Free Nonprofit Tools and Resources
to Boost Your Impact

Check out this collection of free resources for planning, fundraising, executive director leadership, and nonprofit boards. Enjoy!

Nonprofits have a unique set of challenges, ranging from administrative, fundraising, board, and human resources. My job is to help you overcome these challenges so you can move forward to achieve your goals.

Explore the free tools and resources provided here to get started and keep moving forward!

“Thank you, Sean and Holly - my charity is celebrating our 10-year anniversary by starting the process of re-structuring our Board, so we'll be signing up for Sean's program!”

Victoria Carson | Fund For Horses

Board of Directors Tools

FREE WEBINAR: Transform Your Board in 90 Days Using My 3-Part Framework

Tired of board members not raising money or participating they way they should? Ready for a fully functioning board that advances your organization and goals? You’re not alone.

High-performing boards know how to use goal-setting, onboarding processes, formal agreements, committees, meetings and organizing tools to get humming. Implementing even a few tips from this free webinar can help you turbocharge your board.

Mission vs. Vision Statement Cheat Sheet

I am very happy to feature this handout from my colleague Amanda Pearce at Funding For Good. The foundation of every nonprofit organization is its mission. This is what drives supporters to participate and donate. But vision statements and mission statements are not identical.

Board Fundraising Worksheet

My most popular tool, this is both a board development and fundraising template. Click here to access this powerful tool to harness your board as a vehicle for fundraising to achieve your organization’s mission.

Nonprofit Gift Acceptance Policy (Sample)

What would happen if someone tried to donate art, cryptocurrency, a boat, or even a timeshare to your nonprofit? Would you accept it? All organizations that fundraise should have a policy guiding the board and staff and volunteers about what kinds of gift are a hassle, or are inappropriate or may conflict with the organization’s values and mission. Grab this example drafted for Kidpower International for free.

Board Orientation Checklist

One of the biggest complaints of board members is that they never got a proper orientation. Use this checklist to ensure you prepare the right information for all new board members.

Board Chair Trait Checklist

The board chair may be the most important role in your nonprofit. This tool can help you make sure that when you recruit or train a chair, the most important traits are a priority. If you are a chair, use this to develop and measure your own skills.

Strategic Planning: The First 5 steps

Strategic planning doesn’t have to conjure images of exhausting meetings. Strategic planning can build alignment and fill a team with hope and direction. But don’t spin your wheels. Get the early steps right. This tool is from my colleague Amanda Pearce from Funding for Good.

Sample Welcome Letter from A Board Chair

Sample Welcome Letter from Board Chair to a New Board Member

It is critical that board members begin their board service feeling valued, welcomed, and prepared. Here is a sample welcome letter you could send from your board chair to a new board member before their first meeting. Add your own flair and flavor and make it a part of your orientation process.

Fun “Board BINGO” – For board meetings

At Mind the Gap we like to have fun, and now we want to help you make board meetings more fun. Download this tool to break up your board routine and stimulate a more creative gathering. Adapt it for your situation. There are 12 pages so your whole board can have a different card!

Fun "Bad Libs" Ice Breaker (For Board Meetings)

Have fun with the classic “MAD-Lib” style icebreaker. Use this one-page form at the beginning of meetings for a goofy start to any meeting. The "Gala Gone Wild" Bad Lib was designed to bring humor to everyone's favorite fundraising frustration...Galas!

Sample Charters for 3 Board Committees (Development, Governance, Finance)

Whenever you get a group of people together to complete a task or achieve a goal, it’s essential to have them all on the same page. Sample charters for board committees help show what a committee is and what it is not. Download all three: Development Committee Charter, Governance Committee Charter, Finance Committee Charter.