educational resources for nonprofits
This page of educational resources represents an ever-growing library intended to help nonprofit leaders, staff, and boards increase their knowledge in fields relevant to nonprofit work. Included resources range from sample policies to formal nonprofit regulations and free libraries of resources compiled by other organizations. Any sample policies below are provided for educational and informational purposes only. We encourage organizations not to use the policies verbatim, but rather to utilize them as a starting point in the creation of an organization's own policies and procedures.
Information on Local Funders in Lincoln/Lancaster County
List of Services
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AmeritasItem Link List Item 1
FUNDING PRIORITIES:
Visit our community page or read our funding guidelines.
APPLICATION PROCESS: https://forms.benevity.org/3fb3dbd2-7318-4f63-a1e2-791d8a582ae5/new?lang=en-us
GEOGRAPHIC FUNDING AREA: Lincoln and surrounding areas
CONTACT:
Brad Gifford, bgifford@ameritas.com
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Community Health Endowment of LincolnItem Link List Item 2
FUNDING PRIORITIES:
1. Early and Adequate Prenatal Care, 2. Healthy Food Access, 3. Youth Fitness, 4. Mental Wellness and Human Connection
APPLICATION PROCESS: https://www.chelincoln.org/whatwedo/funding/
GEOGRAPHIC FUNDING AREA:
Lincoln
CONTACT: Krista Mettscher, krista.mettscher@chelincoln.org, (402) 436-5516
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Cooper FoundationItem Link List Item 3
FUNDING PRIORITIES:
The Cooper Foundation supports strong, sustainable organizations, innovative ideas, and ventures of significant promise in the arts, civic and community engagement, education, the environment, human services, and the humanities.
APPLICATION PROCESS:
https://cooperfoundation.org/
GEOGRAPHIC FUNDING AREA:
Nonprofit organizations located and working in Nebraska, primarily Lincoln and Lancaster County
CONTACT: https://cooperfoundation.org/contact-us/
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Duncan Aviation Family TrustItem Link List Item 4
FUNDING PRIORITIES:
Educational programs in the public schools, human service programs, and STEM programs.
APPLICATION PROCESS: http://www.duncanfamilytrust.org/
GEOGRAPHIC FUNDING AREA:
Lincoln, Ne ; Battle Creek, MI and Provo, Utah
CONTACT: connie.duncan@duncanaviation.com
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Humanities NebraskaItem Link
FUNDING PRIORITIES:
Because Humanities Nebraska (HN) exists to help people explore what connects us and makes us human, we offer grants to nonprofit organizations and government entities to support projects related to the public humanities. Humanities must be central to the portion of the applicant’s project HN is being asked to fund, and the program must encourage interaction, thought, and discussion over ideas, topics, and questions. At least one humanities subject expert must be involved in the project. Special consideration may be given to projects that reach across Nebraska or that target underserved audiences (due to geography or socioeconomic status).
APPLICATION PROCESS:
https://humanitiesnebraska.org/grants-landing-page/grant-application-requirements/
GEOGRAPHIC FUNDING AREA:
Nebraska
CONTACT:
Katie Bradshaw, Grants Management and Outreach Specialist, katie@humanitiesnebraska.org, 402-474-2131
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Lincoln Community FoundationItem Link
FUNDING PRIORITIES:
Grants may be applied to operations, programs or capital projects and will include (but are not limited to) areas of arts and culture, community improvement, education and youth, environment and animals, and health and human services.
APPLICATION PROCESS:
https://www.lcf.org/helping-nonprofits/open-door-grants
GEOGRAPHIC FUNDING AREA: Lincoln/Lancaster County
CONTACT:
Michelle Paulk, michellep@lcf.org
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Nebraska Blue FoundationItem Link
FUNDING PRIORITIES:
We support programs improving the health and well-being of Nebraskans and the economic vitality of our state. The 2025 funding priorities were: preventive health and serving seniors.
APPLICATION PROCESS:
https://www.nebraskablue.com/foundation
GEOGRAPHIC FUNDING AREA:
Nebraska
CONTACT: Jay Warren Teamer, jessica.warrenteamer@nebraskablue.com
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Nebraska Presbyterian FoundationItem Link
FUNDING PRIORITIES:
https://www.nebpresby.org/grants-programs/
APPLICATION PROCESS:
https://www.nebpresby.org/grants-programs/
GEOGRAPHIC FUNDING AREA:
Lincoln/Lancaster County
CONTACT:
Audrey Richert, arichert@nebpresby.org
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United Way of Lincoln and Lancaster CountyItem Link
FUNDING PRIORITIES:
United Way of Lincoln and Lancaster County's Impact Fund awards funds to programs operating in Lancaster County that move the community toward attaining United Way’s goals under its three pillars: Health, Education, and Financial Stability.
APPLICATION PROCESS:
https://www.unitedwaylincoln.org/our-impact/funding-opportunities
GEOGRAPHIC FUNDING AREA:
Lincoln/Lancaster County
CONTACT:
Maura Penas, mpenas@unitedwaylincoln.org
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Woods Charitable FundItem Link
FUNDING PRIORITIES:
WCF seeks to strengthen the community by improving opportunities and life outcomes for all people in Lincoln. We support organizations and programs that serve Lincoln primarily through four focus areas: Human Services; Education; Civic and Community; and Arts and Culture.
APPLICATION PROCESS:
https://woodscharitable.org/apply/
GEOGRAPHIC FUNDING AREA: Lincoln/Lancaster County
CONTACT:
https://woodscharitable.org/contact/
Nonprofit Resources
Click on any of the headings below to open the relevant section and get started!
ADCOCACY & LOBBYING
Coalition for a Strong Nebraska
They offer a curated list of resources – from their animated video, How a Bill Becomes a Law in Nebraska and video trainings on lobbying and tracking activities to industry best practices and guidance for a variety of civic engagement and advocacy activities.
National Council of Nonprofits resource library
The National Council of Nonprofits has put together a particular library of resources regarding nonprofit Advocacy.
Bolder Advocacy resource library
Alliance for Justice has compiled a free, digital library of resources on nonprofit advocacy and lobbying.
Keeping track of lobbying for nonprofits
Coalition for a Strong Nebraska has put together a resource of guides and sample documents to help nonprofit workers properly track their organization's advocacy work.
Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission
The NADC is a state agency charged with the administration and enforcement of the Nebraska Political Accountability and Disclosure Act (NPADA). The NPADA regulates campaign finance disclosure, lobbying, statements of financial interest and conflicts of interest at the state and local levels.
Nebraska Legislature page for lobbyists
This page of the Nebraska Legislature's website includes an overview of lobby guidelines, legislative activity, tips for testifying at a public hearing, and more.
Nonprofit Connect resource library
Nonprofit Connect has created a library of resources specific to nonprofit advocacy with information and tips to make an organization's efforts as effective as possible.
Taking the 501(h) election - Filing form 5768
Nonprofits taking the 501(h) election makes it much easier for nonprofits to track their lobbying activities and clarify how much they are allowed to do.
Sample policies
Cause Collective Advocacy Policy
CASE MANAGERS & SOCIAL WORKERS
NASW Nebraska Chapter
The National Association of Social Workers Nebraska Chapter has information on Professional Development, Advocacy, Events, and Membership.
Case Management Society of America
This site has information on chapters throughout the US, membership, career information as well as educational opportunities.
Building Resiliency: A Guide for Supervisors of Housing and Health Professionals
This guide by SAMHSA is designed to help supervisors identify approaches for the prevention and intervention of secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue, and burnout among staff; enhance staff resiliency; support and celebrate health and well-being; and explore policies, procedures, and activities to promote organizational wellness and well-being.
ACMA: American Case Management Association
ACMA has information about chapters, careers, certification, membership, as well as education opportunities and advocacy updates and calls to action.
National Association of Case Management
NACM has information about providing case managers and other service coordination practitioners opportunities for advancing professional growth and for the promotion of case management.
CE Opportunities | Commission for Case Manager Certification
The CCM is the largest, oldest and most highly valued credential for case managers. Find out more information about getting certified and why it is important.
Certified Case Managers (CCM) - Courses - AAACEUs
This site has continuing education opportunities for case managers.
Case Management CEU’s | CCMC Approved CEU’s
The CEU academy has a time saving method of obtaining the continuing education you need and the information you want. They provide online CEU’s.
Continuing Education courses about Ethics - Free State Social Work
This site allows you to read articles and take tests to receive CEU’s.
GRANTS & FUNDRAISING
GRANT WRITING TIPS
Further resources
Coming soon!
FUNDRAISING
National Council of Nonprofits resource library
The National Council of Nonprofits has put together a particular library of resources regarding nonprofit Fundraising.
FINANCIALS
Nonprofit operating reserves & policy examples
Propel Nonprofits has put together a PDF on cash reserve planning, along with two sample policies...
HUMAN RESOURCES
GENERAL
A Step-by-Step Guide to Fair-Chance Hiring in Philanthropy
A step-by-step guide on the ethics of fair-chance hiring.
Operations Manual Guide
Local consultant Ingrid Kirst talks about crafting an operating manual utilizing best practices.
Executive Search on a budget
Article from local consultant Ingrid Kirst.
Filament Essential Services HR Compliance Guide
Filament Essential Services has created an extensive guide for nonprofits that covers onboarding, recruiting, handbooks and more.
Overtime information
This document outlines situations in which certain workers may be exempt from typical laws regarding overtime pay.
National Council of Nonprofits resource library
The National Council of Nonprofits has put together a particular library of resources regarding nonprofit Employment.
Sample policies
Cause Collective Financial Procedures (Spring 2022)
RETENTION
Retention strategies for nonprofits
This article, put together by DonorBox, goes over 9 common strategies for helping with employee retention in the nonprofit sector.
Retention challenges and possible solutions
This piece, put together by the Senior HR Consultant of NonprofitHR, briefly goes over common problems and potential solutions for employee retention with nonprofits.
Webinar: retention strategies for nonprofits
This 2017 video webinar, organized by 501(c) Services, utilizes a panel of experts in the field to develop strategies for better employee retention.
ONBOARDING
10 keys to onboarding new nonprofit team members
This article, put together by the Forbes Nonprofit Council, goes over 10 key tips for onboarding new nonprofit employees.
How to successfully onboard nonprofit team members
This webinar, put together by Campbell & Company, utilizes examples to outline best practices for onboarding new nonprofit team members.
PERSONNEL POLICIES
Important nonprofit policies and procedures
This piece, put together by the Colorado Nonprofit Association, outlines a variety of important policies and procedures for nonprofit organizations to maintain.
Sample policies
Cause Collective Employee Handbook (Spring 2022)
RELEVANT LAWS
Federal laws for nonprofit HR managers to be aware of
This blog post, put together by the NEO Law Group, goes over a number of federal laws that are important for nonprofit HR managers to be aware of.
Nonprofit regulation in the US
This piece, put together by Ballotpedia, gives an overview of nonprofit regulation within the US before breaking down and comparing regulations between states.
DOCUMENT RETENTION
Nonprofit document retention policy
Similar to above, this article gives a guide for retention periods of different nonprofits, along with tips on writing document retention policies.
NONPROFIT BOARDS
Cause Collective - Board Training 101
Cause Collective members may recieve a FREE 1 - 1.5 board training that covers the basic roles and responsibilities of a board. For more information and to request a training, click the button just above.
BoardSource
BoardSource is a national nonprofit focused on nonprofit board leadership research, leadership, and support. They have a variety of blog posts and other resources available, all relevant to nonprofit board selection and functioning.
National Council of Nonprofits resource library
The National Council of Nonprofits has put together a particular library of resources regarding nonprofit Boards and Governance.
Strategic nonprofit board recruitment
This article by Clarification provides information on the role of board members, how to strategically look for potential members, and how to vet those who are interested.
Recruiting for board diversity with respect
This article, coming from the BoardSource blog, outlines the importance of recruiting for board diversity with respect through following the author's personal story. It continues to provide tips and methods for creating an inclusive board culture where everyone's perspective is welcomed and respected.
Choosing A Strategic Plan Consultant and Self-Guide for Preparation
This pdf was shared by Mission Matters and will help you prepare for a strategic planning process and things to consider when choosing a consultant to work with.
Sample policies
Board Development Contract - Asian Community and Cultural Center.
NONPROFIT COMPLIANCE
GENERAL
Protect the Good Life
A resource of information from the Nebraska Attorney General's office providing information on nonprofit compliance-related situations that nonprofits may face, such as conflicts of interest.
National Council of Nonprofits resource library
The National Council of Nonprofits has put together a particular library of resources regarding nonprofit Financial Policies.
ETHICS AND ACCOUNTABILITY
National Council of Nonprofits resource library
The National Council of Nonprofits has put together a particular library of resources regarding nonprofit Ethics and Accountability.
Sample policies
Lincoln Community Foundation - Gift Acceptance policy (April 2022)
DONOR GIFTS
Lincoln Community Foundation - training resources
This presentation comes from a Cause Collective training put together by the Lincoln Community Foundation that covered information such as managing donor gifts, receipting, and more.
BYLAWS
Sample policies
Lincoln Community Foundation -
Bylaws (April 2022)
Cause Collective -
Bylaws (Spring 2022)
SOCIAL JUSTICE
TOOLKITS
Starbucks Global Academy
Downloadable PDF toolkits on topics ranging from racial bias to class bias and more.
Racial equity tools: fundamentals
A website of resources looking to support individuals who are working to achieve racial equity.
Accountability Principles
This PDF toolkit, also by Race Forward, provides information and recommendations on accountability principles, how to use them, and more.
ASSESSMENTS
Harvard's Implicit Bias Test
This test, based on an implicit bias test used in the book Blindspot, uses a variety of quick-answer questions to test for implicit bias.
YWCA diversity self-assessment
This PDF diversity self-assessment has a particular focus on the nonprofit field, helping motivate the creation of diversity-related action items.
University of California: inclusion self-assessment
This PDF self-assessment is designed for campus leaders to use in self-assessing for a Culture of Inclusion; however, many questions would extend well to testing an organization's culture.
OTHER RESOURCES
Race Forward: Systemic Racism video series
This resource, put together by Race Forward, provides a series of short videos on different aspects of systemic racism such as the wealth gap, housing discrimination, and more.
Coble Skill: DEI interview questions
This informational PDF lists out a variety of interview questions related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion that are a good fit for a variety of potential job positions.
National Council of Nonprofits resource library
The National Council of Nonprofits has put together a particular library of resources regarding nonprofit Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
World Trust Website
Visit the World Trust Website for more information on the Cracking the Code series and other tools for Social Justice and Equity Movement Building.
America Needs All of Us (Welcoming America)
America Needs All of Us is a toolkit for messaging about race, bias, and change.
Communication and Research Resources
Explore Opportunity Agenda's communications and research resources designed to strengthen your work and make an impact on the issues that matter most to you..
Othering and Belonging Institute
This work by the Associate Director of the Othering and Belonging Institute of UC Berkeley, Denise Herd, links COVID-19, racism, and police violence, and provides analysis to inform statements.
Responding to Everyday Bigotry
This article by the Southern Poverty Law Center provides tangible actions to take in a variety of situations.
Racial Equity Assessments
This assessment guide, put together by Race Forward, provides a variety of information on Racial Equity Impact Assessments - ranging from what they are to why they're needed and when they should be conducted.
Sample policies
Cause Collective Diversity Statement
