11 Questions To Ask A Nonprofit Before You Donate, Engage, Volunteer or Serve on A Board

Thinking of donating or getting involved in a nonprofit? Here are some suggested questions to ask nonprofit organizations before investing in them. The answers can help you determine which charities to give to and evaluate the performance of the philanthropies you already support:

1. How are you effectively collaborating with other organizations on a local, regional, or national level? What are some examples? How would you like to enhance these efforts? What does collaboration mean to you?

2. What are the main obstacles that inhibit the fulfillment of your mission? How are you planning to overcome them? As a Board Member, how can I help you do this?

3. How much turnover have you experienced of employees and board members in the last two years? Especially in the CEO/Executive Director position?

4. To what degree have you attracted NEW people and new ideas to your organization and board?

5. What are your values?  And, how do you live them?  What do they mean in your relationships with Board Members, staff, volunteers, donors, clients, members of the community? 

6. Do you have an active – we live this with our heart and soul – Conflict of Interest Policy with your Board of Directors and Organization Founders? How is this document supported and discussed?

7. How do you used your funding? How do this funding help people? What does community impact look like to you?

8. How efficiently is your organization run? What are the key investments your organizations have made in the last year?  How diverse is your Board? How do you SUPPORT your volunteers?

9.  What dashboards do you use to measure success? And, how are these dashboards shared with the Board of Directors?

10. Who are your main "competitors" and how do your results in recent years compare to theirs? How do you reach out and collaborate with them to create a greater common good?

11. How do you express appreciation?  How do you thank people? How do you celebrate?

Other questions you would recommend?  Please feel free to share.  Would love your comments, recommendations and ideas.