FROM OUR MOVEMENTS:
Reality, Response, and Recommendations
5
Capacity Building Approach
Kataly has always believed that capacity building infrastructure does not belong behind the walls of a foundation, especially a spend-out foundation. Rather, we believe infrastructure needs and gaps are best identified by movement leaders. Trusted and aligned practitioners, coaches, and trainers are in the best position to build and implement necessary interventions and solutions; and investing in responsive capacity building opportunities and other non-financial forms of support can deepen trust and accountability between grantees and funders.
Among survey respondents:
51% had participated in capacity building programming offered through Kataly
51%
87%
87% had utilized other resources from Kataly’s monthly newsletter or resource webpage
The three most accessed capacity building offerings included:
Heavily discounted access to CompassPoint’s public workshops, including those focused on supervision and finance fundamentals, as well as their peer network memberships for finance and human resources leaders.
Monthly Legal Cafés offered by movement lawyers at Sustainable Economies Law Center.
Capital campaign coaching to support land-based projects, offered by Starsha Valentine of Purpose Possible.
Many expressed a strong desire for more access to tools and resources,
as well as 1:1 coaching opportunities.
The three biggest barriers to participation in capacity building offerings included:
47%
Organizational capacity to participate
42%
Personal capacity
to participate
39%
Time
*Organizational capacity to participate refers to whether staff have the bandwidth to participate based on their workload, or whether there is enough staff for the organization to identify someone to participate in programming. Personal capacity may refer to how an issue in someone’s life (i.e. health, caregiving responsibilities, or other major life event) impacts their ability to participate. For many people, there is a significant overlap between “work life” and “personal life” because the work is often community-based. In addition, people face stress or threats at work that impact their life outside of work.
“Both SELC's legal cafes and Starsha Valentine's coaching have been deeply useful and supportive by keeping us grounded, providing great thought partnership, and helping us define the way forward.”
— Anonymous
“One-on-one time with staff for advice and counsel has been very helpful. As has network sharing and ecosystem building efforts.”
— Executive Director, Restorative Economies Fund grantee partner
Kataly’s Response
Coaching
Each cohort-style program offered to Kataly grantees includes a coaching component with peers, as well as certified coaches and/or issue-area experts. Coaching is consistently one of the most valued and appreciated offerings for participants.
Increased Accessibility for Leadership
Because most leaders lack the necessary time and capacity to fully participate in and benefit from a cohort-style program, we have partnered with CompassPoint, which offers lower-lift, less time-intensive public workshops on a variety of topics, ranging from conflict resolution and supervision, to finance and resource mobilization.
Capital Campaign Coaching
Since Kataly is supporting nearly 200 land-based projects across our three program areas, and because of the unique resource mobilization challenges that come with land-based projects, we are partnering with Starsha Valentine, who previously co-led Rebuilding Capital Campaigns (RCC) in 2023-2024. RCC was designed to be responsive to the interests and needs of Kataly grantees and borrowers dreaming about, planning for, or actively running capital campaigns. Since its conclusion, Starsha has continued to provide one-on-one capital campaign coaching sessions for our grantees.
Calls to Action
Make offerings and resources available
To maximize access, engagement, and benefit, make a variety of offerings and resources from known and trusted practitioners and providers more widely available and to grantees.
Prioritize investment in one-on-one coaching and consultation opportunities
so leaders can address issues specific to their context. Take measures to assure grantees that while the coaching may be funded by you or your institution, it is a safe and confidential space, separate from the funder-grantee relationship.
Leverage your vantage point as a funder to:
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Facilitate connections between grantees for resource exchange and peer coaching opportunities.
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Connect grantees who have particular needs to capacity building providers that have met the same or similar needs in other organizations you support.
Ask your grantees which convenings, networks, and organizations they go to for learning and skill-building, and invest in those spaces
Ideally, funders should offer general operating support to strengthen these learning spaces and institutions, in addition to supporting grantee partners to have access to them.