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Guides and Resources for
Nonprofit News Organizations

Learn (https://learn.inn.org/nonprofit-operations-and-management/)

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Nonprofit Operations and Management

This section offers practical information and sample policies regarding governance, human resources and employment issues, and managing legal risks.

Board Governance

National Council of Nonprofits Explanation of Board Roles
Executive Leadership Training: Board Governance Webinar (Terrill Thompson and Monique Meadows via INN, 2018 video)
Conflict of Interest Policy Sample
Executive Transitions: Critical Guidance for Boards and Executives webinar, with related column, Should the New and the Old CEO Ever Overlap? (Nonprofit Quarterly)

Editorial and Business Ethics

Editorial Independence Policy
Donor Transparency Policy
Journalism Ethics Policies
Ethical Guidelines for the Nonprofit Journalism Organization (2011)
Frequent Advocacy Questions: What Nonprofits Need to Know about Advocacy During Election Season (M+R, 2018). Also: IRS Fact Sheet on Election Year Activities

Human Resources Responsibilities

Staffing Strategy*
Creating a Job Description*
Recruiting Strategy*
Managing a Distributed Staff
Distributed Newsroom Playbook (Fathm Limited, 2020)
Time Management Online Course (video) Part 1 and Part 2
Tax Issues with Staff and Contractors*
Links to Resources
The National Council of Nonprofits
The Legal Difference Between Employees and Volunteers (from Nonprofit Risk Management Center)
Constant Training – New Normal or Missed Opportunity? (2014 Poynter-Knight Foundation report on what training journalists want and need)
Internal Investigations for the Media Employer (Media Law Resource Center, 2019)

Managing Legal Risk

Legal Support
INN Friends Presents: The Dos and Don’ts of Charity Registration (2018 video)
How to Work with a Media Lawyer (2015)
Terms & Conditions: Staying on Top of Your Legal Obligations (2012)
Legal FAQs for Nonprofit Journalism Organizations (2011)
A Lawyer’s View: Bulletproofing your Tweets (2011)
Sample Policies
Website/Apps Terms of Use and Privacy Policies
Contracts*
Freelancer Agreements*
Miscellaneous Documents*
Publication Agreements*

* Check back later for this section.