Background
The Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations (PANO), a
membership association of more than 575 nonprofit organizations, is taking a leadership role in
adapting and implementing the Standards for Excellence, a
comprehensive ethics and accountability program. Developed by the
Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations and funded in part by a
grant from the Carnegie Corporation, the Standards for Excellence
Program is being replicated in Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Carolina, Georgia
and Louisiana. The Program consists of eight Guiding Principles and 56 standards. The Guiding
Principles include: Mission and Program, Governing Board, Conflict of
Interest, Human Resources, Financial and Legal, Openness, Fundraising and
Public Policy.
Goals
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To build the capacity of individual organizations, and eventually
the nonprofit sector as a whole, by assisting them to become more
accountable;
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To increase the public’s trust in Pennsylvania’s nonprofit
organizations; and
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To assist nonprofit organizations in acting in an ethical and
accountable manner in their program operations, governance, human
resources, financial management, fundraising practices and public
policy advocacy.
Components
An ethics and accountability CODE that establishes specific
benchmarks for ethical and accountable conduct in nonprofit leadership
and management.
An array of Educational Resources including information
packets and training curricula designed to assist nonprofits in
understanding and achieving the Standards.
A Voluntary Certification Program for organizations
that wish to demonstrate a formal commitment to the Standards.
Why is there a need
for the Standards for Excellence in Pennsylvania?
An increasing number of nonprofit leaders, including executives and
board members, are seeking guidance and direction regarding best
practices in nonprofit management.
Legal requirements for establishing and maintaining a nonprofit
organization set a relatively low threshold for ethics and
accountability. The public has few objective criteria against
which to assess the organizations it supports.
Public scandals involving organizations that take advantage of
nonprofit status while operating in ways that are inappropriate threaten
the reputation of the entire nonprofit sector.
Existing sets of standards, while useful, have limitations; many do
not address the full spectrum of ethics and accountability issues.
Industry-specific standards apply to relatively small subsets of
nonprofit organizations and include programmatic components that lack
relevance across the entire sector.
To assume their rightful place in society, it is time for nonprofit
organizations as a community to make an affirmative and forward-looking
statement about collective values and aspirations and publicly embrace
standards of conduct that go beyond the legal minimum.
How
were the Standards developed?
A work group of
50 nonprofit executives, board leaders and consultants from among the
ranks of the Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organization members
developed the Standards for Excellence Program. PANO
is part of the national replication program made possible by a grant from
The Carnegie Corporation of New York. After entering into a licensing
agreement with Maryland, PANO’s Board of Directors appointed a Standards
Committee to provide input and guidance on implementing the Standards in
addition to hiring additional staff resources. The Standards
Committee is currently implementing a series of regional meetings to
educate, solicit feedback for best practices and determine implementation
guidelines. In addition, an Advisory Committee composed of nonprofit
representatives and advocates will provide on-going guidance.
Will the Standards be
used to evaluate all nonprofit organizations?
No. This
is a voluntary certification program. PANO does not have a mandate
to measure all nonprofits against the Standards. This is a choice
that individual nonprofit organizations make for self improvement.
If a nonprofit
organization chooses not to go through the entire program, can it utilize
the resources associated with the Program?
Yes. The
purpose and mission of this program are to increase the quality of
operations of nonprofits in whatever way possible. Training seminars
and educational packets are available to all.
What does the process
look like? How long does it take?
Introductory Workshops:
PANO offers a three hour Introductory Workshop to explain the
Standards for Excellence Program, its components, processes,
costs, benefits and procedures. Should the nonprofit organization
want to apply, an initial Application Packet is forwarded. The
organization is then able to assess standards that are currently being met
and those that need improvement. The organization is asked to assign
a “lead” person to oversee the process.
Schedule.
Clinics:
The Standards for Excellence Clinic Series provides educational support
for assuring the implementation of all the standards. Organizations do not
need to apply for the voluntary certification to attend the Clinic Series.
The four session clinic series is designed to meet the needs of today’s
busy nonprofit executives. Organizations intending to participate in the
voluntary certification process are strongly encouraged to attend these
sessions.
This four session course combines classroom
instruction and peer-to-peer learning and covers every Standard in the
Standards for Excellence. Organizations enrolled in the clinic series send
two representatives to each session. Since the goals of the Standard
include a more educated and active Board, we strongly encourage that one
representative be a board member. The series generally take place over
three to four months.
Session One: Series Introduction, Openness and Disclosure, Mission and
Program Session Two: Governing Board, Conflicts of Interest
Session Three: Human Resources, Finance and Legal Issues
Session Four: Fundraising, Public Policy and Public Affairs, Conclusion
“I believe all nonprofit organizations
would greatly benefit from these seminars. I have been a Director for 15
years and there is so much I learned from these seminars.” Pat
Tindell, Executive Director, Phoenixville Area Children’s Learning Center.
During each session, two of the eight topic
areas in the Standards for Excellence will be covered in detail (as they
relate to the certification application). A facilitated peer-to-peer
exchange follows each topic overview. For this portion of each session,
participants are asked to share copies of their agency’s materials as
addressed in the application package. At the conclusion of the clinic,
participants will have assembled all portions of the application package.
Two representatives from each participating
organization should attend each session. Previous participants have found
it most effective if the person responsible for specific areas of the
Standards attend relevant sessions. For example, the human resources
director should attend the session on human resources (first part of
Session 3) and a board member should attend the board session (first part
of Session 2). In some cases, two or three individuals from an
organization may attend on a given day. Schedule.
How long does the Process Take?
How long the process takes varies from one nonprofit to
another. The process can take a few months to a year. On-going
support is provided to assure nonprofit organizations can implement the
standards at a pace that does not interrupt their delivery of primary
services.
What are the costs?
The attached document
details the fees as revised fall 2006.
What are the benefits?
Based on the
experience of nonprofit organizations in Maryland, nonprofits report that
the Standards Program provides:
Opportunities for capacity building and strengthening of
infrastructure through training and development.
Increased credibility with funders.
Increased staff morale due to clarifications of policies and
procedures.
More knowledgeable and effective governing board.
Assurance that a nonprofit organization is operating in a highly
ethical and accountable manner.
Eastern University is offering a $1,500 scholarship to all Staff
and Board members of Standards for Excellence Certified Organizations
that enroll in their
MS in Nonprofit Management Program. More
information.
For
more information on the Standards for Excellence Program email
Tish
Mogan or call her at 717-236-8584 x1001
