Lizann Peyton is working with Benchmarks for a Better Vermont to build the capacity of Vermont nonprofits to manage and measure their work and show we make a difference. Thanks to the Vermont Community Foundation and the National Corporation for Community Service, Vermont nonprofits are eligible to take the CCAT, a core capacity assessment tool in the next several months. You can find out more at the CCAT Briefing Call on March 7th.
Sign up Now for the CCAT Conference Call on March 7th, 2012 at 10 a.m.
Register for the Vermont Nonprofit Conference 2012:
Benchmarks for a Better Vermont on March 20th, 2012
Taking the CCAT is a prerequisite for nonprofits interested in applying for the Benchmarks for a Better Vermont Performance Institute (see http://bbvt.marlboro.edu/). Eligibility for the BBVT Performance Institute has just been expanded to nonprofits under $2.5 million!
Why is capacity-building important for nonprofits?
Vermont’s nonprofits provide a wonderful array of services and benefits for our communities. And with tight funding, most of your staff are working harder and harder to keep those programs strong and meet the day-to-day challenges of running and funding a nonprofit. But it’s important to step back, take a look at the big picture, and ask as an organization, “where are we, where are we’re going, how will we get there, and do we have the capacity to do it?” Building the capacity – the staffing, board, funding, systems, knowledge, communication, decision-making, and work processes – is what will take our agencies on the path to sustainability and effectiveness. Our communities need that from us, and we in turn need” – let’s finish it to say “we in turn need to allow ourselves the time and focus to work on the big picture of capacity.”
How can an organization figure out if they are healthy in this way?
There’s no one right answer – organizations come in all different sizes, types, and stages of maturity. They have unique internal cultures, and unique program methods. But at the heart of capacity-building is anything that facilitates the conversation and the commitment to keep on track with improving the organization. Some nonprofits use regular retreats, goal-setting cycles, and strategic planning. Others want a more formal assessment tool, and many good ones are available. An understanding of nonprofit life cycle stages is also valuable in looking at what developmental tasks the organization has “mastered,” what’s tripping it up, and what can be expected next.
What Is the Core Capacity Assessment Tool (CCAT)?
The CCAT (pronounced “see-cat”) is an online questionnaire that provides a picture of your organization’s capacity to successfully manage the processes and systems that characterize a high-performing organization. It does not, for example, measure an organization’s fundraising success, but rather the presence of systems and decision-making processes that increase the likelihood of success. The CCAT was developed by Peter York and Paul Connolly at TCC consulting group in Philadelphia, based on research that incorporates the best capacity-building approaches from around the country.
What are the Four Core Capacities?
They are clusters of capability that every organization needs – and in proportion to the scale and maturity of the organization. The CCAT report provides an analysis of where your organization stands in terms of the four core capacities TCC believes to be crucial for organizational success:
- Leadership Capacity: The ability to create and sustain the vision, prioritize, make decisions, provide direction and innovate. Capacity includes: Board and executive leadership development, leadership transitions, HR, and internal communications.
- Adaptive Capacity: The ability to monitor, assess, respond to and create internal and external changes. Capacity includes: community needs assessment, organizational assessment, program evaluation, strategic planning, collaborations and partnerships.
- Management Capacity: The ability to make effective and efficient use of organizational resources. Capacity includes: financial management, service delivery, program evaluation and replication, outreach and advocacy.
- Technical Capacity: The ability to implement key organizational and programmatic functions. Capacity includes: Marketing and communication, technology, legal skills, fundraising, earned-income generation, accounting, and facilities management.
How can the CCAT help my organization?
The CCAT report is a snapshot of strengths and areas for improvement, a way of “taking stock” of the organization. sustainability and effectiveness. The CCAT report is a snapshot of strengths and areas for improvement. It can be a tool for opening board and staff conversations and annual planning, a first step in strategic planning, a guide for hiring and board recruitment, a way to benchmark your organization against other similar organizations, or a persuasive way to show foundations and donors that you’ve done your homework before asking for money.
Is the CCAT is a good fit for my agency?
Number one is the desire to learn, to take stock and make continuous improvements to the strength of your nonprofit organization. The benefit of the CCAT is the conversation it inspires, not the paper results. Before deciding to take the CCAT, discuss with your board and leadership staff their interest and readiness to put time into using the results
Does it matter what size my agency is, or how many staff we have?
The CCAT is most often used by agencies with at least a full-time director and several staff, and an annual budget of $100,000 or more – because these are the agencies that most often have (and need) the range of capacities surveyed. Small organizations relying mostly on volunteers can still take the survey, but need to be able to commit to use the results. Before signing up to take the CCAT, ensure that your board and staff leaders have the interest and readiness to put time into using the findings presented in the report
Who should not take the CCAT – at least for awhile?
Organizations facing short-term survival questions, an internal crisis, severe cutbacks or financial struggles, or leadership transition within the past or coming 3 months. Agencies contemplating major re-structuring, program expansion, a large grant, or merger may want to wait. However, in the case of a planned leadership transition or merger, the CCAT can help identify what leadership skills are needed next.
Who completes the CCAT survey?
Agencies most often choose a representative group of 2 board members and 3-4 senior staff who know the organization well enough to answer the questions, and have time to take the survey.
How long does the survey take?
Typically, about 45 minutes. No preparation is required. One staff person will serve as the internal survey administrator and spend some additional time filling in basic background information.
How can Vermont nonprofits take the CCAT and how much does it cost?
Sign-ups for the CCAT will begin on March 21st. BBVT underwriting will enable 75 Vermont nonprofits to take the CCAT at no cost. Agencies must have an annual operating budget of less than $2.5 million and must have attended the Vermont Nonprofit Conference on Tuesday, March 20th. (For more information, visit http://bbvt.marlboro.edu/.) If your agency budget is $2.5 million or more, you can still take the CCAT through BBVT, at a substantially discounted fee of $200.
Join the CCAT Briefing Webina at 10 AM, Wed., March 7th to learn more. Registration information for the CCAT will be shared at the Vermont Nonprofit Conference on Tuesday, March 20th.
Taking the CCAT is a prerequisite for nonprofits interested in applying for the Benchmarks for a Better Vermont Performance Institute (see http://bbvt.marlboro.edu/). Eligibility for the BBVT Performance Institute has just been expanded to nonprofits under $2.5 million!
Register for the VT Nonprofit Conference :http://npvt12.eventbrite.com
What happens after the survey?
The CCAT provides an immediate report that includes an analysis of each of your four Core Capacity scores, a prioritized capacity-building plan, and suggestions for addressing the capacity needs identified in the report. Your board and staff need to make time to analyze the results, prioritize action steps, and have check-in mechanisms to keep those efforts on track over time.
BBVT will host regional workshops in early May to help you interpret the CCAT results and begin prioritizing your “roadmap” for improving capacity. Workshop participation and the Core Capacity Resource Guidebook will cost a modest $25. Numerous resources are available on the websites of the TCC Group and the NH Center for Nonprofits.
And then it’s up to you! Make sure you have discussed a structural “home” for continuing the capacity-building conversation throughout the year, and talk with others about how they are making progress with their results.
