Community Foundation of North Louisiana (CFNLA) awarded a $50,000 grant to the LSUS Institute for Nonprofit Administration and Research (INAR) to strengthen the organizational capacity of ten area nonprofits. The cohort of nonprofits will be chosen from a pool of CFNLA Competitive Grantees based on demonstrated need and interest determined through the grant application and a survey. Each participating organization will receive professional development and technical assistance to improve their operational effectiveness and future sustainability. The series of workshops may include board development, human resources and volunteer management, financial management, strategic planning, marketing and communications, and more.
“CFNLA is committed to building an effective and efficient nonprofit community and we are constantly looking for ways to add value beyond our core grant making activities,” said Liz LaBorde, CFNLA’s Chief Grants Officer. “Many nonprofits are founded by a person or group that sees a compelling need in the community and wants to help. While these organizations are inspired by a vision and driven by a mission, they may need assistance building the organizational infrastructure necessary to achieve their goals.”
Cohort members will be partnered with, and mentored by, experienced nonprofit leaders to develop a program design and evaluation project with templates that INAR utilizes for its nonprofit consultation services. Through this process, individual participants will immediately apply their education to their organizations and collaborate with other organizations in the region.
“INAR is grateful to partner with CFNLA to provide professional development and capacity-building support to its grantees,” said Heather Carpenter, the Executive Director of INAR. “Research on the impact of previous capacity-building efforts has been shown to increase organizational, leadership, program development, and revenue which enhances overall mission achievement. We are excited to see program participants become more efficient and effective in their overall operations and program achievements.”