Nonprofits Boost Their Business Skills

The Hoyt Foundation related the following details about their continued support of the Southern Tier Capacity Building Program in 2009:

At nonprofit organizations, often the staff and board are so busy serving their constituents, they don’t have time to sit back and take stock. So there’s rarely a chance to ask how well they’re performing as a business and how they could do better. When nonprofits invest in their business operations, though, in the long run they’re able to provide better service.


The Council of Community Services of New York State (CCSNYS) offers guidance to nonprofits of all sizes, helping them to achieve more with limited resources. In 2008, with support from the Hoyt Foundation, CCSNYS launched the Southern Tier Capacity Building Program, an effort to encourage nonprofits in the region to improve their business operations. A $13,000 Hoyt Foundation grant will help CCSNYS continue that program in 2009.

“Capacity building” means implementing better financial procedures, creating a more effective board of directors, deploying new software to streamline the operation or otherwise putting the organization on a more solid business footing. “If they can strengthen those pieces, that puts them in a position to provide more programs and improve their services,” said Andrew Marietta, Central New York Regional Manager at CCSNYS.


This year, the Southern Tier Capacity Building Program will offer two seminars. After each session, participants may apply for mini-grants to fund capacity building projects. Read more about the 2009 Southern Tier Capacity Building Program here.