Money for Capacity Building
Need help building your watershed organization?
Citizens' organizations are crucial partners in planning and implementing the future of any community - and in efforts to ensure well-planned growth, preserve water quality and protect natural areas. But these organizations need to have the capacity to play effective roles in the community. Building capacity refers to activities that strengthen an organization and help it better fulfill its mission. Capacity building can occur in every aspect of an organization, including programs, management, operations, technology, governance, fundraising and communications.
Watershed organizations and Riverkeepers are the focus of a capacity building initiative created by the Chesapeake Bay Funders Network, and administered by the Chesapeake Bay Trust, a NEMO partner.
The Capacity Building Initiative (CBI) is a comprehensive program providing grants and technical assistance over a three-year period to selected watershed organizations and Riverkeepers for a suite of services including leadership training, program development, financial management, strategic planning and technology development. The grant funding and assistance is designed to promote better clarity of goals, better program planning, implementation and tracking, and greater stability and efficiency within watershed organizations and Riverkeepers. Currently, organizations in Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC are eligible.
Services provided through the program include targeted operational grants, one-on-one and group trainings, networking, tailored technical assistance and participation in a new watershed network. Examples of capacity building include, but are not limited to:
- Strategic planning
- Board development
- Financial management
- IT improvements
Chesapeake Bay Trust is a Chesapeake NEMO partner organization. For detailed grant application information and deadlines on the CBI, visit Chesapeake Bay Trust.