Fieldstone Alliance, Nonprofits Assistance Fund, and MAP for Nonprofits are pleased to announce a collaborative partnership funded by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation. The Resilient Organizations Fund is designed to support organizational capacity building activities for the Foundation’s current grantee organizations and community partnerships.
The Foundation conceived of the Resilient Organizations Fund to strengthen their grantee organizations as they respond to the economic downturn. The Foundation invited three nationally recognized capacity building organizations based in the Twin Cities – Fieldstone Alliance, Nonprofits Assistance Fund, and MAP for Nonprofits – to design and implement the initiative. 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 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. Each aspect of the Resilient Organizations Fund and its accompanying grants are intended to help organizations become more sustainable, innovative, and better positioned to survive a potentially extended economic downturn.
Joan Cleary, Vice President of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation, described the goals of the Resilient Organizations Fund: “Right now organizations are experiencing stress as they try to respond to growing community needs with shrinking organizational resources. 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. Such organizations are best positioned for long-term sustainability, which will in turn create a healthier community for Minnesotans today and tomorrow.”
Carol Lukas, president of Fieldstone Alliance, commented on the initiative: “Nonprofits are being asked to do more at a time when their own revenue streams are diminishing or being deferred. Creative solutions are necessary for organizations to respond to these challenges. Using the collective resources and experience of the partner organizations, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation aims to leverage strategic innovation that enhances organizational effectiveness, sustainability, and community impact.”
