Active vs. Passive Consultation
Active consulting—paying someone to do something with you—and in the process you and your organization develop organizational capacity, acquire new skills, increase collaborative opportunities, and leverage resources.
Passive consulting—is defined as paying someone to do something for you.
Technical Assistance Strategies that Strengthen the Nonprofit Sector
The following provide examples of efforts that build the capacity of the nonprofit sector and that go beyond any benefit derived by an individual organization.
Proposed Action: Resource Development
Identifying opportunities for joint grant applications with other nonprofits with shared goals or exploration of collaborative resource opportunities (e.g. joint facility planning, back office sharing, trainings, etc.).
Proposed Action: Human Resource Development (HRD) and/or Management Related Activities
Activities related to Human Resource or Management that benefit the broader nonprofit sector (e.g. Classifi-cation & Analysis of Salary Levels, Benefit/Pension Plans, Volunteer Management, Executive Coaching, etc.).
Proposed Action: Executive Transition
Development of Executive Director/CEO Succession Transition and/or Search that include reflection and the sharing of lessons learned and best practices with the intent of building the capacity among nonprofits in NM.
Proposed Action: Community Needs Assessment
Efforts to conduct a ‘needs’ or ‘gaps’ assessment seeking to determine and develop strategies that address current conditions and desired conditions or community ‘wants’. Collaboration among a diverse range of organizations (multi-sector, multi-field) and the inclusion of community leadership and voices are integral to the process.
Proposed Action: Diversity & Inclusion
Develop and share strategies/tools with other nonprofits that assists with assessing, planning and implementing diversity or inclusion within networks and efforts.
Proposed Action: Training
Develop and conduct join training opportunities for nonprofit organizations (e.g. general training for nonprofit sector on resource development, communications, budget/financial management, advocacy trainings, etc.).
Proposed Action: Innovation
Innovative thinking/programing in the nonprofit sector that leads to approaches that are strategic rather than tactical (solely prudent or expedient). A strategic approach requires commitment to systems and processes that can create new solutions to old problems and that are prepared to risk failure in order to succeed.
Proposed Action: Nonprofit Standards of Excellence and/or Best Practices
Development, adoption, implementation of standards of excellence for nonprofit sector (e.g. governance, leadership, ethics, transparency, accountability, legal compliance, etc.)
Proposed Action: Community Asset & Resource Mapping
Efforts to conduct an asset and/or resource mapping focused on what communities have to offer by identifying assets and resources that lead to specific goals and long-term systemic change that is reflective of the strengths within a community. Collaboration among a diverse range of organizations (multi-sector, multi-field) and the inclusion of community leadership and voices are integral to the process.
Proposed Action: Building Capacity Within and Among Working Groups, Community Teams & Collaborations
Nature of capacity may vary. Examples include establishing the appropriate level and form of collaboration, learning how best to arrive at and negotiate equitable decisions, partner roles, responsibilities and mutual accountability, strengthening effectiveness of meeting facilitation, or ensuring community input in vision and interests. Preference is given to organizations, community groups, teams, and collaboratives that have worked together and demonstrated success in the past and that bring different strengths and diversity to effort.