In 2015, a group of funders gathered to better understand the availability of quality capacity building services for the nonprofit sector in the Chicago area. They convened a Steering Committee and established an initiative called Point the Way, the long-term goal of which is to unite and coordinate efforts to improve capacity building in Chicago. The Steering Committee hired LFA to conduct a study on nonprofit capacity building needs and services in the greater Chicago area and beyond, and the experiences of those that use, deliver, and invest in them. Over the course of the study, over 400 nonprofits, capacity building providers, and funders provided input on the capacity building supports needed by individual nonprofits and shared their perspective on the ecosystem of capacity building in Chicago. The study incorporates a review of the latest literature on capacity building best practices and trends, and explores three model capacity building programs to understand why they’re successful and what lessons they can offer to consumers and providers of, and investors in, capacity building in the greater Chicago area. The report culminates with recommendations on how Chicago-area nonprofits, funders, and capacity building providers can work together to strengthen supports for nonprofits. Download the Final Report.
LEARN MORE about the study.
Since 2012, PropelNext has worked with 40 youth development organizations across three cohorts to sharpen their program models, develop theories of change (TOCs), implement performance measurement and management systems, and cultivate cultures of learning and continuous improvement that deliver better outcomes for youth. Through the three-year program, PropelNext provides grantees a range of supports including unrestricted funding, customized coaching, peer learning sessions, and an online learning community. Over the years, the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation and Learning for Action have worked to bring justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) to the foreground of this work and push organizational thinking and practice in new and potentially transformative directions. The focus and momentum to center JEDI principles has sharpened and accelerated since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rapid rise of the Black Lives Matter movement following the murder of George Floyd and so many others.
Drawing from conversations with PropelNext grantees, coaches, and the team that designed and led the initiative, this learning brief takes a closer look at how PropelNext has incorporated JEDI into its practices and programming over time. It also spotlights examples of how participating organizations from the Northern California 2021 cohort are applying and operationalizing these principles and frameworks as part of their learning and equity journeys. Download the full report here.