Many foundations are grappling with the question of how they can help their nonprofit grantees become more sustainable, innovative and better positioned to survive what may be an extended economic downturn.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation believe it has found the answer. The foundation has partnered with Fieldstone Alliance, Nonprofits Assistance Fund and MAP for Nonprofits to create a new Resilient Organizations Fund.
The Resilient Organizations Fund is designed to support organizational capacity-building activities for the foundation’s current grantee organizations and community partnerships. The partners will collaborate to design and deliver a customized capacity-building program, which includes trainings and webinars, an online resource catalog, organizational assessments, and other capacity-building activities.
Each element is designed to function both as a stand-alone
tool, as well as to fully integrate with the rest of the program. To increase statewide impact, the fund is working in partnership with the Minnesota Initiative Foundations for all activities in Greater Minnesota.
The program is designed to lay the foundation for and complement a supplemental funding opportunity. The foundation has made available $400,000 for capacity-building grants. Current grantees who participate in this program are eligible to apply for up to $20,000 in capacity-building funds.
“Through the Resilient Organizations Fund, we are providing resources that will strengthen the capacity of nonprofits to think and act differently to address these challenges, so they can emerge as stronger, more strategically aligned organizations,” reports Joan Cleary, vice president of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation. “Such organizations are best positioned for long-term sustainability, which will in turn create a healthier community for Minnesotans today and tomorrow.”
To learn more about the Fund, visit www.resilientnonprofits.org.
Thanks for spreading the word about this collaborative project with your members and the larger philanthropic community.
Our pleasure!