Capacity building: strengthening organisations

Summary

Adrionna Christian, leading organizational development at the Oak Foundation, emphasizes the importance of capacity-building for civil society organizations. With a background in environmental activism, she highlights the foundation's commitment to tailored support beyond financial grants. The foundation's approach encompasses three levels of assistance: compliance support for survival, targeted responses to specific challenges, and comprehensive organizational development for transformative change. In 2013, 60% of grants included capacity-building components, reflecting its critical role in achieving social justice goals. Christian encourages grantees to engage with program officers for further support in their development journeys.

Takeaways

• 😀 Adrionna Christian leads organizational development at the Oak Foundation and has a background in bridge engineering and environmental activism.
• 🌍 Christian's career began in Romania during the civil society growth following political changes in the 1990s, sparking her interest in capacity building.
• 📈 The Oak Foundation focuses on organizational strengthening in response to challenges faced by civil society organizations, as revealed by a grantee perception survey in 2011.
• 🔍 The foundation's capacity-building approach is grantee-led, emphasizing the importance of tailoring support to meet the specific needs of partners.
• ⚖️ Support is categorized into foundational, direct response, organizational development, and field-building levels, each addressing different organizational needs.
• 💼 Foundational support helps organizations comply with financial and regulatory requirements necessary for their survival.
• 🤝 Direct response support tackles specific challenges like leadership, funding, and program design faced by organizations in their daily operations.
• 🔄 Organizational development support is for groups undergoing significant changes, such as leadership transitions or shifts in focus, requiring comprehensive assistance.
• 💰 The Oak Foundation offers various grants, including programmatic, core support, dedicated capacity-building grants, and grants to intermediary organizations.
• 📊 In 2013, 60% of the foundation's grants included capacity-building components, underscoring the importance of this work in achieving social justice goals.

Q & A

What is Adrionna Christian's role at the Oak Foundation?

Adrionna Christian leads the organizational development work at the Oak Foundation.

What was Adrionna's professional background before joining the Oak Foundation?

Before joining the Oak Foundation, Adrionna had a degree in bridge engineering and started her career as an environmental activist in Romania in the early 1990s.

What motivated Adrionna to pursue a career in capacity-building and organizational strengthening?

Adrionna became interested in capacity-building and organizational strengthening after observing that many civil society organizations were struggling despite receiving funding.

What was the outcome of the grantee perception survey conducted in 2011?

The survey revealed that grantees appreciated the funding they received but also desired additional support beyond just grant-making, leading to a focus on capacity development.

What are some common challenges faced by partner organizations mentioned in the presentation?

Common challenges include issues related to funding, leadership, communication, and operating in restrictive environments.

How does the Oak Foundation approach capacity-building?

The Oak Foundation tailors its capacity-building support to the specific needs of grantees, emphasizing that this work should be led and owned by the grantees themselves.

What are the three levels of support provided by the Oak Foundation?

The three levels of support are: 1) Foundational Level (compliance with regulations), 2) Direct Response Level (addressing specific organizational challenges), and 3) Organizational Development Level (supporting organizations undergoing significant changes).

What types of grants does the Oak Foundation offer for capacity development?

The Oak Foundation provides programmatic grants, core support grants, dedicated capacity-building grants, and grants to intermediary organizations.

What percentage of the Oak Foundation's grants included a capacity-building component in 2013?

In 2013, 60% of the Oak Foundation's grants included a capacity-building component, totaling approximately $23.5 million.

How can grantees seek capacity development support from the Oak Foundation?

Grantees can seek capacity development support by contacting their Program Officer or Adrionna Christian directly, or by visiting the Oak Foundation's website for more information.