Capacity Building
Nonprofits are funded from a variety of sources -- foundations, government, businesses, and most of all, individual donors. Often, those supporters are only interested in funding the direct expenses associated with delivering programs and services in the community.
It is challenging for many nonprofits, especially smaller and medium-size organizations, to raise the dollars needed for financial management (to ensure fiscal accountability to donors); marketing (to expand the reach of services); resource development (to ensure the organization is not dependent on just a few funders); professional development (to ensure that nonprofits have the best talent available to service their communities); and technology (to make the most efficient use of donor's resources).
In addition to these capacity-building resources, nonprofits also need the skills, know-how and tools to install best practices and ensure that they are good stewards of the community's investments in their mission.
To address this need, the Alliance and others are engaged in initiatives to expand resources for capacity building and streamline nonprofit access to quality knowledge of best management practices.
National Capacity Building Initiative
In April 2007, the Alliance Board of Trustees endorsed the National Capacity Building Initiative (NCBI). This legislation, developed by a network of state associations under the leadership of the National Council of Nonprofit Associations (NCNA), proposed the appropriation of federal money to create state-level capacity building programs, modeled on Small Business Development Centers administered by the Small Business Administration for small for-profit businesses. As of the spring of 2007, the legislation is being crafted with the assistance of key committee staff in both the House and Senate, and other national allies are being convened to support the initiative.