Capacity Building Grants Program

The Community Foundation of Southern Indiana’s Capacity Building Grants Program aims to enhance the operational capabilities of organizations, enabling them to continue delivering vital services to the community. This aligns with the Foundation's broader mission to strengthen local nonprofits. The program is designed to support nonprofits in Clark and Floyd counties, Indiana, by providing funding for projects that improve their governance, leadership, technology, programmatic evaluation, and administrative capacity. The target beneficiaries of this program are 501(c)(3) public charities in good standing with the IRS, or fiscally sponsored charitable projects, that serve Clark and Floyd counties in Indiana. The overarching impact goal is to foster sustainable and effective organizations within these communities. This is achieved by allowing organizations to strategically plan and grow their operations rather than focusing on short-term effectiveness, reflecting a continuous improvement strategy. The program prioritizes funding for specific activities that strengthen organizational infrastructure. Examples include systems assessments (management and governance), efficiency evaluations (program and service effectiveness), strategic planning, board and staff development, fund development planning, organizational succession planning, technology upgrades, volunteer management system upgrades, and external communication strategy planning. These focuses are intended to address key areas that contribute to an organization's long-term viability and impact. Expected outcomes include increased organizational efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability for the grantees. Measurable results would be evidenced through successful implementation of projects like improved governance systems, enhanced program effectiveness, better strategic direction, stronger leadership, modernized technology, and more robust communication strategies. The Foundation's strategic priority is to invest in the operational health of its community's nonprofits, recognizing that a strong organizational foundation is crucial for the consistent delivery of essential services and the overall well-being of the region. This theory of change posits that by strengthening the "behind-the-scenes" capacity of nonprofits, the Foundation can indirectly amplify their direct service impact on the community.