Standards for Excellence Self-Assessments

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Standards for Excellence Self-Assessments

This Standards for Excellence free online self-assessments help nonprofits measure their organization’s adherence to the benchmarks in the Standards for Excellence: An Ethics and Accountability Code for the Nonprofit Sector. Each of the assessments offers a series of questions about the nonprofits’ governance and management practices. Once a nonprofit leader completes an assessment questionnaire, a professional report is generated that helps the organization to identify areas where work needs to be completed in order to apply for Standards for Excellence accreditation or Standards for Excellence Basics recognition.

The Standards for Excellence Institute is pleased to offer two self-assessments.

  1. The Full Standards for Excellence Self-Assessment provides respondents with the opportunity to review their organization’s governance and management practices looking at all of the benchmarks described in the Standards for Excellence: An Ethics and Accountability Code for the Nonprofit Sector.
    Start the Full Standards for Excellence Self-Assessment
  2. The Standards for Excellence Basics Recognition Self-Assessment is geared toward nonprofits that wish to review their practices against the specific benchmarks required for Standards for Excellence Basics recognition.
    Start the Standards for Excellence Basics Recognition Self-Assessment

Start the Full Standards for Excellence Self-Assessment

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Start the Standards for Excellence Basics Recognition Self-Assessment

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Is there a charge for a nonprofit to do a self-assessment?

No. It is free.

Which self-assessment should a nonprofit complete?

Nonprofit leaders that wish to review their organization against each portion of the Standards for Excellence: An Ethics and Accountability Code for the Nonprofit Sector can complete the Full Standards for Excellence self-assessment.

Organizations considering participation in the Standards for Excellence Basics Recognition program can complete the Standards for Excellence Basics Recognition Self-Assessment.

How long will it take to complete the self-assessment?

A nonprofit will need 20 to 30 minutes at a minimum to complete the self-assessment.

Does the self-assessment need to be completed in one sitting?

Nonprofit leaders often find that they may need to check with colleagues in their organization to complete the self-assessment. As a result, the self-assessment sometimes cannot be completed in one sitting. Nonprofit leaders can save their work and return to the self-assessment at any time.

What does the nonprofit receive when they finish the self-assessment?

When a nonprofit completes the Full Standards for Excellence self-assessment, it will receive a report that documents how their organization currently measures up with respect to meeting all the benchmarks. The report also suggests Standards for Excellence Institute resources that can assist the organization in reaching full adherence to the Standards for Excellence code.

Organizations completing the Standards for Excellence Basics Recognition Self-Assessment will receive a report that documents how their organization currently measures up with respect to meeting all the Basics recognition benchmarks. The report suggests Standards for Excellence Institute resources that can assist the organization in reaching those benchmarks.

How do nonprofits use their Standards for Excellence self-assessment report?

Many nonprofits share the report with their staff or board leadership and use it to define and prioritize action areas.


Nonprofits often use the report as a first step towards Standards for Excellence accreditation (or for Standards for Excellence Basics recognition) since it clearly lays out areas that need attention from the organization.

Will the information provided in the self-assessment be kept private?

An organization’s results will be shared with the Standards for Excellence Institute but will not be released unless it provides permission to do so. Results may be reported in the aggregate without identifying the organizations participating.