For nonprofits, capacity building is the ultimate sustainability plan.

Programs. Programs. Programs.  Because the needs are so great -- and the funding so finite -- nonprofits spend most of their time creating, finding funding for and administering programs.  But healthy programs are only sustained in healthy organizations, making the ongoing process of capacity assessment and building (not program development) job #1 and the ultimate path to long-term sustainability.

There are many aspects to nonprofit organizational capacity widely accepted and studied in the field including:

1. •Operations:  ability to implement and execute key organizational functions while delivering programs and services effectively
   

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3. • Adaptive: ability to monitor, assess and adjust to internal and external data
   

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5. •Leadership: ability of executive leadership and board to execute, manage, direct, govern and garner support
   

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7. •Management: ability to use organizational resources efficiently and effectively
   

The health of a nonprofit can only be accurately assessed in the context of the organization’s maturity.  For example, a start-up nonprofit should not have the capacities yet of a mature nonprofit.  But knowing what specific capacities are to be expected at each stage and how to improve capacities in individual lagging areas can be a challenge.  And finding ways to seamlessly integrate organizational monitoring and capacity building into daily operations can feel like an impossible and, given other demands, an unimportant task. 

But organizational capacity is critical in attracting funders, supporting programs and providing long-term sustainability.

Dr. Loflin has created a diagnostic tool that has helped to inform the development and implementation of specialized capacity building plans for nonprofits based on where they are, where they should be and leveraging their strengths to get there.