Nonprofit Effectiveness Pilot – About Our Work
Foundations rely on strong, healthy organizations to achieve progress in solving the region’s most pressing issues. Yet, many nonprofits routinely face organizational challenges, from major staff transitions to capacity gaps, and have access to limited amounts of targeted support to address these challenges.
In recognition of this gap in support for organizational capacity building, the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation launched the Nonprofit Effectiveness Pilot, which provided funding and resources to nonprofits to provide targeted support. The pilot began in 2018 and was designed help strengthen nonprofit effectiveness, enabling them to do their work better and enhance their impact. The model included not only grant funding for a capacity-building project, but also cohort-based organizational development training and peer-to-peer engagement.
LVCF is evaluating the pilot to understand the impact and discover learnings. So far, LVCF has discovered a lot about organizational capacity building, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. As we finalize our finding in the Spring of 2021, we will begin to share our learnings and stories of the pilot.
How LVCF defines Nonprofit Effectiveness
Nonprofit effectiveness includes both of the following: 1) Organizational Health: the ability to function effectively, cope adequately, change appropriately, and grow from within; and 2) Organizational Resilience: the ability of an organization to anticipate, prepare for, and respond and adapt to incremental and/or sudden changes in the environment in order to survive and prosper.
Nonprofit effectiveness areas include strong governance, sound management, and efficient operations.
Below is a list of previously funded projects
2019-2020 Funded Projects
|
Category |
Organization Name |
Project Name |
|
Smart Operations |
Bethlehem Area Education Foundation |
Data Management Tool |
|
Sustainable Business Model |
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Lehigh Valley |
Creating a Sustainable Business Model |
|
Sustainable Business Model |
Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center |
Planned and Individual Giving Fundraising Plan Development and Implementation |
|
Smart Operations |
Communities In Schools of the Lehigh Valley |
Communities In Schools Intranet |
|
Smart Operations |
Community Bike Works |
SOS2: Smarter Operations and Staffing, Year 2 |
|
Sustainable Business Model |
Humanitarian Social Innovations |
Sustainable Growth for Maximum Community Impact |
|
Sustainable Business Model |
Lehigh Valley Center for Independent Living (LVCIL) |
Development & Marketing of LVCIL Consulting Program |
|
Smart Operations |
Third Street Alliance for Women & Children on behalf of the LV Regional Homelessness Advisory Board |
Lehigh Valley Regional Homeless Advisory Board Capacity Building |
|
Implementation and Improvement |
Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley |
Mining, Measuring & Managing Data to Increase Volunteer Engagement & Traffic |
|
Clarity of Purpose |
Young Women's Christian Association d/b/a YWCA Allentown |
YWCA Allentown’s Strategic Plan for Empowerment, Equity, and Social Justice |
In 2019-2020, through a partnership with Two Rivers Health and Wellness Foundation, both LVCF and Two Rivers Health and Wellness Foundation funded the following projects:
|
Smart Operations |
Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley |
HCLV Capacity Building - Manager of Operations |
|
Smart Operations |
Safe Harbor Easton |
Organizational Culture and Core Values at Safe Harbor Easton |
Two Rivers Health and Wellness Foundation fully funded the following projects:
|
Sustainable Business Model |
Equi-librium |
On Firm Footing: Ensuring Long Term Success and Viability |
|
Smart Operations |
Easton Area Community Center |
EACC Smart Operations - Staff Optimization and Development |
2018-2019 Funded Projects
|
Category |
Organization Name |
Project Name |
|
Clarity of Purpose |
Bethlehem Area Education Foundation |
Five Year Strategic Plan (2020-2025) |
|
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion |
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Lehigh Valley |
Minority Recruitment Initiative |
|
The Right Leadership |
Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center |
Sabbatical Preparedness and Implementation Grant |
|
Smart Operations |
Communities In Schools of the Lehigh Valley |
Communities In Schools Intranet |
|
Smart Operations |
Community Bike Works |
SOS: Smarter Operations and Staffing at Community Bike Works |
|
Smart Operations |
Easton Area Community Center |
EACC - Smart Operations- Staff Optimization and Development |
|
Implementation and Improvement |
Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley |
HCLV Staff Development and Program Assessment to Advance Effective Case Management Services Delivery |
|
Sustainable Business Model |
Lehigh Valley Center for Independent Living (LVCIL) |
LVCIL Consulting Program |
|
Strategic Collaborations |
Third Street Alliance for Women & Children on behalf of the LV Regional Homelessness Advisory Board |
Lehigh Valley Regional Homeless Advisory Board: Strengthening our Strategic Collaborations |
|
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion |
Young Women's Christian Association d/b/a YWCA Allentown |
Cultural Competency and Racial Justice Training |