As your state nonprofit association, we are here to provide resources to strengthen your organization.
As your state nonprofit association, we are here to provide resources to strengthen your organization.
Each organization must thoughtfully determine how to support its employees in ways that reflect its values and align with its financial resources. Clarifying the policies and procedures that apply to all staff is essential for recruitment, retention, and graceful exit. An employee manual should be rooted in the organization’s values and reflect its culture. The depth and breadth of policies should match each organization – there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all manual. That said, all nonprofits must follow the law so there is minimum language for every manual. Additional sections can be added as needed. No manual can regulate all behavior. Therefore, policies and processes are meant to set the tone and intent for unforeseen situations. The following outline includes both standard and optional sections. The final version is board-approved and is typically reviewed in full every 3-5 years.
While not all-inclusive, the following topics are those that are most often found in employee manuals. Topics are listed in their most frequent order in the employee manual.