Evaluating the Capacity of Faith-Based Programs in Colorado

Abstract

Organizational capacity refers to the ability of nonprofit organizations to fulfill their missions in an effective manner. Through the JVA Consulting Colorado Compassion Initiative, a comprehensive, capacity-building program was developed and provided for faith- and community-based organizations. This study examined faith-based organizations' capacity gains after participating in a targeted capacity-building intervention. A comprehensive tool to assess organizations' levels of capacity was developed specifically for the study. Members of 44 faith-based and 46 community-based organizations across Colorado were interviewed and assessed using the new instrument at baseline and 15-month follow-up. The study demonstrated that targeted technical assistance predicted improvements in organizational capacity. Faith-based organizations showed significant improvements in almost all areas of capacity. In addition, comparisons between faith- and community-based organizations showed few differences in capacity gains.

Keywords

assessment capacity building faith-based organizational assessment organizational capacity

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Ammerman, N. T. (2002). Connecting churches with public life. In R. Wuthnow & J. H. Evans (Eds.), The quiet hand of God: Faith- based activism and the public role of mainline Protestantism (pp. 129-158). Berkeley: University of California Press.

Backer, T. E. (2000). Strengthening nonprofits: Capacity building and philanthropy. Encino, CA: Human Interaction Research Institute.

Cnaan, R. A. (2002). The invisible caring hand: American congregations and the provision of welfare. New York: New York University Press.

DeHaven, M. J. , Hunter, I. B. , Wilder, L. , Walton, J. W. , & Berry, J. (2004). Health programs in faith-based organizations: Are they effective? American Journal of Public Health, 94, 1030-1036.

De Vita, C. J. , Fleming, C. , & Twombly, E. C. (2001). Building nonprofit capacity: A framework for addressing the problem. In C. J. De Vita & C. Fleming (Eds.), Building capacity in nonprofits (pp. 5-32). Washington, DC: The Urban Institute.

DiIulio, J. J. (2004). Getting faith-based programs right. The Public Interest, 155, 75-88.

Eisinger, P. (2002). Organizational capacity and organizational effectiveness among street-level food assistance programs. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 31, 115-130.

Ericson, N. (2001). Public/private ventures' evaluation of faith- based programs (OJJDP fact sheet 38). Retrieved May 31, 2006, from http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/fs200138.pdf

Glenn, C. L. (2000). The ambiguous embrace: Government and faith-based schools and social agencies. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

10.

Hodge, D. R. , & Pittman, J. (2003). Faith-based drug and alcohol treatment providers: An exploratory study of Texan providers. Journal of Social Service Research, 30, 19-40.

11.

JVA Consulting, LLC. (2006). Comprehensive Organizational Assessment. Unpublished instrument.

12.

Lockhart, W. H. (2005). Building bridges and bonds: Generating social capital in secular and faith-based poverty-to-work programs. Sociology of Religion, 66, 45-60.

13.

Marguerite Casey Foundation (2005). Organizational Capacity Assessment Tool. Unpublished instrument.

14.

McKinsey & Company . (2001). Effective capacity building in nonprofits. Washington, DC: Venture Philanthropy Partners.

15.

McPhee, P. , & Bare, J. (2001). Introduction. In C. J. De Vita & C. Fleming (Eds.), Building capacity in nonprofit organizations (pp. 1-4). Washington, DC: The Urban Institute.

16.

Modesto, K. F. (2003, March). Taken on faith? Preliminary findings of an outcomes evaluation of a faith-based welfare-to-work program. Presented at the 2003 Roundtable/Independent Sector Spring Research Conference, Washington, DC.

17.

Monsma, S. V. , & Soper, J. C. (2003). What works: Comparing the effectiveness of the welfare-to-work programs in Los Angeles. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, Center for Research on Religion and Urban Civil Society.

18.

Neff, J. A. , Shorkey, C. T. , & Windsor, L. C. (2006). Contrasting faith-based and traditional substance abuse programs. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 30, 49-61.

19.

White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives . (2006). White House faith-based & community initiative. Retrieved May 31, 2006, from http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/fbci/presidentinitiative.html