We define organizational health as the ability of an organization to function effectively, cope adequately, change appropriately, and grow from within. Our objectives are to increase the stability, effectiveness, and resilience of nonprofits, to meet mission and community need, and to increase the capacity of smaller agencies.
Through the Capacity Building Grant Program, FCH will accept requests for needs related to organizational capacity. All grants approved through this program are unrestricted.
Our approach focuses on holistic organizational development, recognizing that true impact requires agencies to evolve their structures, processes, and capabilities continuously. By investing in an organization’s health—spanning areas like governance, strategic planning, infrastructure, and human resources—we aim to increase nonprofits’ long-term stability, resilience, and capacity to meet community needs.
Based on our nonprofit partner feedback, FCH now accepts applications to the Capacity Building Grant Program through one annual grant cycle. Organizations can request up to $30,000. The application is open and available at the beginning of each year. The deadline is April 30 with decisions made no later than May 31.
Grant Program Details
Eligibility
Eligible organizations must be 501(c)3 organizations OR initiatives with a 501(c)3 fiscal sponsor who serve one or multiple towns within FCH’s community that have alignment with the foundation’s funding interests. Proposals from organizations that do not meet this criterion or have current funding through FCH’s Multi-Year General Operating Support Program will not be considered for funding through this program.
Review Criteria
Applications will be reviewed using the following criteria:
- Alignment between the organization and the foundation’s funding interests, specifically:
- Does the organization provide significant services in a concerted way to residents in FCH’s service area?
- Is the organization focused on improving health issues within our community or the conditions required for health and well-being?
- Does the organization incorporate indicators of community health and well-being when measuring its performance or success?
- Alignment between the use of the requested funds and the organizational health or capacity needs of the organization, as communicated by the applicant
- Does the request clearly support an organizational health need, as identified by the applicant?
- Readiness of the organization, as communicated by the applicant (e.g. organization history, organization health and/or capacity goals, significant changes to the organization)
Please note, that only organizations that provide significant services in FCH’s catchment area will be considered eligible for this grant program. If your organization has strategies that are not specific to the communities in FCH’s catchment area and/or does not provide significant services to residents in FCH’s catchment area your organization is not eligible for a grant through this program.
Lastly, priority will be given to smaller organizations (operating budget at or under $500K annually) that meet the criteria above.
Connect with Sarah
Reach out to Sarah for support with our online portal or questions about the Capacity Building Grant Program.
Photo by Sarah Kenyon.
Connect with Natashea
Contact Natashea with questions regarding eligibility, strength of proposal, or any other big picture inquiries.
FAQ
We’re here to help you understand the Capacity Building Grant Program. Whether you’re wondering about approval criteria, how funds are allocated, or what your organization can request in your application, you’ll find our answers to frequently asked questions below. We hope these FAQs serve as a helpful resource as you explore this funding opportunity.
All grants provided through the Capacity Building Grant Program are unrestricted. This is based on our belief that nonprofit leaders know what their organization needs to function effectively. Within the application you’ll have the opportunity to detail your intentions and/or plans during the funded period to improve your work, however if these plans change, you have the flexibility to utilize the funds where they are most needed.
Apart from meeting eligibility requirements for the program, approved grant requests articulate an organization’s efforts to improve the way they function or operate. Common features, include, but are not excluded to:
- Information about current operational challenges
- Evidence of previous efforts to enhance organizational functioning
- Ways in which the organization wants to improve its operations during the funded period
- Specific, measurable intended outcomes
- Thoughtful analysis of potential change management challenges
To summarize, this program is for organizations that are in or entering a period of concerted effort to improve the way they function – this work can span many functional areas of an organization, such as governance, financial operations and management, fund development, staff, infrastructure, client engagement, organizational strategy and adaptability (and more!). Sometimes the improvement process may involve planning, experimentation, evaluation, strategic partnerships and other approaches.
No. While organizations often seek external facilitation for strategic planning or other processes, hiring a consultant is not a requirement of the grant program. The Capacity Building Grant Program supports various approaches to organizational improvement, which may or may not involve external consultants.
Yes. This program values organizations in the exploration phase. We’re interested in:
- Your strategic questions about organizational development
- Your ideas for potential improvements
- Your vision for the organization’s future
- Your learning process and approach to change
Don’t worry about having a fully formed plan. Share your questions, hunches, and ideas you are grappling with, of what you want to try and why.
FCH Staff can:
- Help generate strategic questions for your proposal
- Collaborate to develop and refine your application
- Suggest potentially beneficial processes
- Connect you with organizations with similar experiences
This is an unrestricted grant, but we do not approve requests specifically for programmatic work. The purpose of the Capacity Building Grant Program is to support organizational improvements – which almost always benefit programs or services. Approved requests must focus on:
- Enhancing organizational functioning
- Changing how the organization operates
- Improving systemic processes and infrastructure
While the grant’s impact may touch programmatic areas, the request cannot be solely about program-specific activities.
Past Grants
Established in 2021, FCH’s Capacity Building Grant Program has awarded $719,070 to twenty-seven organizations to date. Curious about individual grants made? See details from each cycle to date, below:
Learning and Evaluation
As part of the foundation’s effort to learn and understand the results of this program, grantee partners in the Capacity Building Grant Program will participate in the following learning and evaluation activities:
- Post-Grant Survey at the end of the funding period (estimated 15-20 minutes to complete)
- Post-Grant Check-in with an FCH staff member (45 minutes – 1 hour)
Additionally, grantees that have not previously or recently (more than 5 years) received funding from FCH will be asked to participate in a brief, 30-minute meeting in advance of their grant’s funded period.
Have a question or need additional information? Please reach out or schedule a meeting on Sarah’s calendar to discuss your request. This is not a mandatory or required step, but we have found that these conversations can be helpful in shaping how a proposal is framed or determining whether there is alignment with FCH’s funding interests – ultimately saving time for prospective grantees. We also suggest looking at the Capacity Building Program’s Post-Grant Survey, this can help give prospective applicants insight as to whether or not their request is aligned with the aims of this grant program.