Communities of Color Nonprofit Stabilization Fund (CCNSF)
CACF provides grants, technical assistance, and trainings to support and strengthen the capacity of Asian American and Pacific Islander community based organizations. These organizations are vital in meeting the diverse needs of our community.
In 2014, CACF, Hispanic Federation, and New York Urban League, along with the Asian American Federation and Black Agency Executives, formed an alliance to provide much-needed capacity-building support to Black, Latino, and Asian-led nonprofits working on the frontlines in communities throughout our five boroughs.
As a result of these advocacy efforts, the New York City Council established the Communities of Color Nonprofit Stabilization Fund (CCNSF) in the 2015 Fiscal Year. The first New York City Council fund of its kind, CCNSF aims to build the capacity of New York City nonprofits in recognition of the fact that organizations led by people of the community are best equipped to meet the needs of the community.
By the numbers.
400+
Since 2015, Citywide Initiative has supported over 400 capacity-building projects for nonprofit organizations that serve clients in diverse and low-income New York City communities.
$3M
CACF has re-granted over $3 million in capacity-building funding to AAPI-led and serving organizations.
88
AAPI-led and serving organizations have completed 88 projects.
PROGRAM GOAL
Each project focuses on one of the following capacity building areas:
Financial Management and Planning
financial assessments, cash flow management, planning and development of financial systems, staff skills-building to improve reporting systems
Leadership Development
leadership succession planning; volunteer management/recruitment plan; management/leadership training for staff; board development
New Program Planning & Development
program viability assessment, staff development in support of the new initiatives
Management Information Systems & Design
securing and/or designing software, building skills necessary for managing work more effectively
Evaluation and Outcomes
implement systems to keep information related to client needs, referral sources, and services provided; measure recipient satisfaction and/or program outcomes; and develop evaluation capacity
Strategy and Organizational Development
staff performance review process; strategic or operational/annual plan, communications or marketing plan; fundraising plan
Collaborative Partners
Pride & Joy
“As a result of our CCNSF capacity building grants, I am humbled to say that Damayan has become a sanctuary organization for vulnerable immigrant workers particularly the labor trafficking survivors and their families in the Filipino communities in Queens.
We take pride and joy in helping 47 survivors get trafficking visas, many of them are domestic workers. 31 of these survivors successfully reunified their families and brought 60 children and 17 spouses to our communities in Queens.”
—
Linda Oalican, Executive Director, Damayan Migrant Workers Association
Magnitude of Impact
“COPO has benefited tremendously from the CCNSF. Specifically we have benefitted when it comes to the ability to create a database which has made it possible for us to assess the magnitude of the impact we’ve had on the community.
According to the figures in the database we have been able to assist 30 thousand people who have come through COPO for our services since we received the funding approximately 2 years ago. This tool along with technical services and strategic planning services made possible by this fund have been instrumental in helping COPO ensure our future so that we may continue to help the community while continuing to expand our reach. Without the CCNSF we would likely not have been able to transition into the program we have become through our exponential growth over the last years. We are extremely grateful for the CCNSF for that crucial assistance. “
—
Fernanda Hipskind, Immigration Attorney, Council of Peoples Organization (COPO)
Capacity Building Support
“A4 has been fortunate to receive funding through the CCNSF grant to support the work we do behind the scenes and between the lines to empower our community. So many nonprofit organizations, especially those serving communities of color, struggle to receive capacity building support from foundations and other grantors.
Our organizations are often under-resourced and overlooked in favor of the much larger cultural organizations serving mainstream populations. And so many granting organizations offer funds strictly for programs, not recognizing the tremendous amount of administrative resources that go into running and maintaining these programs. Or they create strict guidelines for application that smaller organizations often cannot abide due to the cost or administrative burden of complying.
The CCNSF grants have allowed us to conduct training for our board, develop a strategic plan, assess our programs and outcomes, and build the online infrastructure to better communicate with and track our constituents. All of this is critical work for ensuring the stability of an organization, yet would not be affordable to us without the support of the City Council and the CCNSF grant. “
—
Lisa Gold, Executive Director, Asian American Arts Alliance (A4)
Who to Contact
For more information, visit the CCNSF website or please contact Francis Asprec, Grants Coordinator, at fasprec@cacf.org.