Capacity Building
Our capacity building services enable organizations to have the strong internal capabilities – leadership, human resources, finance, public relations and so on – that are so critical to supporting their mission. Our services in the areas of Organizational Assessment, Human Resources, Revenue Generation, Financial Management, Information Systems Selection, Marketing and Communications, Project Management, Technical Assistance Coordination and Grantmaker Services are described below.
Organizational Assessment
Many organizations are asking the same fundamental question: “How do I get to the next level?” To get to the next level, organizations need a map that clearly shows where they are and the best route to take in reaching their goals. We provide such a map through our Organizational Assessment service. Our approach is a systematic process for assessing a comprehensive range of organizational practices and results across six major categories: Governance, Services, Finance, Human Resources, Management and Operations, and the Physical Plant. Our assessment framework has been refined through over a decade of research and application, and has been featured at multiple national management support conferences. SEI’s Organizational Assessment results in:
- A complete, objective picture of how well current organizational capabilities are functioning.
- Benchmarking the organization against best management practices from the nonprofit, public and for-profit sectors.
- A clear picture of where improvements should be considered and why.
- A reduction in future risks and problems caused by the absence of important operating practices.
- A clearly articulated action plan, identifying priorities for action and specific recommendations for each area of the organization.
- A step-by-step blueprint for ongoing, systematic enhancement of internal capabilities.
Human Resources
We can assist with all types of human resource management issues, including but not limited to: organizational structure design, job design for individual positions, executive and staff recruitment, performance evaluation and staff development programs, compensation and benefit plan design, personnel policy and procedure development, and volunteer development.
Revenue Generation
As our name implies, we promote social entrepreneurship and can provide complete support for assessing potential earned income ventures and organizational readiness to succeed with such a venture, and then planning and launching a social enterprise. We also provide research and guidance to help our clients select optimal strategies for increasing and diversifying future revenue streams, and offer grant writing and other services to support clients with implementing their revenue generation strategies.
Financial Management
To enable organizations to accurately plan their financial needs, we offer proven financial planning models and support with development of long-range financial plans that provide a multi-year view of revenues and expenditures together with the underlying revenue enhancement strategies, cost management strategies, and economic and policy assumptions that will have the greatest effect on future financial performance. We also provide financial management review services, in which SEI evaluates the entire financial management structure – financial planning processes, revenue and cost management efforts, accounting procedures and systems, internal financial controls, financial reporting to staff and the board, management of restricted funds, compliance with regulatory requirements and other issues – in order to identify key strengths and opportunities to further strengthen the fiscal management capabilities. If desired by the client, we can then work with the client’s personnel to implement recommendations for enhancing the current capabilities.
Information Systems Selection
Use of computer technology is critical in today’s world to conduct services, reduce manual work to improve productivity, and produce critical management information. We are experts in software and the effective application of computer technology to client needs. Our services include information system selection support, guiding clients in identifying commercially-available systems to meet a particular need (accounting, grant administration, fund raising, client tracking and/or case management, etc.), evaluating the options and selecting the system that will best meet their needs.
Marketing and Communications
It is vital for organizations to be effective in “telling their story” and communicating with a broad range of stakeholders in order to build credibility and support. We provide complete support for all aspects of strategic communications including identifying target audiences, setting communication goals, developing powerful messages, determining the best ways to reach the target audiences, creating the collateral needed to execute the communications plan, and training personnel on outreach and communications techniques.
Project Management
Our extensive experience in project management can be a catalyst for organizations to consistently and predictably conduct projects that achieve their stated objectives, on time and within budget. We can train your staff on effective project management and provide you with proven project management tools, or we can serve as project managers on an outsourcing basis.
Technical Assistance Coordination
We have unique experience in coordinating training, customized consulting and other activities to provide technical assistance to a county-wide, regional or state-wide network of organizations. In this role, we can identify technical assistance needs, select and engage top quality technical assistance providers to address those needs, and coordinate all conferences, training events, one-on-one technical assistance and other activities.
Grantmaker Services
SEI has assisted private foundations as well as county and state funding entities in designing and implementing effective fund allocation processes. We provide a variety of services to ensure effective grantmaking, including:
- Evaluating current fund allocation processes and designing enhancements to the fund allocation processes in order to better align grantmaking activities with the strategic objectives of the funder.
- Developing Requests for Proposals (RFP) or other appropriate instruments to solicit proposals for consideration by the grantmaker, including guidelines for issuing the RFP and handling questions from prospective applicants.
- Developing reusable materials to help prospective applicants prepare strong proposals, such as agendas and presentation materials for conducting Bidders Conferences and/or technical assistance workshops for prospective applicants.
- Preparing and implementing procedures and tools for review, rating and selection of applications for funding