THE LONG ISLAND LEAP INITIATIVE

Five of Long Island’s biggest institutional and private funders partnered with the Community Training and Assistance Center (CTAC) to support an innovative capacity building initiative for small to mid-size nonprofits seeking to become more effective change agents in some of the most distressed communities in Nassau and Suffolk Counties in New York State.

In an unprecedented collaboration for the region, the Long Island Community Foundation, Horace Hagedorn Foundation, Rauch Foundation, JPMorgan Chase Foundation, and Unitarian Universalist Veatch Program at Shelter Rock joined with two individual donors to provide assistance to strengthen selected community-based organizations that are generating positive changes in their communities.

LEAP, which stands for Leadership, Effectiveness, Action and Partnership, was implemented from 2007-2009 at a pivotal point in the evolution of communities that have not shared Long Island’s overall prosperity. The situation is equally pivotal for the numerous small and mid-size nonprofits trying to make those communities better.

“At a time when the impact of nonprofits is being scrutinized by local government, media, and Congress, this initiative is designed to help these groups--particularly under-resourced organizations based in communities of color--achieve greater levels of operational effectiveness, program results, and community leadership,” said Suzy Sonenberg, former executive director of the Long Island Community Foundation (LICF), which coordinated the initiative.

The collaboration among funders and grassroots organizations attracted the attention of Nassau and Suffolk County officials interested in supporting innovative community improvement efforts. LEAP serves as a national model of how funders can partner with grassroots groups to bring positive change to their communities and region.

CTAC has a national reputation for employing systemic, integrated strategies that equip organizations to develop, implement, and sustain meaningful community improvement efforts over the long term. CTAC worked with the LEAP nonprofits to:

build their capacity to incorporate policy considerations into their work;
develop and sustain effective collaborations with other groups to achieve real community impact;
incorporate best regional and national practices into their local strategies and actions; and
develop more sophisticated means of assessing community impact and demonstrating results to key stakeholders, including funders, public officials, and the broader public.

A key premise of this initiative was that while strong individual nonprofits acting alone can make some difference in the lives of the people they serve, LEAP partners believe that well-designed collaborations among institutions can produce more significant, long-term improvements.

The following organizations participated in the the initiative:

Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreational Center
Central Bellport Civic Association
Centro Cultural Hispano de Oyster Bay, East Norwich y Vecindades
Littig House Community Center, in Port Washington
Long Island Jobs with Justice, based in Farmingdale
Long Island Progressive Coalition, based in Massapequa
Manhasset/Great Neck Economic Opportunity Council
North Amityville Community Economic Council
OLA of Eastern Long Island
Roosevelt Public Library
Straight Path Corridor Weed & Seed in Wyandanch
Unified New Cassel Community Revitalization Corporation
Uniondale Early Childhood Center
Uniondale Community Council/Uniondale Roosevelt Weed & Seed

Through the LEAP initiative, organizations took advantage of an array of capacity-building activities, including:

Technical assistance geared to the particular needs of each nonprofit;
Peer networking to help organizations broaden their perspective on local issues, encourage activism, and develop strategies for change;
Linkages with regional and national community improvement networks to learn and share new ideas and strategies;
Advocacy coaching to improve their ability to understand and interact with power structures, both public and private, develop community agendas, and bring about results; and
Evaluation processes that will allow organization to continually assess progress, make mid-course corrections, and strengthen support from current and prospective allies, partners, and funders.

If you would like assistance in implementing a regional capacity building initiative, please contact CTAC at (617) 423-1444.