Strengthening Nonprofits Through
Capacity Building
By offering free additional training, coaching, and support from national experts to executive directors and their board members, the Iowa West Foundation is bolstering the output and outcomes of nonprofit organizations in our community. Though their missions are diverse, each organization benefits from this best-practice program. Below are the nonprofits that participated in 2020.
Children's Square Council Bluffs Chamber of Commerce Council Bluffs Soccer Club Golden Hills RC&D Habitat for Humanity of Council Bluffs Historic General Dodge House Neighborworks Home Solutions Thriving Families Alliancescroll to discover
Iowa West Foundation’s commitment to capacity building in its community has evolved into a model program that should ideally be replicated by foundations all across America. They have found the right balance between supporting community-based programs and helping strengthen organizational capacity to help nonprofits become sustainable over time. What a great service for nonprofits in their community and the many individuals and families they serve!
Susan Meier
Principal, Meier & Associates
Children's Square
"The training was timely to shift to a strategic, results oriented organization and Board. We discussed our alignment with the key practices of high performing boards, deciding to focus on creating a culture of inquiry and understanding the difference between governance and management. We now begin our Board meetings with a soft opening exercise based on our strategic initiatives. These tips from the session ensure we are focused on the highest priority areas to move the mission forward." Debbie Orduna, President and CEO of Children’s Square.
Council Bluffs Chamber of Commerce
"The Capacity Building Training regarding 'Harnessing the Potential of Your Board' was extremely beneficial. As an organization with a new President and CEO just starting to work with the Board and Executive Committee, the training was very timely and impactful.” Drew Kamp, President and CEO of the Council Bluffs Area Chamber of Commerce
Council Bluffs Soccer Club
"The training has provided our Board members the opportunity to assess where we truly are versus where we want to be, and self-reflective tools to achieve those goals. Having industry benchmarks reinforced what we do well and areas in which to focus for improvement. We left the session with specific goals to include in upcoming strategic planning sessions." Arian Haddix, Executive Director of the Council Bluffs Soccer Club
Golden Hills RC & D
"The capacity building training was a catalytic opportunity for our organization. As a result of the training, we had meaningful conversations about board make up and responsibilities, resulting in revised bylaws and the addition of two at-large seats to better represent our strategic future in rural southwest Iowa." Michelle Franks, Executive Director of Golden Hills RC&D
Habitat for Humanity of Council Bluffs
"I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to work with Habitat board members to reflect on where we are as a group, and to prioritize areas of potential improvement and growth." Blake Johnson, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of Council Bluffs
Historic General Dodge House
"The event was invaluable. We essentially left with a great “to do” list as well as a lot of open questions. I appreciated the innovative ideas presented as well as a list of “blind spots” for Boards." Thomas R. Emmett III, Executive Director of the Historic General Dodge House
Neighborworks Home Solutions
“The training provided by IWF was an excellent resource for members from NeighborWorks Home Solutions. Collectively, the discussion on the nonprofit lifecycles and the governance spectrum was impactful and sparked conversations that were brought back to our full Board of Directors." Leslie Coleman, Chief Executive Officer of Neighborworks Home Solutions
Thriving Families Alliance
"Thriving Families Alliance involvement in the board training led to constructive conversations that increased board engagement in programmatic oversight. We are grateful to the IWF for the opportunity to participate in training by the leading experts." Patricia Russmann, Executive Director of Thriving Families Alliance
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