Where Can a Nonprofit Find Capacity Building Assistance?

There are many sources for capacity building assistance: consultants, professional advisors such as lawyers, accountants, university certificate programs, community foundations, management support organizations, and umbrella organizations for particular subsectors of nonprofits. Many offer stand-alone training or curricula.

National organizations may conduct trainings at large convenings or over the internet. Because the core of State Associations’ work is helping to build the capacity of other nonprofits in the state, joining your State’s Association of nonprofits is one of the most cost-efficient ways to gain access to capacity building. State Associations often offer workshops and training opportunities for board and staff, whether in-person or via the internet, as well as the ability for nonprofit leaders to network and learn from each other, collaborate, and stay up-to-date with the 'best practices' or principles of practice and standards of excellence that are recommended for nonprofits in that state.

• Find your State Association.

• Membership in a State Association of nonprofits is particularly helpful for nonprofits that are in the start-up phase of their operations because a State Association can provide trainings, tips, and tools to help take an organization to the next level. Capacity building training can take a nonprofit's programs and impact "from promising to proven." Read the top ten reasons to join your State Association.

The following sources offer helpful background information on capacity building:

• Read why capacity building matters, key elements, success factors, and lessons learned from this seminal study for Philanthropy Venture Partners by McKinsey & Company (2001).

• Download a variety of excellent reports on capacity building projects available from The TCC Group’s website.

• Review The Foundation Center’s resource list of publications on capacity building for nonprofits.

Tools for capacity building