Self-Assessment Tools

CAPLAW has compiled a library of self-assessment tools to assist CAAs in evaluating and improving various aspects of their organizations. The library is organized by topic and includes a description of each tool. Many of these tools are available on www.virtualcap.org – an excellent resource for examples of innovative CAA programs and practices.

CAPLAW Self-Assessment Tools

Sample Board Composition Matrix

Board Composition and selection
best practices

Board Procedures Best
Practices Checklist

Board Responsibilities Best
Practices Checklist

Contract Compliance Monitoring
and Review Checklist

CAPLAW Head Start Board Checklist

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Board of Directors Self-Assessment Tools

Independent Sector Workbook
Assess and improve your CAA’s governance practices with a free workbook from Independent Sector to help your organization.
Foley Hoag Report Card for Board of Directors and Individual Directors
This tool, created by the law firm Foley Hoag LLP, allows individual directors to evaluate their performance and effectiveness. Individual directors give themselves a score of 1-10 in 18 areas of performance, which are divided into three categories: Governance Role, Volunteer Role, and Overall Character and Contributions.
Community Action Agency Board Self-Assessment
This board of director self-assessment tool was prepared by the Indiana Community Action Association, Results Unlimited, and Cartier Burrus, LLC and is a measurement tool that facilitates a greater understanding of how the board thinks it is doing at a particular point and time. The tool is also intended to help board’s identify priorities for enhancing governance and organizational effectiveness.
New Hampshire Center for Nonprofits Board Self-Assessment Questionnaire
This Board Self-Assessment Questionnaire assists nonprofit board in assessing their effectiveness. The tool is available as an online survey that tabulates the results for your organization. The data is then put in a format that makes it easy for your board to begin analysis and assessment of key areas.
National Council of Nonprofits Board Member Self-Assessment Resources
This website consists of links to information about the importance of board self-assessments along with link to tools used for analyzing and conducting such assessments.

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Executive Directors Self-Assessment Tools

Board Café’s Annual Evaluation of the Executive Director
These materials contain a brief discussion of the evaluation process. The author cautions against using surveys and questionnaires as the sole means of evaluation, but advocates their use as a starting point. The author also urges organizations to achieve a continuous flow of feedback within the agency, as well as among funders, collaborating agencies, volunteers, and clients. A sample assessment questionnaire is included, which the author describes as a “first draft” to be customized by organizations for their own use during the evaluation process.

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Fundraising Self-Assessment Tools

Better Business Bureau (BBB) Wise Giving Alliance Standards for Charity Accountability
The BBB Wise Giving Alliance (the Alliance) helps donors make informed giving decisions and advances high standards of conduct among organizations that solicit contributions from the public. Among other things, the Alliance produces in-depth evaluative reports on national charities based on comprehensive Standards for Charity Accountability. Organizations voluntarily comply with these standards, which impose stricter requirements than local, state, and federal laws and regulations. The standards cover: governing the organization, spending money, making truthful representations, and disclosing information to the public. National charities that meet the standards can apply to participate in the Alliance’s National Charity Seal program. The Alliance does not rank charities but rather seeks to assist donors in making informed judgments about charities soliciting their support. CAAs may find the Standards for Charity Accountability useful in establishing their own best practices, particularly related to fundraising and use of funds.

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Head Start Self-Assessment Tools

Head Start Self-Assessment Materials
Head Start Performance Standards require grantee and delegate agencies to conduct a Self-Assessment of their effectiveness and progress in meeting program goals and objectives and in implementing Federal regulations at least once per program year. These materials, prepared by the Department of Health and Human Services, provide Head Start grant recipients with a clear and detailed walkthrough of the self-assessment process. The Head Start Self-Assessment Guide provides useful information about topics such as the importance of self-assessment, preparation, collection and interpretation of information, and ways to strengthen a program. The Guide also includes numerous self-assessment booklets to walk Head Start programs through the various stages of the self-assessment process.

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Overall Organization Self-Assessment Tools

Board Café’s A “360 Degree Evaluation” of the Agency
This brief article, offered in CompassPoint's newsletter Board Café, advocates gathering information from multiple sources during the self-assessment process, ranging from the board of directors, to clients, to donors and volunteers. The article also suggests methods by which information can be gathered from these different groups of people.
CAA Management Crisis Checklist
The National Association for State Community Services Programs (NASCSP) operates the ROMA website to provide CAAs, state CAA associations, and state CSBG administrators with access to information and resources that will support implementation of results-oriented management and accountability (ROMA). The CAA Management Crisis checklist available on the ROMA website is intended to help CAAs determine whether they are thriving, safe, stable, vulnerable, or in crisis in important areas such as financial management, human resources, and board of directors.
Capacity Benchmarking Tool for Faith- and Community-Based Organizations
This tool, made available by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families provides best practices and benchmarks, as well as practical tips and strategies, for nonprofit grantees in a variety of areas including: board of directors; strategic planning and decision making; program monitoring (monitoring effectiveness); community linkages and partnerships; fundraising and grant writing; technology; managing staff and volunteers; financial management.
Community Action Partnership 2011 Standards of Excellence
The Community Action Partnership (CAP) has identified national Standards of Excellence for Community Action Agencies. The 2011 CAA Standards of Excellence outline 34 of the very best practices of the very best CAAs in order to answer the question: What does an excellent CAA look like? CAAs can compete for the Award for Excellence in Community Action, an annual award honoring excellent levels of performance, by participating in CAP’s system of self-evaluation and peer review. CAAs can also conduct this self-assessment without entering the awards program through the Pathways to Excellence initiative.
Northeast Institute for Quality Community Action (NIQCA) Self-Assessment Materials
NIQCA has developed “best practices” standards to help CAAs conduct Quality Community Action System (QCAS) self assessments. The NIQCA system helps management plan for the future, identify areas where improvement is needed, and prepare for Peer Review site visits. While NIQCA currently serves CAAs in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, these materials can be used by CAAs nationwide. NIQCA has made available for download the QCAS Agency Self-Assessment Manual and Checklist, as well as the QCAS Self Assessment Document Checklist, Agency Staffing Chart, and Board Profile.
Warning Signs for Agency Crisis
This questionnaire was developed by Mid-Iowa Community Action to help identify potential organizational problem areas for CAAs. A series of “yes” or “no” questions are organized into a broad range of eleven categories, such as “bank accounts,” “cash flow,” and “management.”