Several years ago, I had the opportunity to participate in United Way of Metro Chicago’s Board Leadership Institute through Northwestern University. As a nonprofit board leader, it was one of the most valuable things I did to orient myself to board service. So imagine my delight when I received an email several weeks ago with a link to Northwestern’s Nonprofit Board Essentials in my inbox. These free courses – though different from the courses I took, but still very robust – are made possible with the support of the Allstate Foundation.
That got me thinking: one of the most special things about the nonprofit sector is the willingness of people and organizations to share free resources, tools, guides, etc. You name it, you can find it. That’s because as a sector, we know that solving the world’s biggest challenges—from climate change to education equity—requires collaboration, knowledge exchange and working together across missions and silos. That spirit of generosity is embedded in so many of the free tools and resources available to nonprofit leaders today.
At Prosper Strategies, we have spent years accruing (and building) nonprofit resources, and we want to share some of our favorites with you.
Free Nonprofit Resources for Strategic Planning
- Prosper Strategies’ Essential Nonprofit Strategic Planning Template
Our comprehensive guide provides step-by-step directions to develop your nonprofit strategic plan, including exercises for conducting research, identifying your stakeholders, setting priorities and developing a dashboard for implementation, accountability and tracking. It’s some of our best thinking and we’ve made it available to you for free! - 501 Commons Strategic Planning Resources
501 Commons provides practical templates – including links to tools that help you conduct a SWOT analysis, a Five Forces Analysis and an outline to a strategic plan – all to guide you through discussions and implementation. - National Council of Nonprofits – Strategic Planning Guide
We are so lucky to have the National Council of Nonprofits in our corner. They have always stepped up for our sector, but especially in today’s tumultuous climate. In this case, their plain-language guidance helps nonprofits develop and implement a mission-aligned, actionable strategic plan. On this page, you’ll find links to resources for things like budgeting, timelines and agile strategic planning. - Bridgespan’s Fundamentals of Nonprofit Strategy & Scenario Planning Toolkit
Bridgespan provides so many amazing resources, it’s worth spending time just exploring all their website has to offer. I specifically love this resource because it provides insight into strategic planning and Theory of Change development, two processes that often go hand-in-hand. For these uncertain times, they also provide a scenario planning toolkit.
Resources for Fundraising Research
- Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose (CECP)
CECP publishes annual data and insights into trends in corporate social investment and giving, which is helpful for any organization looking to secure corporate funding or develop relationships with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) departments. - Giving USA
We all know giving Giving USA because it’s one of the most (if not the most) comprehensive annual reports on philanthropic giving trends in the United States. It’s a great way to keep a pulse on trends in giving. - Lilly Family School of Philanthropy Research
Part of the University of Indiana, Lilly Family School of Philanthropy conducts studies and reports on giving behavior, trends and the overall state of philanthropy. Right now, you can read The Philanthropy Outlook for 2024 & 2025; Charitable Giving by Affluent Households; Mapping Nonprofit Spending on Climate Change; and Women Give 2024. It’s always worth checking out their reports to get a better understanding of donor behavior. - The Center for Effective Philanthropy
CEP provides of-the-moment research on how foundations can improve their impact through feedback, strategy and grantee relationships. - Johnson Center’s 2025 Trends in Philanthropy
Again, just a good report to get a sense of current trends and analysis shaping the philanthropic sector. - Foundation Directory (via Candid)
Foundation Directory is one of my go-to resources for identifying grantmakers. They have a searchable database of grantmakers and recipients. While this is a paid tool, it’s free through many public libraries and state nonprofit associations. - Candid’s Philanthropy News Digest
Don’t want to go anywhere to get your grant news? Then subscribe to Candid’s Philanthropy News Digest, which aggregates grant announcements, RFPs and nonprofit sector news weekly – get all of this great information right to your inbox. - Capital Campaign Pro
- This is a consultancy, but they have some really good resources for helping nonprofits develop their capital campaign plans.
Resources for Nonprofit Board Development
- Northwestern’s Nonprofit Board Essentials
As I previously shared, the Northwestern courses that I took through United Way (which were paid) were incredible. Northwestern offers many paid courses for nonprofit leaders, but this is a free, video-based board education program – thanks to the Allstate Foundation – covering fiduciary duties, governance and nonprofit finance. Send this link to your nonprofit board members today. You won’t regret it! - BoardSource’s Downloadable Resources, Tools & Templates
This wouldn’t be a list of board resources without including BoardSource. This organization really sets the industry-standard and provides tools to support strong governance, board recruitment and, very importantly, navigating board/staff relationships. - NonprofitReady’s Free Board Member Training
This is a newer-to-me resource, but wow – they offer more than 500 different courses, including this online certificate designed to orient and train new board members on their roles and responsibilities.
Nonprofit Messaging Resources
- Prosper Strategies’ Guide to Writing Effective Key Messages
It’s worth noting we have a ton of resources, but this guide to writing effective key messages is one of our more popular ones. This guide is designed to help nonprofits articulate clear, compelling messaging to build support across diverse audiences. - Frameworks Institute
I am fascinated by the work of the Framework’s Institute. This organization is known for its deep research on how to frame complex social issues to increase public understanding and support. They have research-tested communication framing devices on issues ranging from climate change to child development to democracy. If you have an issue and you want to understand how to make it resonant with the general public, check out Frameworks Institute.
General Nonprofit Resources
- NonprofitReady.org Free Online Training Courses
I mentioned NonprofitReady.org in the board training section, but they have online courses covering nonprofit management, fundraising, leadership and more. - National Council of Nonprofits – Running a Nonprofit
Again, just a powerhouse of an organization that also offers extensive how-tos and legal guidance for nonprofit operations, governance and sustainability. - Nonprofit Association of Washington’s Learning Library
Many state associations have good resources, so make sure to check yours out. One that tends to come up a lot with good resources is the Nonprofit Association of Washington. Their learning library offers a collection of free webinars, toolkits and resource guides across all aspects of nonprofit work. - Nonprofit Hub’s Free Tools and Resources
The Nonprofit Hub has a ton of free webinars, guides and downloadable templates focused on marketing, fundraising and growth.
We hope these resources support you in leading and sustaining your mission-driven work. If you’ve found other free tools or guides that have helped your nonprofit, we’d love to hear about them!
