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Length & Formatting
A word about length
American Founding Father Thomas Jefferson is credited with advising writers and speakers, alike, to never use two words when one will do. This is a rule to keep in mind with all your business writing, including your policy and procedure manual.
In the previous chapter, we discussed how polices and procedure should be written with clarity and conciseness in mind. As a general benchmark, aim to keep each policy no longer than one page.
This brevity will give natural breaks to the format of your manual.
Be aware of awkward page breaks as you finalize your document. Avoid having single words or single lines at the top of a page or column.
It looks better to have at least two lines of a paragraph at the top of a page. Also, avoid the placement of a heading as the last line of a page. A heading should have at least two lines following it -- and more, in the case of major headings.
Try not to break up short lists between pages as well. If the list has six or fewer lines, start the whole list on the next page to assure better readability.
Now, let's look at some formatting issues that may pertain to nonprofit organizations.
Your nonprofit's policy and procedure manual will need to include specific language and policies relevant to the workings of a nonprofit organization. Additional sections may be needed that are dedicated to the elections and operation of the board of directors and the board committees.
You may wish to include specific policies on how board members are to carry out their duties. In addition, the duties, powers, policies, and procedures of ongoing and ad hoc committees can be detailed in your policy manual.
Printed copies of this manual can be prepared before the annual board meeting, and distributed to all new board members upon their election, or at their orientation sessions.
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