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PILLAR 4

BUILDING CAPACITY

SEEKING $75 MILLION

WHAT IS CAPACITY BUILDING?

According to the National Council of Non- Profits, Capacity building is whatever is

needed to bring a nonprofit to the next level of operational, programmatic,

financial, or organizational maturity, so it may more effectively and efficiently

advance its mission into the future.

Capacity building is not a one-time effort to improve short-term effectiveness, but a continuous improvement strategy toward the creation of a sustainable organization.

EQUITY THROUGH CAPACITY BUILDING

CRA Baltimore stands with others for equity and justice and in denouncing racism, intolerance, and exclusion. Yet taking a stand is not enough.

We believe that embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion is a way to intentionally make space for positive outcomes to flourish, whether in direct services or in the nonprofit capacity building.

The days of receiving pennies on the dollar for investment in grassroot Capacity Building must come to an end. There must be investments in building the infrastructure of black and brown non-profits in Baltimore.

SUPPORTING A CAPACITY BUILDING STRATEGY

Point the Way was a project of the Capacity Building Funders Group, a group of 14 foundations that invest in capacity building resources for nonprofit organizations in the Chicago area. Point the Way Chicago-area Capacity Building Landscape Study Final Report, March 2017.

Recommendations for strengthening a system of capacity building. Based on Learning For Change research with over 1,000 nonprofits, funders, and capacity building providers in the Chicago area, LFA developed four recommendations on ways nonprofits can collectively leverage capacity building resources to create a stronger ecosystem of nonprofits. Many of these recommendations, are relevant for all regions.

Focus on Equity. Prioritize investments in under-resourced communities, and the organizations that serve them, as they are at a profound systemic disadvantage as they try to address the most severe social problems.
Take a Developmental Approach. Prioritize investments that help an organization get and stay on a sustainable developmental path.

Invest in a System Navigator Function. Make available human resources, complemented by technology, that can provide real-time, customized support to nonprofits as they seek to assess and address their capacity-building needs.
Support Nonprofit Connectivity. Promote capacity-building efforts that build connections between and among nonprofit organizations, their leaders, and their social sector peers, both as a part of the process and as an outcome.