Community Foundation for Monterey County

The Community Foundation for Monterey County improves the quality of life in Monterey County by raising, managing and distributing charitable funds to nonprofit organizations throughout the county. The foundation has a strong history of grantmaking to improve nonprofit capacity through its competitive grant program, technical assistance grants, and management assistance workshops.

Through the Community Leadership Project, the Community Foundation for Monterey County is conducting two separate programs: one to provide multi-year core operating support and capacity-building grants in Monterey County, and the other to conduct leadership development programs in Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties.

Region Served: Central Coast
Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties

Regranting

Total Award: $450,000

Program Details:
The Community Foundation for Monterey County has provided nine organizations with multi-year core support and capacity-building grants, with initial grants averaging $20,000 per year. Grantees participated in a half-day workshop to develop capacity improvement plans and also received five hours of one-on-one technical assistance to further develop these plans and related budgets. Based on these plans, the foundation developed a technical assistance approach that offers some common training while also addressing the unique needs of each organization. These technical assistance programs include the Executive Directors’ Resource Group, group trainings through the Management Assistance Program, and support for peer learning and networking.

The Community Foundation for Monterey County’s new Executive Directors’ Resource Group offers special resources to help executive directors from grantee organizations strengthen their leadership skills and share experiences with peers. Activities include monthly breakfasts, executive coaching, scholarships for professional development, and special events. Participating executive directors are also encouraged to gain from the leadership development and technical assistance resources offered through the Community Leadership Project.

Grantees Funded:

Alisal Center for the Fine Arts
Central Coast Center for Independent Living
Communities Organized for Relational Power in Action – fiscal sponsor: Central Coast Interfaith Sponsors
El Camino Real Futbol League
Girls, Inc. of the Central Coast
Monterey County Rape Crisis Center
National Coalition Building Institute – Pacific Grove chapter
Second Chance Youth
Village Project, Inc.

Project Launched: Summer 2009

Website: http://www.cfmco.org/index.cfm/id/15/Community%20Leadership%20Project/

Project Contact:
Julie Drezner
julied@cfmco.org
(831) 375-9712

Leadership Development

Total Award: $250,000

Program Details:
Using Community Leadership Project funds, this community foundation created a Leadership Education and Development Institute (LEAD). Built with expertise from LeaderSpring, CompassPoint and other successful programs, and customized with input from nonprofit leaders on the Central Coast, LEAD delivers a development program featuring in-depth seminars, trainings, peer roundtables, individual learning plans, leadership coaching and organizational capacity-building projects.

A total of 19 emerging leaders graduated from the first-year offering and more than 60 percent were leaders of color drawn from all ethnicities. In addition to the LEAD Institute, this intermediary also offers a range of supports for established nonprofit leaders including a facilitated monthly “roundtable” for mutual learning, leadership coaching, and scholarships to enable participation in other training opportunities.

Over the span of the Community Leadership Project, 60 to 75 emerging leaders and 45 to 60 established executive directors will participate in LEAD. Participants are learning new abilities and approaches through multiple methods, and LEAD is attracting broad participation at a critical time in the development of local leaders.

Selection Process:
The Community Foundation for Monterey County’s recruitment for the LEAD program involves extensive outreach to non-profit organizations in Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties in coordination with the community foundations in these counties and other area organizations that serve nonprofits.

Project Launched: Summer 2009

Website: http://www.cfmco.org/index.cfm/id/14/LEAD-Institute/

Project Contact:
Kaki Rusmore
kaki@cfmco.org
(831) 375-9712