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Healthy Together | April 2018

Community Memorial Foundation is proud to launch Healthy Together, a quarterly publication focusing on a specific community initiative that’s making our region stronger, healthier and more equitable.

 

INVESTING IN PEOPLE | BUILDING ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS (BOE)

Dan Dahlke, graduate of the 2015 | 2016 Ladder to Leadership cohort

“I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.” – Maya Angelou 

Nonprofit organizations throughout our community are doing their best to effectively use limited capital in the face of growing need. But how can philanthropic partners help organizations develop top talent and respond to increasing technical, managerial and operational needs? By investing in people.

Through our Building Organizational Effectiveness Initiative, Community Memorial Foundation provides grantee organizations with continuous learning opportunities to facilitate effective management, sound governance and increased organizational capacity. Broken into two interrelated program areas – Leadership Development and Organizational Development – the Foundation’s capacity building opportunities include organizational assessment, technical assistance grants, a Leadership Institute and executive coaching, among others.

“The Foundation is in the business of investing in the community,” says Greg DiDomenico, Community Memorial Foundation President, “and investing in educational opportunities for our grantee partners affords a three-fold return: a strengthened individual talent, a stronger organization and, in turn, a stronger community.”

The Foundation recently commissioned an external evaluation of our BOE Initiative to better understand its accomplishments, areas for improvement and impact. Led by Dr. Lise McKean, the evaluation produced several key findings related to organizational participation and the Foundation’s investment:

 

THE INVESTMENT

CMF allocates 20% of its grantmaking expenditure to the BOE initiative

The Foundation demonstrates the importance of capacity building by dedicating 1 in 5 of its grantmaking dollars to support BOE programs.

 

CMF tripled its investment in capacity building programs between 2014-2016

The Foundation allocated its investment in the BOE Initiative across three areas: Leadership Development (38%); Organizational Development (31%); and Challenge Grant funding used at the recipient’s discretion (31%).

 

77.4% of all CMF grantee organizations participate in the BOE Initiative

79 organizations participated in one or more BOE programs between 2014 and 2016.

 

 

THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT

“Community Memorial Foundation comprehensively responds to the needs of its nonprofit partners. Whether they are providing technical assistance grants geared towards board development, executive coaching for leadership, or invaluable HR consulting through the Management Association, The Foundation helps strengthen the organization from all angles.” 

– Dan Dahlke, Vice President of People and Enterprise Support, Aspire    Graduate of the Ladder to Leadership program

 

Key Findings from the BOE Evaluation

  • CMF’s partnership with its grantee community enables it to learn about and respond to capacity-building needs in a timely fashion to strengthen individual organizations and the local nonprofit sector.
  • The BOE Initiative substantially impacts participant organizations by increasing capacity across levels of leadership and areas of operation.
  • Participants in the BOE Initiative express high levels of satisfaction with the quality of BOE programs and appreciation for CMF’s commitment to strengthening the capacity of their organizations.

 

Participation in the BOE Initiative creates a community of practice across and within CMF grantee organizations.

 

Organizational assessment proves useful in identifying leadership needs and leads to more efficient staffing and supervision.

 

Organizations experience tangible benefits from the expansion of a Ladder to Leadership participant’s skill set both during and after completion of the program. This type of leadership development for middle managers assists organizations in meeting the need for career pathways in the nonprofit sector.

 

An executive summary of the Foundation’s BOE evaluation can be found on our website, along with more information on the initiative’s various programs and offerings. Community Memorial Foundation remains committed to extending the impact of the BOE Initiative by continuing to solicit and respond to the capacity building needs of our community partners at every stage of their organizational development.

Questions? Please contact Tom Fuechtmann, Senior Program Officer, at 630.654.4729.

 

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