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Organisational Capacity Building: Understanding the Dilemmas for Foundations of Intervening in Small- and Medium-Size Charities

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VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

There has been a growing trend for foundations to invest in capacity building to improve the effectiveness of third sector organisations (TSOs). However, understanding of what makes for effective capacity building is not well developed. This article contributes to the development of theory in this area through an in-depth examination of an innovative foundation, which has a longstanding history of capacity building with small- and medium-sized charities in the UK. The findings from this research are related to the developing literature in this field to extend an existing typology of approaches to capacity building and to develop and refine a number of factors that have previously been associated with successful capacity building initiatives by foundations. In particular, it argues that current prescriptions are too simple and that foundations face a number of tensions when pursuing capacity building programmes, which have to be managed and call for difficult judgements to be made.

Résumé

On observe une tendance croissante des fondations à investir dans le développement des compétences, afin d’améliorer l’efficacité des organisations du tiers-secteur. Cependant, les ressorts d’un développement des compétences efficace restent mal compris. Cet article contribue à la progression de la théorie dans ce domaine au travers de l’examen en profondeur d’une fondation innovante, qui pratique de longue date le développement des compétences d’organismes de charité de petite et moyenne taille au Royaume-Uni. Les conclusions de cette étude sont rapprochées avec la littérature croissante dans ce domaine, dans le but d’étendre la typologie existante des approches du développement des compétences, ainsi que de dégager et d’affiner un certain nombre de facteurs précédemment associés à des initiatives réussies de développement des compétences prises par les fondations. Elle suggère en particulier que les postulats actuels sont trop simples et que les fondations sont confrontées à des tensions lorsqu’elles établissent des programmes de développement des compétences, tensions qui doivent être gérées et qui appellent des arbitrages difficiles.

Zusammenfassung

Es ist ein steigender Trend zu beobachten, bei dem Stiftungen in die Kapazitätsentwicklung investieren, um die Effektivität von Organisationen des Dritten Sektors zu verbessern. Allerdings mangelt es an Verständnis darüber, was zu einer effektiven Kapazitätsentwicklung führt. Der Artikel trägt zur Entwicklung der Theorie in diesem Bereich mittels einer eingehenden Prüfung einer innovativen Stiftung bei, die über eine langjährige Erfahrung in der Kapazitätsentwicklung für kleine und mittelgroße gemeinnützige Einrichtungen in Großbritannien verfügt. Die Studienergebnisse stehen in Verbindung mit der zunehmenden Literatur in diesem Bereich, um eine bestehende Typologie der Kapazitätsentwicklungsansätze zu erweitern und eine Anzahl von Faktoren zu entwickeln und auszubauen, die in der Vergangenheit mit erfolgreichen Kapazitätsentwicklungsinitiativen von Stiftungen assoziiert wurden. In dem Beitrag wird insbesondere die Auffassung vertreten, dass gegenwärtige Vorgehensweisen zu schlicht gestaltet sind und die Stiftungen einer Reihe von Spannungen begegnen, wenn sie Kapazitätsentwicklungsprogrammen folgen, die verwaltet werden müssen und schwierige Entscheidungen verlangen.

Resumen

Las fundaciones muestran una tendencia cada vez mayor a invertir en ampliación de capacidades con el fin de mejorar la eficacia de las organizaciones del sector terciario. Sin embargo, el concepto de qué es una ampliación eficaz de las capacidades no está claramente definido. Para contribuir al desarrollo de la teoría en este campo, este trabajo analiza de forma exhaustiva una fundación innovadora que lleva muchos años ampliando capacidades con organizaciones caritativas pequeñas y medianas del Reino Unido. Los resultados de este estudio se vinculan con la literatura elaborada en este campo con el fin de ampliar la tipología existente de enfoques sobre la ampliación de capacidades y de desarrollar y clarificar una serie de factores que se han asociado previamente con iniciativas exitosas en esta materia por parte de las fundaciones. Concretamente, se argumenta que las actuales prescripciones son demasiado simples y que las fundaciones afrontan una serie de presiones a la hora de llevar a cabo proyectos de ampliación de capacidades que deben gestionarse y que obliga a la emisión de juicios difíciles.

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Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Charities Aid Foundation’s Grants Programme, which made this research possible. This article is based on a report from the research entitled ‘The CAF Grant Programme—Making a Difference: Learning from Capacity Building Interventions’ published by CAF in Summer, 2008 (http://www.cafonline.org/Default.aspx?page=6915). We also are grateful to Dr Mike Aiken and Dr Shirley Otto who were involved in conducting some of the field work for the project.

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Cornforth, C., Mordaunt, J. Organisational Capacity Building: Understanding the Dilemmas for Foundations of Intervening in Small- and Medium-Size Charities. Voluntas 22, 428–449 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-010-9175-z

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