Set Your Nonprofit on a Smart Path for Funding Growth
“Capacity building is an investment in the effectiveness and future sustainability of a nonprofit,” according to the National Council of Nonprofits. This foundational principle guides our approach to helping nonprofit organizations grow strategically.
What is Capacity Building?
Capacity building refers to an intentional investment in a nonprofit’s infrastructure, skills, and strategic planning to improve effectiveness and ensure long-term sustainability.
Capacity building will mean something different for every nonprofit. Small and emerging nonprofits will have unique needs compared to established, nationwide organizations. Regardless of size or level of experience, all nonprofits benefit from regular analysis, strategic planning, and investments in grants training and infrastructure.
Changes in funding streams, community needs, and organizational leadership are just a few examples of circumstances when a nonprofit organization should invest in capacity building.
How We Can Help You Build Your Capacity
Our team can help you analyze your existing grant support structure and develop sustainable growth strategies. We also provide tailored nonprofit training on federal, state, and foundation grant opportunities, grant writing, and Congressionally Directed Spending (earmarks). Our focus is on diversifying and accelerating your funding strategy.
Our capacity building services for nonprofits are customized for your organization:
90-Day Grants Readiness Program
Ideal for newer or smaller nonprofits, this program includes:
- Personalized one-on-one coaching sessions with a nationally recognized expert.
- A comprehensive organizational analysis and action plan.
- Professionally written, ready-to-use content that you can use to apply to grants, in marketing and outreach materials, in your annual report, and more.
- A foundation research report containing “great fit” grant opportunities to help your nonprofit fulfill its mission.
Our Grants Readiness Program will help your nonprofit focus your capacity-building investments and provide an action plan, the written content you need, and a tailored list of foundation opportunities for your organization.
Strategic Insights through SWOT Analysis
Our structured SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis program reviews your organization’s grant-seeking process and institutional assets/grant supports to help your team:
- Identify internal strengths and areas for improvement.
- Uncover external opportunities and potential risks.
- Align your strategic goals with grant readiness.
A SWOT analysis helps your nonprofit prepare for growth, restructuring, or major funding campaigns by aligning internal strengths with external opportunities.
Organizational Analysis and Strategic Opportunity Inventory
Our Organizational Analysis identifies strategic funding opportunities based on your mission, history, and goals. We then deliver a curated Strategic Opportunity Inventory of pre-qualified federal and state grants and complementary services designed to maximize your success. We also conduct in-depth foundation research, identifying community, family, and corporate foundations that align with your mission, services, and geographic reach.
Our Customized Training for Nonprofits
Whether you are looking for training for a few employees or your entire team, we provide tailored sessions on specific funders, the earmark process, or grant programs, including grant-writing skills development.
- Nonprofit Grants Academy: a structured learning series designed to prepare your nonprofit to apply for earmarks and federal, state, and foundation grants.
- Post-Award Training: Learn how to prepare for and satisfy compliance, reporting, and financial stewardship requirements included in federal grants.
- Google Ad Grant Training: Learn how to access and manage up to $10,000 a month in free Google Ads for your nonprofit through the Google Ad Grant.
Read more about our capacity-building services for nonprofits.
McAllister & Quinn Can Help Your Nonprofit Succeed
We’ve helped our clients secure over $17 billion in federal, state, local, and foundation awards, and more than $1 billion in Congressionally Directed Spending. Our nonprofit clients range from social service organizations to museums to workforce development programs – and everything in between. We’ve helped small nonprofits grow efficiently and larger nonprofits expand state-wide or nationwide. Let us help your nonprofit grow today.
“Capacity building is not a one-time effort to improve short-term effectiveness, but a continuous improvement strategy toward the creation of a sustainable organization.”
A Network Approach to Capacity Building – National Council of Nonprofits
Valerie Secker
Valerie Secker serves as a Managing Director of Grants and Federal Affairs in the non-profit and public agencies practice. Working closely with her clients, she connects them with federal and foundation funding opportunities that match their organizational goals and mission.
