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Big Sky Institute for the Advancement of NonProfits – Major Projects for 2005 and Beyond

Overview

The mission of the Big Sky Institute for the Advancement of Nonprofits (BSI) is to strengthen and increase the capacity of the nonprofit sector in the philanthropic divide states of Montana and those nearby. BSI carries out research, dissemination, education, leadership development, and special projects tailored to the capacity development priorities of each state’s nonprofit sector. BSI especially focuses on projects that hold significant promise to develop sustainable structures and resources that will assist nonprofits in building their own capacities to effectively carry out mission and deliver programs and services.

Since opening our doors in 2001, BSI has successfully:

• Created the Montana Nonprofit Association http://www.mtnonprofit.org/ , an independent 501(c)(3) entity with a full-time Executive Director, a membership of more than 220 nonprofits, core programs, and a growing base of diversified funding.

• Implemented a community foundation capacity building project that provides organizational development assistance, incubator services, and part-time staff support to local and county community foundations in Montana.

• Developed a new infrastructure development assessment and planning tool for strengthening the nonprofit sector in predominantly rural states.

• Launched the Philanthropic Divide Project to increase grantmaking by national and regional foundations for state nonprofit sector infrastructure development in the 10 states with the least amount of in-state foundation assets.

Montana is our headquarters state; it is also our laboratory for an array of nonprofit sector development initiatives. We know the landscape and the players here better than anywhere else; it is a good environment for piloting new initiatives. What we accomplish and learn through our Montana projects enables us to refine our overall approaches and specific strategies, and then collaborate with colleagues in other states to help address their nonprofit sector development needs.

BSI’s approach to strengthening nonprofits in rural states stands apart from the conventional.
Most national funding available for building infrastructure to support organizational effectiveness and capacity building in the nonprofit sector is directed to national organizations. This approach, while useful in some areas, can actually impede the growth of indigenous funding and resources in rural states, leaving nonprofits always having to turn to out-of-state consultants and distant resources for assistance. BSI’s approach is to develop sustainable statewide infrastructure within rural states like Montana. Such infrastructure will be made up of individuals and organizations that are mission driven to serve the nonprofits in their state, accessible because they are located in the state, and affordable to the nonprofits that need them most.

Major projects for 2005 and beyond

• The Philanthropic Divide Project, in partnership with the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP), aims to bring attention to the “Philanthropic Divide” that exists between states with limited philanthropic assets and states with large amounts of philanthropic assets. The 10 U.S. states with the least amount of foundation assets include Alaska, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Mississippi, West Virginia, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. The Philanthropic Divide Project is inventorying existing foundation resources in each of the 10 states, and documenting the extent to which the nonprofit sector’s capacity building infrastructure in each state needs development. Through this effort, we hope to make a compelling case to regional and national funders to invest in the long-term development of the nonprofit sector in Philanthropic Divide states.

• The Montana Local and County Community Foundations Project is assessing the status of Montana’s local, county and multi-county community foundations (LCFs); gleaning important lessons from LCFs that have experienced positive growth and development; identifying needs for technical assistance and organizational development; and laying groundwork for BSI to continue expanding its assistance to local and county-wide community foundations to meet their organizational development needs.

• The Montana Nonprofit Sector Critical Capacities Project is establishing a very broad based leadership group to identify and prioritize the infrastructure and associated critical capacities most needed for a strong nonprofit sector in Montana; to assess the status and development needs of each critical capacity identified; and then to develop and implement an action plan, including public policy work, to build each capacity to the desired scale of operations.

• The Montana Effective Nonprofit Organizations Consultant Project will help Montana’s nonprofits gain access to a pool of qualified, in-state organizational development consultants, without having to rely on outside expertise to effectively carry out mission and deliver services. To ensure that a range of qualified in-state consultants exists and expands, BSI will survey the consultant community about their needs for professional development and design and implement a long-range plan to strengthen their skills and expertise. Qualified consultants will be included in a comprehensive directory that BSI will maintain and disseminate widely to Montana’s nonprofit organizations.

• The Montana Effective Nonprofit Organizations Grantmaking Project will create a permanently-endowed grantmaking program to assist Montana’s nonprofits with their organizational development needs by offering capacity-building grants. These grants will enable organizations to both retain the qualified consultant services they need and devote staff time to work on capacity-building activities. Once the development of the grantmaking program gets sufficiently underway, materials will be developed and disseminated in conjunction with a traveling workshop program to help train nonprofits on how to find, secure, effectively use, and if necessary, fire consultants.

Montana Nonprofit Association

432 Last Chance Gulch, Suite E

P.O. Box 1744

Helena, MT 59624

Phone – (406) 449-3717

Fax – (406) 449-3718

[email protected]

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