Helping to Make Nonprofits Stronger and More Nimble

Sometimes the problem isn’t a shortage of well-meaning nonprofits. It’s that those nonprofits tackling the same problem don’t have the infrastructure to tackle it together. 

Santa Barbara County’s food system offers a case in point. A recent analysis found gaps in transportation, refrigeration, coordination, and data collection – the unglamorous connective tissue that can determine whether food reaches someone who needs it or spoils before it gets there.

The Santa Barbara Foundation identifies and strengthens that connective tissue, which is increasingly important as nonprofits face rising demand and funding uncertainty.

“Strong nonprofits need investments in the people, systems, and infrastructure that make those services possible. Capacity-building support strengthens organizational health, resilience, and long-term impact, helping nonprofits better serve their communities,” says Liz Thasiah, vice president of programs. 

The Foundation’s Collaboration for Social Impact does just that through capacity-building grants, leadership and professional development, research, and advocacy. Last year, the initiative trained more than 400 nonprofit staff and board members across 330 organizations.

Small interventions can be deeply effective. A nonprofit might be doing excellent work but lack the infrastructure to measure its results. A capacity-building grant can fund consultants or training to develop those systems.

“We’ve seen how a relatively small investment can generate long-term growth. A $6,000 grant can help an organization measure its impact, tell its story more effectively, and attract new funding – helping significantly expand its reach. That’s the power of capacity building: small dollars invested in the right place can strengthen an organization for years to come,” says Thasiah. 

Solving Tough Issues Collectively 

Larger capacity grants can bring several nonprofits together around an issue that none can solve alone. That philosophy helped drive the food-system analysis, which looked beyond the immediate demand for food to the infrastructure underneath its distribution.

The urgency is considerable. Food providers submitted more than $1.5 million in grant requests to the Foundation this year. With $600,000 available, $900,000 in requests went unfunded – and each grant maxes out at $60,000 over two years.

Meanwhile, nonprofits are absorbing the effects of broader policy and funding changes. They are adding services, stretching dollars, and asking more of staff and volunteers.

“When the need grows, our nonprofits respond,” Thasiah says. But, she adds, “that can’t be sustained without burning out staff.”

That is why strengthening the sector itself matters. Santa Barbara County has more than 2,000 nonprofits working across everything from health care and education to disaster relief, the environment and arts. The Foundation’s opportunity is not simply to support them individually, but to help them become more capable – and more connected.

“Donors play a critical role in keeping our nonprofit sector strong for the long term,” Thasiah says. “When they invest in capacity-building, their impact extends far beyond the initial gift.”
Thasiah adds, “A dollar invested today can strengthen a nonprofit’s ability to grow, attract new resources, and serve our community for years to come.”