Capacity Building Mini-Grants: fUNDED BY THE cOMMUNITY fOUNDATION OF nORTH cENTRAL mASSACHUSETTS

Healthy nonprofits contribute to an economically, culturally, civically, and spiritually vibrant community. Mini-grants are aimed at strengthening individual nonprofits so they in turn can affect change and actively contribute to the sector.

“To survive and succeed, every organization will have to turn itself into a change agent.
The most effective way to manage change successfully is to create it.”  Peter Drucker

Toward this end, the Institute for Nonprofit Development has provided three rounds of mini-grants in amounts of $1000 - $3000 used for activities that improve an organization’s ability to more effectively achieve its mission.

Through the mini-grant process we are seeking to support activities that will lead to long-term organizational health by improving an organizations’ effectiveness. Only INPD Member organizations that hold 501(c)(3) status were eligible for the awards through the 2007 round of funding.

How Can The Mini-Grant Funds Be Used?
The Institute seeks creative proposals that demonstrate an organization’s willingness to take a step back from its day-to-day operations to reflect, plan, and/or evaluate how to effectively meet its mission. The mini-grants are intended to be used for facilitative processes led by an outside consultant, or peer.

Applicants are encouraged to use the capacity building mini-grants to leverage additional matching funds.

To follow is a list of capacity building categories and examples of activities that could be employed for your consideration.

Organizational Management

Includes activities to strengthen governance, leadership, mission, vision and strategy.  For example:

• Board development and training
• Strategic planning process
• Resident/constituent engagement strategies
• Strategies to build a multi-racial and multi-ethnic organization
• Succession planning
• Leadership development

Management Systems

Includes activities to improve financial and resource management, internal operations, decision making systems. For example:

• Volunteer development planning
• Staff development (recruitment and retention planning)
• Financial management review and development of policies
• Human resources policies and procedure
• Technology and information systems improvement planning
• Bylaws, policies and procedures development
• Capital planning
• Fund development/fundraising strategies

Programming and Accountability

Includes activities to evaluate program delivery and community impact. For example:

• Program evaluation
• Environmental scans/data gathering
• Collaboration/coalition building

This list is not intended to be exhaustive and applicants are encouraged to propose activities not on this list that they believe will improve their organizational effectiveness.

Limitations
Funds cannot be used for capital expenditures, program expansion, or staffing.
Previous mini-grant awardees are not eligible to apply in the first year after receiving a grant.

Applicants must be established as a 501(c)(3) or provide evidence of a fiscal agent, and perate in the North Central Massachusetts region (see the Who We Are section for specific cities and towns)

How to Apply

Applications for this round of funding have closed. Subsequent rounds of funding will be widely announced.