Building Capacity in California’s San Joaquin Valley
HIP’s Community Leadership Project (CLP) builds the capacity of Latino-led, Latino-serving nonprofit organizations in California’s San Joaquin Valley. In 2010, HIP awarded $270,000 in multi-year capacity-building grants to six Latino nonprofits. Grantees are using these funds to build their capacity in a variety of ways, including board development, strategic planning, and diversifying their funding sources to increase long-term organizational sustainability.
HIP also regularly convenes staff and board members of the CLP grantees to provide them with opportunities for training, professional development, and building relationships with peers. Training topics covered to date include organizational effectiveness, how to work effectively with consultants, building relationships with institutional funders, developing an individual donor base, effective organizational storytelling, and engaging the board in fundraising.
The San Joaquin Valley is comprised of eight counties in the center corridor of California: Fresno, Kern, King, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tulare. Four of these counties are ranked in the five poorest counties in California. Perhaps more than any other region of California, the San Joaquin Valley has been significantly affected by the recession. Nearly 30 percent of all residents and 40 percent of all children live in poverty. These increased economic pressures have amplified the demands placed on the region’s already-overtaxed nonprofits. Reduced and delayed funding from government sources have further exacerbated the stresses on local nonprofits, particularly those working with low-income and Latino communities. HIP grants and training help local Latino-serving nonprofits build their capacity to survive the challenges of the recession and to sustain themselves over the long term.
HIP’s capacity-building work in the San Joaquin Valley is made possible by funding from The James Irvine Foundation and the Community Leadership Project (CLP), a $10 million initiative of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and Irvine. The initiative aims to strengthen grassroots organizations led by or serving low-income people and communities of color. HIP is one of several intermediary organizations implementing the initiative in different parts of the state.
| Grantee | Start Date | End Date | Amount | Grant Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boys and Girls Club of the Sequoias | 11/15/2010 | 11/14/2013 | $45,000 | To build the organization's public relations, communications and fund development capacities by hiring both a part-time development assistant and a consultant to enable the organization to create a public relations & communications plan and to acquire the necessary software tools to implement the plan, resulting in the creation of a communications plan and, through implementation of the plan, increased outreach to the community and stewardship activities for donors as well as an improvement in the organization's visibility among current and potential clients and supporters. |
| Fresno Barrios Unidos | 11/15/2010 | 11/14/2013 | $51,000 | To build board and staff leadership, organizational and advocacy capacities by working with consultants to do the following: (1) develop and implement a board recruitment plan, create recruiting and training materials, and recruit and train new board members, resulting in increased board membership and productivity, in such areas as fundraising, and established processes for board recruitment and training; (2) provide leadership and skills training to staff, develop an employee chart and update the guidelines and policies within the employee manual, resulting in improved leadership and supervision among staff, the reassignment of responsibilities such as grantwriting from the executive director to staff, and, subsequently, an increase in the organization's ability to carry out its mission and pursue appropriate and sustainable organizational growth; and (3) provide staff, youth participants and the board with advocacy education and training, resulting in improved advocacy efforts and the establishment of advocacy as an important element of the organization's work. |
| Fresno County Hispanic Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services, Inc. | 11/15/2010 | 11/14/2013 | $50,000 | To strengthen organizational development and operational capacities by hiring a consultant to do the following: (1) facilitate a ten-month organizational assessment, to properly prepare the organization to proceed with strategic planning by identifying internal strengths and weakness and external opportunities and threats; (2) conduct a strategic planning process, resulting in the creation of a strategic plan that establishes the organization's priorities and provides a framework for development of the organization's resources and a roadmap for the organization in serving its community; and (3) guide the implementation of the strategic plan in years two and three of the project, resulting in improved services to the community, more effective internal operations and a more sustainable direction for the organization. |
| Fresno Housing Alliance | 12/15/2010 | 12/14/2013 | $45,000 | To build planning capacity by hiring a consultant to guide the board and staff annually in the review, improvement and implementation of the organization's strategic plan, resulting in the identification of organizational priorities, the establishment of a clear direction for growth and development and the hire of an executive director in year two of the project; To build board capacity by hiring a consultant to provide board development training, guide an assessment of board structure and needs, define board members' roles and responsibilities, and establish board committees, resulting in a more effective and engaged board of directors with clearly defined roles; and To build fund development capacity by hiring a consultant to provide fund development training to the board and staff, create marketing materials and upgrade online communications, resulting in an increase in the board's participation in and leadership around fundraising, increased visibility in the community, improved partnerships among service providers and other nonprofits, and, consequently, an increase in funding and improvement in services to the community. |
| Fresno West Coalition for Economic Development | 11/15/2010 | 11/14/2012 | $34,000 | To build the organization’s board and staff leadership, operational, fund development, and outreach capacities by hiring consultants to facilitate a strategic planning retreat with the staff and board, and to conduct both an organizational assessment and a community needs assessment, resulting in a more effective and engaged board and staff, the completion of a strategic plan, an increase in funding for the organization, and the establishment of new partnerships and projects in the community that will facilitate increases in business development, job creation and financial resource accessibility. |
| Kern County Hispanic Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services, Inc. | 12/15/2010 | 12/14/2013 | $45,000 | To build board, organizational and fund development capacities by funding the following activities: (1) contracting a consultant to conduct an organizational assessment and board development, followed by a strategic planning process, resulting in an effective and engaged board of directors and the creation of a strategic plan to guide the organization in its development; and (2) hiring a consultant to provide fund development training to the board and executive director, resulting in an increase in the board's participation in and leadership around fundraising, the development and execution of semi-annual fundraising events, and an increase in financial support for the organization, particularly through the creation of a strong donor base in the local community. |
Providing Leadership
"As a Latino in philanthropy, it helps to meet other professionals dealing with the same challenges that I'm dealing with and to have the opportunity to learn from what they've experienced in the field."
— Edgar Aguirre
Loyola Marymount University
Membership Has Its Benefits
"HIP Membership has enabled me to broaden my reach into communities and to utilize resources I didn't know about before. As a funder, it has been great to associate with and learn from folks with such a depth of understanding about philanthropy and Latino communities."
— Larry Gonzales
The California Endowment
Increasing Diversity
"The field of philanthropy is not very diverse and the needs of the Latino community and Latino professionals in the field are not adequately met. HIP provides members with learning opportunities to increase their professional capacity as well as fun networking activities."
— Obiel A. Leyva
The San Francisco Foundation
Strengthening Our Culture
"The HIP Collaborative has helped in many ways over the past 10 years. It spurred us to recruit the first Latina foundation board member in the state and helped us develop relationships that have led to establishing several funds advised by Latinos. Our association with HIP has helped to strengthen our cultural competence as an organization."
— Tara Sandercock
Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro
A Collaborative Vision
"The philanthropic world is always preaching that collaboration is important. We tell nonprofits that when resources are tight, you must work together--collaborate. The Funders' Collaborative model allows foundations to work together to address the issues affecting our communities."
— Evette Cardona
Polk Bros. Foundation
A Strong Vision
"The chief strength of the Funders' Collaborative is that it is a collaborative process rooted in a single vision--strengthening Latino communities. It allows grantmakers and grantees from all over the country to work together towards that vision."
— Marilda Gandara
Aetna Foundation
A Consistent Vision
"In the late '90s, the HIP board said, 'Getting more Latinos into the field just isn't enough-we need a new strategy for increasing giving to Latinos.' The result was the Funders' Collaborative, which proved incredibly effective — we raised more than $40 million for Latino community-based organizations."
— Diana Campoamor
President of HIP
Shaping Our Future
Our donors have been the backbone of our programs,
providing both financial and in-kind contributions for over 25 years.
Your contribution is a testament to the generosity of our supporters.
We couldn't continue to serve our community without your help.
Thank you for supporting HIP's work.
