Grantmaking

Capacity Building Grants Program

The O'Neill Foundation has dedicated its responsive grantmaking to improving the ability of organizations to carry out their missions and realize their visions.

Capacity building grants are intended to strengthen the vital infrastructure of not-for-profit organizations. These grants support organizations' strategic planning that provides a guide for the future and succession plans that assure strong leadership. They fund internal systems that ensure operational efficiency, such as technology plans, financial systems and human resource development. These grants also help organizations identify fund raising needs and support the development of fund raising strategies. And since communications and marketing are essential functions to assure long-term viability, these grants also fund the creation of programs and materials to enable organizations to reach their intended audiences with their messages.

The measure of successful capacity building is the outcome of the work. As part of our grantmaking we work with grantees to identify the outcomes their project is designed to achieve. Together we agree on a logic model that outlines these goals, determines the short-term outcomes, those achievable over the course of the grant, and the longer term outcomes that are likely four to five years out as a result of the groundwork laid by the capacity building efforts. The logic model serves as a way for the grantee to manage the work of the grant and helps the O'Neill Foundation measure the success of its work.

To learn more about the Application Process, click here.