the impact of capacity building for local nonprofit

2020 was the third year for the Capacity Building program with the Community Foundation of Boone County (CFBC). The goal of this program is to help build stronger nonprofits benefiting the whole county through capacity building opportunities. In June 2021, one of the 2020 participants, Love INC, presented how the grant funds impacted their organization to CFBC staff, board, and grants committee.

Love INC received a $12,000 capacity building grant to assess resource development, create operations calendar, assess and determine needs in board development, and create an organizational work plan. Susan Rozzi, president & owner of Rozzi & Associates, shared with us, “The growth and empowerment I’ve seen in the Love INC team is what this capacity building program is all about. When working with grassroots organizations, all hands are on deck and in all pots, and that proved successful with this Love INC team.”

Love INC serves all of Boone County by creating relational bridges with churches to help meet the physical and spiritual needs of people across Boone County. The organization formed in 2007 and today partners with more than 40 churches to reach out and assist people in need. In the first quarter of 2021, Love INC received 220 calls for help from individuals and met over 550 individual needs. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Love INC met more than 5,000 individual needs, distributed 40,200 pounds of food, and partnered with 12 local agencies and organizations. “The work plan we created during the capacity building process expertly guided our approach through COVID and will certainly impact the years to come”, said Marcia Overfield, Co-Executive Director for Love INC. “We gleaned very valuable guidance regarding marketing strategies and communication, as well as a timeline for implementation.”

The Love INC board and staff were unified in focus for this grant: they took a deep dive into board and committee development and involvement, recruitment, and donor stewardship. The process created opportunities to learn valuable leadership skills and helped the staff and board gain the confidence to utilize those skills. The newly created timeline and plan for recruiting and nominating committee members, new volunteers, and board members empowered Love INC with a doable, customized process. Guidance in the stewardship of their donors delivered many suggestions that were simple, yet effective, strategies for donor and volunteer appreciation. 

Kristi Howard-Shultz, President and Lead Consultant for Kristi Howard-Shultz Consulting, guided Love INC through the process. “I continue to be inspired by their passion and dedication to the Love INC mission. The Love INC team is uniquely qualified to do this work and will achieve great things during this implementation!”

As needs continue to change in our local communities, Love INC will continue to implement what they learned through this capacity building grant – to help their organization and the residents of Boone County through future chapters.


ABOUT THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF BOONE COUNTY

Since 1991, the Community Foundation of Boone County has granted over $26 million from its various funds to nonprofit organizations and programs working to solve critical challenges in Boone County. Through the generosity of donors, the Community Foundation currently holds over $27 million in net assets. In the past 30 years, we have worked with donors to create permanent funds for charitable giving. The establishment and growth of permanent endowment funds will strengthen Boone County for generations to come.