FACT ~ Capacity Building Program

Photography by David Bacon. All rights resreved.

Capacity building program

Charting your MAP course

MAP menu of services

FACT MAP final report form

MAP consultant bios

MAP application

Confidentiality agreement

Financial health presentation

Financial health worksheet

Quote: The FACT MAP program, under the guidance of Emily Goldfarb, has assembled a crack-shot team of organizational development consultants that 'get it'. Emily and Carol Cantwell have provided us with the tools and facilitated us through a process that has allowed us to reflect on our organizational culture and values, tie this to our overall mission, and create tangible mechanisms from structural development to financial planning and systems that can concretely sustain our organization for the long-term and move us to the next level of development and impact. More powerful and pertinent tools we cannot imagine. We'd encourage all who can to take advantage! Thanks a million! Signed, Gihan Perera, Executive Director, Miami Workers Center

FACT believes that there are periods in every organization's lifecycle when it needs to focus internally to ensure that its structure, programs and administrative policies and practices are appropriate to its stage of development. Additionally, there are times when it is important for an organization to re-examine whether all aspects of its structure, programs, and administration are working together effectively to advance the organization's mission and vision. FACT provides funding and other resources to grantees that seek assistance in strengthening their organizations. We believe that supporting our grantees' internal systems and practices will enable them to be better positioned to achieve their external goals.

Two of the core tenets of our program are:

It is voluntary. Funding or services are provided in response to a request initiated by the grantee.
If a grantee taps our consultant pool, we maintain a strict firewall between the work any consultants do and the FACT program staff.

The Capacity Building program provides additional resources to groups who already receive general operating support from FACT. In 2008, we committed approximately 23% of our funds to capacity building.

We perform an evaluation of all elements of our Capacity Building Program at the end of each calendar year and modify the program accordingly.

FACT's Capacity Building Program is designed to strengthen its grantee organizations to enable them to more effectively carry out their program work. The FACT Capacity Building program is composed of four elements.

General support grants to technical assistance providers

FACT provides general operating funds to non-profit technical assistance (TA) providers that work with FACT grantees. The typical grant size ranges from $30,000 to $50,000 per year. Once included in our program, FACT tends to renew its support long term. If a TA provider stops working with FACT grantees, it no longer meets the basic criteria for FACT funding.
Discretionary grants for capacity-building needs

FACT earmarks $60,000 of its discretionary grants pool to provide quick turnaround strategic resources to its groups for capacity building needs that are not served through the Management Assistance Program or the TA provider pool. This may include (but is not limited to) comprehensive communications planning, branding and identity development, staff development or training, legal assistance, research, and technology planning. FACT encourages its grantees with capacity building needs that are of limited scope and duration to apply for discretionary funds. Requests are reviewed regularly throughout the year. Typical grant sizes range from $2,000 to $5,000 with an average of $3,000.
Management Assistance Program (MAP)

FACT matches the organizational development needs of its grantees with the skills of a vetted pool of consultants through its Management Assistance Program. The consultant pool is overseen by a Lead Consultant who reports to FACT's Senior Program Officer. Confidentiality regarding the work between the consultant and the FACT grantee is strictly maintained by a confidentiality policy that ensures a firewall between programmatic work and organizational development consulting. FACT program staff are informed generally regarding the overall goals and type of organizational development undertaken and that progress is continuing without specific details, in order that the grantee is able to honestly confront difficult issues without fear of jeopardizing its general operating support. The Management Assistance Program is available to help groups with human resources policies or practices, coaching for executive directors, mentoring secondary leaders, succession planning, establishing basic financial systems and financial literacy among the staff, strategic planning, board development, and governance issues. The program provides up to 380 hours of consultant time over a maximum of 18 months. For more information, read the MAP application process. See downloads for MAP consultant bios and a flowchart of how the MAP process works.
Organizational Development

Every three years, FACT invites two grantees to apply for a three year organizational development grant. The total value of the grant is $90,000. These grantees choose their own consultant(s) to guide them in developing their organization as appropriate and needed. As FACT is entering its spend down period, this element of the program is winding down. No new grantees will be invited into this program.