Principles
and
Practices
for Florida
Nonprofit
Excellence
Human Resources:
The ability of an organization to make effective use of the energy, time and talents of its
employees and volunteers is essential to accomplish the organization’s mission. Nonprofit
organizations should place a high priority on exercising fair and equitable practices that attract
and retain qualified volunteers and employees. Nonprofits have an obligation to adhere to all
applicable employment laws and to provide a safe and productive work environment. Each
nonprofit organization should establish specific policies and practices that promote cooperation
and open communication among employees, volunteers and other constituents so that they can
effectively work together to advance the organization’s mission.
Civic Engagement and Public Policy:
Nonprofit organizations play a central role in the democratic process by providing a means for
individuals to deliberate on public policies and decisions that affect them. To the extent possible,
nonprofit organizations should engage constituents in public policy and advocacy activities as a
means to fulfilling their missions and promoting community interests. Open communication and
consultation between policy makers and constituents of nonprofit organizations contribute to well
-informed policies and the effective implementation of them.
Strategic Alliances:
The effectiveness of nonprofit organizations depends on successful relationships with other
community institutions. Regardless of form — partnership, collaboration, cooperation or
coordination — these relationships, or strategic alliances, can serve a variety of purposes,
including resource sharing, policy influence and improved operational efficiency. They strengthen
both the capacity of individual organizations and the sector as a whole. Nonprofits should be
open to strategic alliances and, when appropriate, should partner with other organizations to
strengthen their capability to achieve desired results. Nonprofits should initiate and promote
cooperation and coordination between a variety of entities to avoid unnecessary duplication of
services and to maximize the resources available to the communities they serve.
Evaluation:
Nonprofit organizations have proven to be highly effective at a wide variety of tasks that benefit
society. An essential responsibility of every nonprofit organization is to assess the impact of its
actions and to act upon this information. The public has a stake in nonprofit performance and is
entitled to information regarding organizational results. Nonprofits should regularly measure their
performance against a clear set of goals and objectives. They should share this information with
their constituents and the public and use it to continually improve the quality of their processes,
programs and activities.
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The Florida Association of Nonprofit Organizations 7480 Fairway Drive, #205, Miami Lakes, Florida, 33014 305. 557. 1764
© 2013
