Capacity Building

These are difficult financial times for nonprofits, as organizations everywhere are forced to do more with less. It may seem like a fruitless time to consider “capacity-building”, when many are more concerned with survival, but Non-Profit Transitions believes the opposite. We believe these times provide an excellent environment for determining “what works” and what doesn’t in the areas of nonprofit leadership, operations and effectiveness, and doing something about it.

Capacity building has been defined as “Strengthening nonprofits so they can better achieve their mission.” The Expanding Universe – New Directions in Nonprofit Capacity Building, The Alliance for Nonprofit Management, (June 2004). Basic components of capacity building according to the Alliance are:

-       technical/management assistance,

-       organizational development consulting and assessment, and

-       direct financial support.

Throughout the country, foundations and other nonprofit support organizations have developed an active interest in nonprofit capacity building. One research database reports 368 separate capacity building programs and 21 intermediary organizations havehelping Doc engaged in capacity building recently (see www.humaninteract.org/reports/pcbrdatabase.asp).  Here in New England, both the Boston Foundation and The Rhode Island Foundation, amongst others, have active capacity building programs.  The specifics of each program vary but they have common elements too:

-       They operate for multiple years;

-       They begin with a needs assessment;

-       They feature leadership development;

-       Most contain a financial skills education component; and

-       They stress “learning” , sometimes through peer learning, to determine  “what works”, and top share observations with others in the field.

Chris Dame, NPT’s president and founder, spent six months at The Rhode Island Foundation as Special Consultant developing the Initiative for Nonprofit Excellence. He and his NPT colleagues would like to share the insights, programs, and ideas generated by that experience. They have spent years helping business and nonprofit organizations increase effectiveness and improve leadership and governance. Call us today.