Expanding Universe

THE EXPANDING UNIVERSE
New Directions in Nonprofit Capacity Building

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This research study looks into the leading edge of capacity-building work, highlighting new strategies in strengthening nonprofit organizations via intermediaries, grantmakers, community-based nonprofits and even individual philanthropists.  This research by Tom Backer and his colleagues considerably expands our understanding of the broad array of actors and the strategies they use to build capacity with nonprofits.

Capacity building in nonprofit organizations is a fast-growing field with a broad diversity of actors playing important roles in strengthening nonprofit organizations’ ability to achieve their operating goals and their mission. Grantmakers, policy makers, nonprofit managers, board members and others have realized that well-managed and well-governed operating systems are needed to make the most of limited resources in delivering the broad array of programs and services that nonprofits undertake. 

The organized field of nonprofit capacity building as now defined is approximately 15 years old. Its roots are in strategic foundation support for such activities, the emergence of venture philanthropy as a particular funding strategy, the increasing focus on performance of nonprofits, and, overall, greater attention to the capital needs and operating structures of nonprofit organizations. The basic components of capacity building are technical/management assistance, organizational development consulting and assessment, and direct financial support. Leading edge advances in the field include evaluation strategies and broader multi-organizational, community or field-wide capacity building.

The types of organizations involved in nonprofit capacity building and the strategies they use are the subject of this research. The Alliance for Nonprofit Management had identified 20 categories of organizations and individuals that conduct capacity-building work with nonprofits. Through this process, the Alliance has identified management support organizations, consultants, grantmakers, associations, publishers, researchers and others who provide some form of capacity building to nonprofits. The Alliance commissioned this research to get a better understanding of the depth of this “Universe” – to better understand who is doing nonprofit capacity building, how they are doing it, and what can be learned from their experiences.

The report is available to Alliance members for $25 and non-members for $35.  Order today!

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