Capacity Building Grants

ACT supports and encourages nonprofit excellence and strengthens leadership within nonprofits by bringing and investing in infrastructure based programs and organizational needs.  Over the past four years, ACT has supported three types of Capacity Building efforts:

• Compass Grants
• ACT Now Fund Grants
• Organizational Assessment Grants
• Strategy Implementation Grants

Compass Grants

ACT works in partnership with Compass, a leading consulting group, to provide consulting services to nonprofit organizations.  Compass leverages the expertise of alumni from top-tier business schools such as Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, and Tuck, and a smaller number of non-MBA business professionals, to provide strategic alignment, board development and fundraising strategy services to local nonprofits. 

ACT is once again partnering with Compass on Micro Projects, pro-bono consulting services to Alexandria nonprofits with operating budgets between $450,000 - $750,000.  Compass offers projects within four service lines:  Board Development, Funding Strategies, Strategic Alignment, and Strategic Partnerships.  Organizations will choose one service line and then one project within the service line.  Click here for further descriptions. 

Each Micro Project client receives approximately $30,000 - 40,000 of strategic consulting services - free of charge. 

Applications for 2012 projects are now available, click here for more details.  Applications are due November 15. 

The 2011 grant recipients were:  Computer C.O.R.E., Friends of Guest House, and Senior Services of Alexandria. 

Past grantees include:  Alexandria Red Cross, Alexandria Seaport Foundation, Community Lodgings, Hopkins House, Literacy Council of Northern Virginia, Northern Virginia Area Health Education Center, SCAN of Northern Virginia and The Campagna Center.

Questions about Compass?  Please contact Suzanne Laporte at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .   
 

ACT Now Fund Grants

ACT Now Fund Grants, previously Operational Needs grants, respond to the needs of safety-net nonprofit organizations experiencing a significant financial shortfall affecting their capacity to provide services, due to the economic downturn. The ACT Now Fund specifically assists organizations with meeting essential needs in our community, such as emergency financial assistance, housing assistance, food, clothing, and medical/health assistance.

Past grantees include:  Alexandria Neighborhood Health Services, Inc., Alexandria-Arlington Coalition for the Homeless, ALIVE!, Community Lodgings, CrisisLink, Friends of Guest House, and Senior Services of Alexandria.

ACT is not accepting applications for ACT Now Fund Grants at this time. 

Organizational Assessment Grants

These awards provide an organizational assessment to a local nonprofit organization displaying great potential.  The assessment is conducted by a private consultant specializing in nonprofit capacity improvement and strategic planning.  The purpose of the assessment is to assist high potential nonprofit organizations in gaining insight into their current operating conditions and begin to address critical issues including:  organizational development and culture, strategic planning initiatives, and staff and board development.  

Past grantees include:   Alexandria Olympic Boys & Girls Club, ALIVE!, Arlington-Alexandria Coalition for the Homeless, Community Lodgings, Friends of Guest House, Hopkins House, Senior Services of Alexandria, and Volunteer Alexandria.

ACT is not accepting applications for Organizational Assessment Grants at this time. 

Strategy Implementation Grants

ACT offers grants to support nonprofits seeking to implement capacity building measures within their organizations.  These tangible activities (software, equipment, marketing resources, consultant project, new staff, etc.) are linked to needs identified within the organization - often through a Compass or Organizational Assessment Grant recommendation.  

Letter of Inquiry Applications are now being accepted for 2012 Strategy Implementation Grants. 

Click here to see the PDF version of the LOI application.  We recommend you view the questions in the PDF before beginning the online application. 

Click here to complete the online application.  You can also visit:  www.surveymonkey.com/actgrantloiapplication to apply. 


Online applications must be submitted by Wednesday, October 19 at 4:00 p.m. 


Organizations invited to submit full proposals will be notified by Wednesday, October 26.  Final applications will be due November 16.  Grant awards will be made in early January 2012. 


2011 Grant Recipients included:  ALIVE!, Center for Alexandria's Children, Computer C.O.R.E., Rebuilding Together Alexandria, and SCAN of Nothern Virginia.     

Past grantees include:  Alexandria Neighborhood Health Services, Inc., Alexandria Seaport Foundation, ALIVE!, Center for Alexandria's Children, Computer C.O.R.E., Friends of Guest House, Hopkins House, Literacy Council of Northern Virginia, New Neighbors Education Center, Rebuilding Together Alexandria, Stop Child Abuse Now of Northern Virginia, The Campagna Center, The Child & Family Network Centers, The Reading Connection, Volunteer Alexandria, and Wesley Housing Development Corporation.