For Organizations

The MCC Organizational Self-Assessment Tool was developed to help non-profit organizations identify institutional strengths and weaknesses. Completing a self-assessment is a good first step when doing annual planning or embarking on a new project.

While no single tool is applicable to all organizations or situations, we hope that most cultural groups will find something worthwhile here. The areas covered in this self-assessment include:

• Mission and vision
• Strategic planning and evaluation
• Programming
• In-school and out-of-school programming
• Community participation
• Advocacy / Public relations
• Marketing
• Benchmarks of financial health
• Financial planning, monitoring and reporting
• Fundraising
• Governance / Board management
• Management
• Human resources
• Information technology systems
• Facilities management

Some ways this assessment tool can be used:

• For larger organizations, the regular distribution of this evaluation to key staff, board members and volunteers is a springboard for internal communication about problem areas, or to identify places where you're doing a good job.

• For organizations with limited staffing, this assessment provides a good way to identify the skills needed as you focus on board development and recruitment.

• For newer organizations, this tool can help forecast future staffing, technology or development needs.

• For organizations in leadership or other transition, this evaluation tool may help clarify areas of needed growth and attention before a search begins.

As always, we'd like your feedback. If this tool has been helpful to you, or if you want to talk about other ways a self-evaluation process could be useful to your organization, contact your MCC program coordinator at 617-727-3668.

MCC Organizational Self-Assessment Tool (PDF)

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