Nonprofit Capacity Building Program

KAPF has provided funding for fund raising, marketing and organizational development support to enhance the success of the three organizations on the Mission Parish Campus in San Juan Capistrano: the Parish Basilica, the Historic Mission and the Mission Parish School.   

The Opportunity

• There is enormous potential for the sharing of resources and information among small nonprofit organizations, thus reducing overhead costs and freeing resources for service delivery.
• This has become even more important as the numbers of small nonprofits increase and government funding decreases. 
• This critical vulnerability in community based service provision is reflected throughout the United States. In Orange County, California, for instance;
• The number of nonprofits has doubled in the last decade.
• The median expenditure for nonprofits decreased from $110,000 per year to $95,0000.
• Despite this obvious benefit and need, consolidations and mergers of small nonprofit service providers have met with very limited success. 
• Small nonprofits are understaffed and overworked with little time or energy to devote to the level of cooperation needed to achieve meaningful economies of scale.
• Funding by foundations and governmental agencies for operational or capacity building has been inadequate.
• Small non-profit service providers often resist consolidation or sharing of resources due to issues of territoriality, competition and founder zeal.

The Objective

• To enable nonprofit service organizations to consolidate operations in order to achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness in achieving their individual missions

The Project

• Carefully select nonprofit organizations based on a demonstrated need, desire and ability to share and consolidate services.  
• Engage in a capacity building organizational development project with the executive directors of the organizations led by a Foundation provided consultant. 
• The core of the project is a thorough organizational development plan that will address relevant plans, problems and funding needs.  This process will is also intended to demonstrate the level of cooperation and likelihood for future sustainability of the project.  
• Based on the evaluation of the plan and the development process, the Foundation will provide funding to support the plan.

The Results

The San Juan Capistrano Mission Campus, Orange County, California

• The Foundation led an effort by the Mission Basilica Parish Church, the Parish School and the historic Mission San Juan Capistrano to create a collaborative campus setting that would facilitate the sharing of information and resources in order to better serve the community.  
• The Foundation provided a consultant to lead the executives of all three entities through an intensive 6 month organizational development process.  
• This process resulted in a business plan that was the basis for support by the Foundation of a fundraising professional responsible for establishing a campus setting and culture as well as helping the three entities achieve their individual missions.