A shared drive structure your whole team can use
By Ben Serunyigo, co-founder of Nimara · Updated October 2026
It's Thursday afternoon and a funder needs last year's final report by Friday, but the person who saved it is on vacation and the drive has three files called "report final." This guide shows you how to set up folders, names and access so that doesn't happen again, and so your drive is ready if you bring in AI later.
Organize a nonprofit or charity shared drive by what the work is, not who does it. Use six to ten top-level folders, like Governance, Finance, Programs, People, Fundraising and Communications, and go no more than three levels deep. Pick one naming pattern with dates written year first, keep sensitive records in their own locked-down space and give every folder an owner. Then start with one program and leave the rest of the drive for later.
- 1Why this matters more now
- 2The folder map
- 3One naming rule
- 4Who sees what
- 5How long to keep things
- 6Where to start
Why this matters more now
A messy drive used to cost you time, and now it can also cost you trust.
That's because AI tools that connect to your files, like Microsoft Copilot or Google's Gemini, can read whatever the person using them is allowed to see. Microsoft says Copilot only shows people data they already have permission to view, so it's important to set those permissions correctly (Microsoft).
That sounds safe until you remember the folder someone shared with "anyone with the link" three years ago. Before AI nobody stumbled onto it, but now a simple question can bring it up in seconds.
So a tidy drive is about more than finding things. It's the starting point for using AI safely, and it pays off even if you never use AI at all.
Most teams already use AI in some way. Three in four nonprofit staff and leaders in the US and around the world say they use AI at work every week (NTEN and The Bridgespan Group, 2026). Country surveys agree, with almost two-thirds of US nonprofits saying their organization uses AI in its work (Center for Effective Philanthropy, 2025) and 79% of UK charities saying they're using AI (Charity Digital Skills Report, 2026).
The folder map
Organize by what the work is instead of who does it because people change jobs but the work stays.
Start with six to ten top-level folders and number them so they always sort in the same order:
02 Finance · budgets, statements, audits
03 Programs · one folder per program
04 People · job descriptions, training, volunteers
05 Fundraising · grants, donors, events
06 Communications · newsletters, social, website
07 Operations · IT, office, contracts, insurance
Restricted · personnel files, participant records, incidents (separate, locked-down space)
Inside each program keep it small because three folders are enough to start:
- 00 Intake for new files that still need a home.
- 01 Working for drafts and useful material.
- 02 Approved for final copies a named owner has signed off on.
Go no more than three levels deep because if people have to click five times to find something, they'll save it to their desktop instead.
One naming rule
Pick one pattern and use it everywhere, like this one that works well for most teams:
Program_Type_YYYY-MM-DD_Status_v01
Sept report new v2.docx
budget (2).xlsx
Food-Bank_Report_2026-09-30_Approved_v03.docx
Finance_Budget_2026-27_Approved_v01.xlsx
- Write dates year first (2026-09-30) so files sort in time order on their own.
- Use Draft or Approved instead of "final," so there's only ever one Approved version.
- Don't guess. If you don't know the date or status, leave it out and ask the owner.
Who sees what
This is the part that matters most, and the part most drives get wrong.
1Use shared drives, not personal ones
Files in someone's personal "My Drive" belong to that person, while files in a Google shared drive belong to the team and stay when someone leaves (Google). If important records live in a staff member's personal drive, move them before that person moves on.
2Lock down sensitive records
Personnel files, participant records, incident reports and legal files need tighter access than everything else, and you have two options in Google:
- A separate shared drive with only the people who need it, for when even other drive managers shouldn't see the files.
- A limited-access folder inside a shared drive. Only people added directly can open it, but the drive's managers can still get in (Google).
If you use Microsoft 365 the same idea applies, so keep sensitive records in their own site or library with their own members.
3Find the "anyone with the link" files
Search your drive for files shared with "anyone with the link" or with people outside your organization, and close the ones that don't need to be open. Do this before you turn on any AI tool that reads your files.
4Give every folder an owner
An owner decides what belongs there, who can see it and what gets approved. Write each owner's name in a simple list, and when someone leaves, give their folders a new owner the same day.
How long to keep things
A tidy drive also means knowing what you can let go of. Tax and charity rules set minimum times for some records, and those rules are different in the US and the UK.
If you're in the US
The IRS compliance guide for 501(c)(3) public charities says to keep these records:
| Record | How long to keep it |
|---|---|
| Your application for tax-exempt status, your determination letter, articles of incorporation, bylaws (with amendments) and board minutes | Permanently |
| Records that support a return you file, such as Form 990 | Until the statute of limitations for that return runs, which is generally three years after the return is due or filed, whichever is later |
| Employment tax records | At least four years after filing the fourth quarter for the year |
Source: IRS, Publication 4221-PC, Compliance Guide for 501(c)(3) Public Charities. Many nonprofits keep records for seven years, but that's common practice and not an IRS rule, and state law or your funders may ask for longer.
If you're in the UK
For charities in England and Wales, the rules depend on how your charity is set up:
| Record | How long to keep it |
|---|---|
| Accounting records, if your charity isn't a company | At least six years from the end of the financial year they were made in |
| Accounting records, if your charity is a company | Six years from the end of the last company financial year they relate to |
| Directors' meeting minutes, if your charity is a company | At least ten years |
| Gift Aid records | Charitable companies keep them for six years after the end of the accounting period they relate to. Charitable trusts keep them until six years after the tax year or 12 months after the repayment claim, whichever is later. |
Sources: Charities Act 2011, section 131; GOV.UK, Company and accounting records; Companies Act 2006, section 248; HMRC, Chapter 3: Gift Aid. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own charity regulators, so check their rules too.
Neither the US nor the UK has a general rule that says these records must be stored inside the country. Funders, contracts, privacy laws and (in the US) state law can add their own rules, so write yours down in a short retention policy and don't delete anything during a cleanup until its owner agrees.
Where to start
Don't try to fix the whole drive in one weekend because it won't stick. Do this instead:
- Pick one program and its owner.
- Agree on the folder map and naming rule for that program.
- Move ten working files with the owner watching. If anything is unclear, leave it where it is and ask.
- Test it. Ask a colleague to find a specific file before and after, and if they can find it faster, it's working.
- Then do the next program.
Our free Shared Drive Toolkit walks you through this with practice files, a one-page rulebook and a tracker. It also shows how AI can suggest names and folders while a person stays in control.
Sources worth your time
- IRSCompliance Guide for 501(c)(3) Public Charities →
How long US public charities should keep tax records, board minutes and governing documents.
- UK legislationCharities Act 2011, section 131 →
How long charities in England and Wales that aren't companies must keep accounting records.
- Google WorkspaceShared drives vs. My Drive →
Who owns files in each, and what happens when someone leaves.
- MicrosoftData, privacy and security for Microsoft Copilot →
Why permissions matter before you turn on AI that reads your files.
- Nimara · free toolkitShared Drive Toolkit →
Practice files, a rulebook and a tracker to organize one program, with a person in control.
Questions people ask
Should we use Google Drive or Microsoft SharePoint?
Use the one your team already lives in because both can work well. What matters more is the folder map, the naming rule and who can see what, and moving platforms won't fix a messy structure.
How many top-level folders should we have?
Six to ten works for most nonprofits and charities. Name them by function, like Finance or Programs, and number them so they always sort in the same order.
Should we delete old files?
Not during a cleanup and not without the owner's OK, since some records must be kept for set periods. Write a short retention policy first, then archive or delete based on it.
What about files in staff members' personal drives?
Move organization records into a shared drive because files in a personal drive belong to that person and that can cause problems when they leave.
Can AI organize our drive for us?
AI can suggest names and folders, which saves time, but a person should approve every move and AI should never decide who can see what. Fix your permissions before you connect any AI tool to your files.
How do we keep it tidy once it's organized?
Give every folder an owner, keep a one-page rulebook and use the Intake folder for anything that doesn't have a home yet, then check on it once a month.
Start with one program.
Our free toolkit has practice files, a one-page rulebook, a tracker and a session plan to organize one program with a colleague.
Get the free toolkit →See Connected Systems
Want help setting up a drive your whole team trusts? We connect the tools nonprofits and charities already use and clean up their information, so they're ready for AI whenever they are. Book a Call →
If only one person can find it, it isn't organized yet.
Updated October 2026. This guide is general information, not legal, tax or accounting advice. Written with AI assistance and reviewed by a person.
