Capacity Building for Social Change

One of the most powerful ways that we can support our partners is through “capacity building” — providing a responsive mixture of training, support, and engagement that extends our partners’ reach. Developing these core abilities is like strengthening a leader or organization’s hearts and lungs. While unseen by the outside world, that core strength enables the hands and feet of their work to move faster and stronger.

Over the past year, the Packard Foundation’s Organizational Effectiveness (OE) team explored the landscape of support for the development and growth of leaders, organizations, and networks in the United States and abroad. As part of that effort, we listened to our grantee partners, spoke with fellow funders, connected with people who support the learning and growth of leaders and nonprofits and networks, and sponsored two reports: Strengthening Grantees: Foundation and Nonprofit Perspectives from the Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP) and The New Normal by Adene Sacks, Kate Wilkinson, and Heather McLeod Grant of Open Impact.

CEP’s report on strengthening grantees focuses on the kinds of support funders provide and whether nonprofits are receiving the support they need. Unfortunately, the results are mixed.

Read the full article about capacity building by Linda Baker at The Center for Effective Philanthropy.