We believe that strong nonprofits make a strong Richmond region. Building the resilience of people, neighborhoods and nonprofits by investing in organizational and personal/professional capacity is critical to strengthening the entire community.
While we focus most of our work in our education and innovation program areas, Robins Foundation recognizes that it takes all types of organizations and projects make the Richmond region great, and we invite conversations to address issues and opportunities beyond our program areas.
What is community capacity and why it is important?
We define community capacity as whatever is necessary to help nonprofit partners be operationally, financially, programmatically, or organizationally effective and sustainable. It is not a “quick fix” investment, but part of a continuous improvement strategy to that builds on an organizations existing strengths, so they can develop and enhance their skills, abilities, processes and fortify their resources to help them adapt to changing situations, thrive and achieve change.
What does community capacity require?
What does that look like in practice?
Organizations and/or communities need resources in order to create change. This includes access to people, information, tools, and funding. They may also need support to develop processes that are inclusive, collaborative, and reflect the community they serve, in order to influence decisions at various levels.
Community organizations have the biggest stake in making a difference in the community, so it becomes imperative that we find ways to support community groups and organizations to bring about the change they want to see. When capacity building is successful, it strengthens a nonprofit’s ability to have a positive impact on lives and communities.