VT Business Center (4/11 recording)
• Policies & Procedures Tips from IdeaEncore Part I
• Policies & Procedures Tips from IdeaEncore Part II
• Basic Overview of Nonprofit Operations
• Sustainable & Sound Management Practices: National Council of Nonprofits
• Organizational Leadership Toolkit: Centerpoint for Leaders
• Nonprofit Management, Principles and Practice: Michael J. Worth
• Stanford Social Innovation Review
• Blue Avocado
• Nonprofit Risk Management eNews
• My Risk Management Plan