The Community Leadership Project

Winter 2012

The Community Leadership Project is thriving as we begin our third year of building the capacity of small and mid-size nonprofits serving low-income people and communities of color in three important California regions: the San Francisco Bay Area, Central Coast and San Joaquin Valley.

The project was launched in April 2009 as a $10 million funding partnership between the Packard, Irvine and Hewlett foundations. Twenty-seven intermediary organizations play central roles in the project by regranting funds to community organizations, providing them with critical technical assistance and helping their leaders strengthen a wide range of skills and abilities.

This is an exciting time for the Community Leadership Project as the accomplishments of the intermediaries and our community partners become increasingly visible. In numbers alone, we have helped more than 100 community organizations grow in capacity and stature in several ways, from increasing financial stability to developing new technology systems. More than 300 organizations have sharpened their management skills or learned new approaches to nonprofit finance. And more than 300 executive directors, board members, senior staff and volunteers have enhanced their leadership abilities.

Behind every number lies an interesting story about activities, accomplishments, challenges and surprises. Social Policy Research Associates and Leadership Learning Community are evaluating the impact of the Community Leadership Project. A first report, which shares many of the individual stories and cross-cutting themes, will be shared here in February 2012.

The evaluation looks critically at the design and implementation of the Community Leadership Project and shares ideas and suggestions that we believe are relevant to all funders interested in principles and approaches for building capacity in low-income communities and communities of color.

We invite you to explore this website to learn more about the Community Leadership Project, and we welcome your thoughts and feedback.

Sincerely,

Kathy Reich, Director of Organizational Effectiveness Program, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Anne Vally, Senior Program Officer, The James Irvine Foundation
John E. McGuirk, Performing Arts Program Director, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

Latest Updates & Resources

• ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
  FOR THE HEALTH POLICY LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

  
  The Central Valley Health Policy Institute (CVHPI) is accepting applications for the Health Policy Leadership Program, which seeks to increase regional capacity to create and implement effective health and health care initiatives. The program consists of nine one-day sessions, individual reading and writing assignments, and completion of a small group or individual project. Applications will be accepted through April 2012. For more information, contact Sheng Her at
  (559) 228-2152 or shher@csufresno.edu.

• THREE NEW FINANCIAL LEADERSHIP WORKSHOPS AVAILABLE

  
  The Nonprofit Finance Fund will host the Financial Leadership Clinic, a two-day workshop that will include follow-on individual consulting for participating agencies. Three workshops will be held in the Central Valley in spring and summer 2012. For application information, contact
  Emily Upstill at (415) 255-4849 or emily.upstill@nffusa.org.

• ANNOUNCING FINANCIAL LITERACY CIRCLE FOR WOMEN LEADERS

  
  The Women’s Leadership Circle (WLC) Financial Literacy Circle is a values-based financial education program with the aim of making change on a personal, organizational and community level. The program was created in response to the financial leadership needs of nonprofit women leaders. Recruitment for a spring 2012 cohort in the Bay Area will begin in early 2012. Contact Jai Lee Wong at
  (323) 960-5262 or info@w-l-c.org for more information.

• APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR ADAPTIVE CAPACITY TRAINING

  
  Families In Schools is accepting applications for the Adaptive Capacity Technical Assistance and Peer Learning Project. This year-long capacity-building initiative will use the concept of adaptive capacity—a nonprofit’s ability to learn and apply organizational development skills—to improve programs and services. Up to 15 organizations will be accepted. Nonprofits located in the San Joaquin Valley that work in the areas of education, youth, children or families are encouraged to apply. Contact Melyora Trujillo at (213) 201-3913
  or via email.

• ETHNIC LEADERSHIP CLASS ANNOUNCED

  
  The Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits is pleased to announce its second Ethnic Leadership Class. This program to build, strengthen and empower the leadership of ethnically-led organizations is focused on executive leadership development, board development and recruitment, long term fundraising strategies, networking and advocacy. It runs from July 2011 through spring 2012, and will be facilitated and led by Teresa Alvarado, the first executive director of the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley. For more information, including a complete list of the nine 2011–2012 participants, contact Patricia Gardener at patriciag@svcn.org.

• CLP GRANTEE HONORED FOR EXCEPTIONAL WORK

  
  The California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative was honored at the Women's Foundation of California's 2011 Momentum Awards on May 20 for its work addressing health, reproductive and environmental justice issues facing nail salon workers and their communities. The Collaborative was instrumental in passing the California Safe Cosmetics Act and the San Francisco Nail Salon Recognition Ordinance. The Collaborative is a grantee of the Rose Foundation Grassroots Leadership Initiative, which is funded by the Community Leadership Project. Learn more at www.cahealthynailsalons.org.

• FIND CONSULTANTS OF COLOR IN THE BAY AREA

  
  The San Francisco Foundation, in partnership with the National Community Development Institute, has created a searchable online database of San Francisco Bay Area Consultants of Color. The directory is intended to strengthen racial and ethnic diversity and equality in the region's nonprofits. Area organizations, nonprofits and foundations can find a capacity builder at www.bayareaconsultantsofcolor.org.

• MAP INTERMEDIARIES BY COUNTY

  Click here to see a map of the areas the Community Leadership Project is reaching in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, Central Coast and San Joaquin Valley, and to identify the intermediaries working in each area.