Resources

A library for every hard part of running a charity.

Plain-English guides, templates and checklists, organized by the thirteen things charities most often need help with. Every page is dated and checked against official sources.

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7 resources in governance and board development

  • Template · Governance

    Board meeting minutes

    Minutes for your first organizational board meeting, plus a simple template for every regular meeting after that.

    DownloadReviewed October 14, 2026

  • Template · Governance

    Bylaws for a small nonprofit

    Starter bylaws for a small US public charity with a volunteer board and no members. Edit the blanks, then have a lawyer in your state review them.

    DownloadReviewed October 14, 2026

  • Template · Governance

    Conflict of interest policy

    A conflict of interest policy based on the IRS sample in the Form 1023 instructions, with an annual statement for board members to sign.

    DownloadReviewed October 14, 2026

  • Template · Governance

    Document retention and destruction policy

    A plain policy for what records your charity keeps, for how long, and how it destroys them safely, with a starter schedule.

    DownloadReviewed October 14, 2026

  • Guide · Governance

    Recruiting and onboarding board members

    Use a skills matrix to see what your board is missing, find good people beyond your circle, welcome them well, and use term limits to keep it fresh.

    5 min readReviewed October 14, 2026

  • Guide · Governance

    What a charity board does

    The duties of care, loyalty and obedience in plain words, what a good board meeting looks like, and where the board's job ends and the staff's begins.

    5 min readReviewed October 14, 2026

  • Template · Governance

    Whistleblower policy

    A short policy that tells staff, volunteers and board members how to report wrongdoing safely, and promises they won't be punished for it.

    DownloadReviewed October 14, 2026