strengthening families & building healthy communities
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Public Announcement
Urban Strategies’ Nonprofit Capacity Building Program
Program Purpose:
Urban Strategies Inc.’s (Urban) Nonprofit Capacity Building Program (Capacity Building Program or Program) is designed to strengthen the capacity of nonprofits to address broad economic recovery issues in Central City, connect Harmony Oaks (formerly C.J. Peete) and Central City residents with services, such as education and training, and increase local nonprofit capacity to deliver high-quality, effective programs that help families at Harmony Oaks and in Central City work toward self-sufficiency. The Capacity Building Program is a two-year initiative with three main components: (1) Capacity Assessments, (2) Competitive Financial Assistance and Technical Assistance, and (3) Group Trainings. The Program’s design is intended to dramatically enhance the capacity of local nonprofits, currently serving or planning to serve Central City residents in the next twelve months, to assist low-income families through the Program’s targeted technical assistance and financial assistance.Program Components:
The three components of the Capacity Building Program are explained in more detail below and are offered to nonprofits at no cost.1. Capacity Assessments
Open to nonprofit organizations currently providing or planning to provide Central City residents in the next twelve months with services that support economic sustainability for families, such as literacy training, workforce development programs, elimination of barriers to gainful employment, education, entrepreneurship, and resident engagement. The Capacity Assessment will include a materials review and a series of questions to evaluate an organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and constraints in the critical areas of capacity. The answers will be scored and weighted to produce a Capacity Score and an indication of capacity needs.
Participation in the Capacity Assessment process is a requirement for an organization to be eligible for the Competitive Financial Assistance Program and will help inform the Competitive Financial Assistance Awards selection process. The Capacity Assessment will help nonprofits focus on the most critical capacity needs within their organization and inform them on where they should devote resources.
The number of Capacity Assessments is limited to forty and preference will be given to organizations that meet the Program Eligibility requirements (detailed on page 3).
2. Competitive Financial Assistance and One-on-One Technical Assistance
Competitive Financial Assistance Program
The Competitive Financial Assistance Program includes two competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) cycles. Organizations that would like to participate in the Competitive Financial Assistance Program must meet the Program Eligibility requirements (detailed on page 3) and complete a Capacity Assessment. Competitive RFPs will be issued twice, once during the first half of 2010, and once during the first half of 2011.
The Competitive Financial Assistance Program has two main components: (1) Capacity Assessment Score and (2) a Proposal describing the funding amount requested and proposed use of funds, determination process for identifying the capacity need and uses of funds, anticipated outcomes and timeline for capacity investments, and evaluation criteria for success. This approach ensures that the funds are used for capacity building activities that further the grantees’ capacity to deliver services and are matched to their documented capacity needs.
The Competitive Financial Assistance Program is designed to ensure a fair competitive process and to drive introspection and strategic thinking within the nonprofit around the most critical capacity needs, and how dollars can be leveraged for the greatest impact.
One-on-One Technical Assistance Program
One-on-One Technical Assistance (TA) will be provided only to organizations that receive a Competitive Financial Assistance Award. TA is intended to provide individualized professional assistance to enhance an organization’s capabilities to serve its constituents.
TA will include regularly scheduled meetings to provide advice on the development and implementation of capacity plans, oversight on the use of Competitive Financial Assistance dollars to support capacity initiatives, and recommendations on select capacity needs such as creating strategic partnerships, developing financial plans, and identifying and implementing best-practice evaluation systems.
A subgroup of grantees will be selected to receive more intensive TA (High Engagement TA). The grantees chosen for the High Engagement TA will be selected based on their Capacity Assessment score and the role they play as a critical, leading and enduring service provider with a long-term role in supporting the families at Harmony Oaks (formerly C.J. Peete) and in Central City. High Engagement TA will include a more exhaustive organizational assessment to identify capacity gaps in (i) organizational and program planning, (ii) technology infrastructure, (iii) collaboration and community engagement, (iv) leadership, and (v) evaluation. Once the set of capacity gaps are identified, Urban Strategies, in collaboration with the grantee, will develop a Capacity Plan that will outline the financial and non-financial resources required to enhance the organization’s capacity to deliver high-quality services. The Capacity Plan will serve as the road map for technical assistance delivery and assessment throughout the program.
3. Group Trainings
Open to nonprofit organizations currently providing or planning to provide Central City residents in the next twelve months with services that support economic sustainability for families, with a special emphasis on participation by organizations that have completed the Capacity Assessment. The Group Trainings are designed as a series of eight clinics that will cover a single capacity building topic per clinic. Each clinic will include a presentation by an expert in the field, and facilitated break-out sessions to brainstorm the application of a new strategy or approach to individual organizations.
Program Eligibility
The Capacity Building Program is designed to enhance the organizational capacity of local nonprofits, currently serving or planning to serve residents at Harmony Oaks and in Central City over the next twelve months, that promote economic recovery, help low-income families secure and retain jobs, break down barriers to employability, and put families on the pathway to self-sufficiency.Eligible organizations must meet the following criteria:
- Must be a nonprofit organization, with proof of nonprofit status (501(c)(3) designation is not required)
- Must currently serve or plan to serve residents of Central City within twelve months
- Must provide services that support economic sustainability for families, such as: literacy training, workforce development programs, elimination of barriers to gainful employment, education, entrepreneurship, resident engagement, and access to state and Federal benefits and tax credits
- Can be a secular or faith-based organization, but must have at least one substantial secular service or program that is intended to benefit through participation in the capacity building program
- Preference will go to organizations whose annual budget does not exceed $500,000
- Preference will go to organizations working with agencies that administer Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Programs
- Organizations that partner with Urban to deliver technical assistance, or provide part or all of the cost-share (funds or in-kind) for the Capacity Building Program, are not eligible
The Capacity Building Program is made possible by a grant from the Administration for Children & Families (ACF) Strengthening Communities Fund, and accordingly, Urban is bound by ACF’s program and criteria requirements.
Contact
Please contact Ms. Esther Shin at esther.shin@urbanstrategiesinc.org with any questions about the Program.
Group Trainings
Download the Non-Profit Capacity Building Program Training Schedule