Last updated: 6 March, 2002 This section on best practices is derived from a highly-successful training program called MATRIX that was conducted in 1999 and 2000 for 15 youth-serving agencies in Whatcom County. Funding was provided by the Stuart Foundation and administered through Whatcom Community Foundation. In an effort to extend the reach and effectiveness of the MATRIX program, the Whatcom Council of Nonprofits has adopted the MATRIX best practices as the foundation of our technical assistance program planning. The first seven best practices were developed and are copyrighted by Community Impact Consulting as part of the Matrix project, implemented now in over 10 sites, and permission has been given for local nonprofit use only. Any replication or use for profit is prohibited. WCN encourages Whatcom County nonprofits to use this document as a tool in strategic planning and evaluation of their organizations. These best practices identify nine areas in which an organization's competence is critical for success. Below, each competence is linked to suggestions for getting your organization to the "best practice" level. There is inevitably overlap between some of these competency areas as no single area is unique or isolated from others. In order to achieve competence in one area, other competencies are often required as well. Introduction I. Board of Directors/Governance II. Human Resources Management III. Financial Management IV. Strategic Plannin V. Collaboratives/Partnerships VI. Outcomes and Quality Improvement VII. Information Technology Management VIII. Fundraising IX. Marketing Bibliography