Capacity Building Tools
Complete our Best Practices Questionnaire and Capacity Review to identify strengths, explore opportunities, and access resources to strengthen your organization.
How it Works
1. Best Practices Questionnaire
Complete a straightforward questionnaire covering governance, finance, fundraising, programs, human resources, communications, and organizational planning. Most organizations can complete it in about an hour. It provides an opportunity for your Executive Director and Board Chair to reflect together on your organization's current strengths and opportunities.
2. Organizational Snapshot
Based on your responses, Spur prepares an organizational snapshot highlighting your organization's strengths, opportunities, and recommendations. Because every nonprofit is at a different stage of its lifecycle, not every best practice will apply today. The snapshot is designed to help you celebrate what you're doing well while identifying practices that may support your organization as it grows and evolves.
3. Capacity Review & Debrief
For organizations interested in going deeper, Spur offers an Organizational Capacity Review. Together, we'll explore your organization's strengths, opportunities, and stage of development through an organizational lifecycle framework. The process concludes with a collaborative debrief involving your executive director, board chair, and, if you wish, other key stakeholders, during which we discuss findings and identify practical next steps and resources to strengthen your impact.
FAQs About the Capacity Review
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Reflection: A chance to assess where your organization currently stands in relation to industry best practices.
Alignment: By completing this best practices questionnaire and review together, the Board Chair and Executive Director can develop a mutual understanding of organizational needs.
Prioritization: Leadership can leverage this tool to identify key areas for growth and improvement.
Additional Support: Spur will offer resources and advisory services to assist in strengthening areas identified for improvement.
Collaboration and Understanding: We've found that organizations who engage with us through advisory services and our organizational review process often develop stronger partnerships with Spur, allowing us to provide more tailored support, make more meaningful connections, and better respond to emerging needs in the nonprofit community.
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1. Best Practices Survey: The first step is for the Executive Director and Board Chair to complete the Best Practices questionnaire. You should be able to complete the survey in one sitting in approximately 90 minutes.
2. After you complete the best practices questionnaire you will receive an organizational snapshot. If you wish to go deeper, you can request a capacity review and provide additional information. Based on your responses, along with our current understanding of, and relationship with, your organization, the next steps may include: a site visit where we can observe your programs (if appropriate); a request to complete an additional financial, planning, or program survey; or a conversation to clarify our understanding of your survey answers.
3. Debrief: Once we have all the information we need, we will arrange a time when you, your Board Chair, and other key staff and volunteers can join Spur staff and leadership for a debrief. The purpose of the debrief is to have an in-depth conversation about the information gathered so we have an accurate sense of your organization’s needs and opportunities and how we can support you going forward. -
Before starting the process, we highly recommend reaching out to a Spur staff member.
1. To start the application go to Spur's grant portal.
2. Log in or create an account.
3. Click 'Apply' in the upper left-hand corner of your screen.
4. Scroll down until you see the Best Practices Questionnaire.
5. Click 'Apply' in the upper right-hand corner of the opportunity.
6. If you have any questions, email Alison at alison@spurfoundation.org.
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The information you share helps us better understand your organization's mission, strengths, and goals so we can be a more effective partner. Specifically, it helps us:
Gain a deeper understanding of your work that enables us to properly introduce your work to potential donors.
Identify opportunities for collaboration with other nonprofits and community partners.
Recommend resources, trainings, or advisory services that align with your organization's needs and stage of development.
Recognize trends and emerging needs across the nonprofit sector, helping us develop programs and services that strengthen the entire community.
Make more informed grantmaking decisions by understanding each organization's unique context, opportunities, and challenges.