How can you do what you do better?
As we near the June 1 deadline for our Strengthening Organizations Grant cycle, I find myself asking more and more applicants this question.
For many organizations, the answer is building their infrastructure, training their leadership, and taking time to ask and answer complex questions about the way their organizations work. An often overlooked step is taking the time to assess where you are in the life cycle of your organization.
Maybe you’re a fairly young organization looking to add full or part-time staff to your team.
Perhaps you’re a more established organization experiencing board turnover and find yourself needing cohesive communication and guidance for new members.
Pausing to consider your next best step as an organization is not always easy, and we encourage you to seek out professionals in the field of “capacity building” for expert advice and guidance.
Whatever your next best step is, know that it may be a good time to turn your focus internally and strengthen or expand on existing infrastructure in order to better serve the people and communities you care about.
Which leads me to what I find most exciting about working with our Strengthening Organizations program:
Hearing the missions and passions of nonprofit leaders throughout the state.
The opportunity to contribute funding to the growth of both new and established organizations is perhaps the most encouraging and exciting part of my job. New accounting systems, leadership trainings and professional consultation are just some examples of projects funded by our Strengthening Organizations program – all with the hope of strengthening nonprofits from within – so that they can carry out their missions more effectively.
At the Alaska Community Foundation, we hope to be part of spurring nonprofit growth.
In the end, you – our nonprofits and their leaders – are what make things happen. You make an impact on the state of Alaska. We at ACF strive to give you capacity to “strengthen from within” – so that you can do what you do better.