Workshop Agenda

• Overview of Study

• What is Capacity?

• Critical Aspects of Capacity

• Main Study Findings

• Ways to Build Capacity

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Background

• Worked at Food Bank from 2006-2011 in advocacy, member programs, grant-writing, etc.

• Left to get PhD in public administration from University at Albany

• Dissertation study results include:

– 195 program responses to ABCs of EFPs capacity assessment

– 20 interviews with program coordinators

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FBCNY Partner Agency BreakdownVariable N Percentage

Food Pantries 178 91.3%

Soup Kitchens 17 8.7%

Faith-Based 157 80.5%

Paid Staff 79 40.5%

Located in Urban Area 94 48.2%

Variable N Average Range (S.D.)

Total Budget to Purchase Food 195 $17,643.87 $15,923.14

Age 175 28.7 12.86

State Funding Support to Purchase Food 195 $4,521.27 $4,168.11

Percentage of Food from local Food Bank 195 63.8% 24.3%

Meals served to Clients 195 47,199 48,081

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Research Problem

• Concept of capacity is very abstract

• Defining capacity is not easy because it can mean all things to all people

• Operationalizing capacity & understanding how it affects effectiveness is challenging

Organizational Characteristics

Organizational Capacity

Organizational Effectiveness

(Outputs/Outcomes)

5Sources: Bishop, 2007; Leake et al. 2007; White et al. 2005; Wing, 2004; Connolly & Cady, 2003; Eisinger 2002; Chaskin 2001; McKinsey & Company, 2001; McPhee & Bare, 2001

Defining Capacity: Goal Attainment Approach

Synonyms: ability, capability

Defining Goals:

• Broad terms not specific to mission

• Goals related to feeding people

Broader Goals:

– Customer service

– Meeting their clients’ needs

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Defining Capacity: Systems Resource Approach

• These interviewees specifically referenced a particular resource or input they needed

• “Well capacity generally is the resources you need to complete your goals right, to achieve what it is that you're there for. So I guess it would apply to a soup kitchen the same way. So it's volunteers, it's funds, it's equipment, it's space, it's all those inputs that really help you get to the end goal.”

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ABCs of EFPS• Adapted from the McKinsey & Company’s

Organizational Capacity Assessment Tool for nonprofits

• Developed in partnership with a focus group of food bank staff, food pantry and soup kitchen directors from 2009 - 2011

• 26 different capacity elements were identified on how to run an emergency food program

• Each program coordinator was asked to self-assess their organization’s capacity from low capacity (1) to very high level of capacity (4)

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Capacity Elements-> 4 Capacity Groupings

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PROGRAMMINGRESOURCES &

MANAGEMENTPROCESSES

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

Treatment of Guests

Hours of Operation

Geographic Areas

Referrals to Gov’t Services

Food Distribution

Client Choice

Meal Packages

Nutrition

Frequency of Service

Fundraising

Staff & Volunteer Morale

Staff & Volunteer Development

Succession Planning

Relationship with 501c3 or BOD

Food Evaluation/ Food Sorting

Food Safety

Food Storage

Physical Accessibility

Program Mission

Record Keeping

Bookkeeping

Relationship with Food

Bank

Community Outreach

Networking

Community Food Security

Advocacy

Programming CapacityCapacity Elements Avg. Range

(S.D)

Treatment of

Guests

3.35 0.58

Hours of Operation 3.16 0.69

Geographic Areas 3.29 0.76

Referrals to

Government

Services

2.89 0.81

Food Distribution 3.70 0.47

Client Choice 2.98 1.04

Scale: low level of capacity (1) to very high level of capacity (4)

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Interviews

• Treatment of Guests

• Geographic Areas

• Referrals

• Client Choice

• Space

Resources & Management Capacity

Capacity Elements Avg. Range

(S.D.)

Meal Packages 3.53 0.64

Nutrition 3.08 0.72

Frequency of Service 3.68 0.57

Fundraising 3.26 0.79

Staff/Volunteer Morale 3.25 0.54

Staff & Volunteer

Development

2.78 0.85

Succession Planning 2.57 0.86

Relationship with

501(c)3 or Board of

Directors

3.03 0.92

Scale: low level of capacity (1) to very high level of capacity (4)

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Interviews

• Controlling spending • Volunteers• Smart purchasing • Fundraising“Other food pantries don't have the capacity to utilize resources because they exist in food deserts. Nobody is going to buy a $3.00 can of soup to give to a food pantry. But yet at a Save-a-Lot where it's more affordable, they will go ahead and do a food drive.”

Processes Capacity

Scale: low level of capacity (1) to very high level of capacity (4)

Capacity Elements Avg. Range

(S.D.)

Food Evaluation/Food

Sorting

3.19 0.71

Food Safety 3.12 0.63

Food Storage 3.54 0.54

Physical Accessibility 3.37 0.66

Program Mission 2.51 1.16

Record Keeping 3.47 0.65

Bookkeeping 3.27 0.80

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Interviews• Food Storage, Evaluation

and Safety

• Physical Accessibility

• Organizational planning

“Another strength that has to happen and I am challenged with it every day it is to be organized because there’s a lot that has to be done at a food pantry.”

External Relations Capacity

Scale: low level of capacity (1) to very high level of capacity (4)

Capacity Elements Avg. Range

(S.D.)

Relationship with

Food Bank

3.55 0.62

Community

Outreach

3.29 0.91

Networking 3.06 0.76

Community Food

Security

2.84 0.89

Advocacy 2.27 0.94

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Interviews:

• Relationship with Food Bank

• Community Outreach and Awareness

• Networking

Why this Matters? Capacity Meals

ABCs of EFPs Interviews

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References Percentage

Resources and Management 243 56.1%

Programming 93 21.5%

External Relations 54 12.5%

Processes 43 9.9%

Total 433 100.0%

Main Findings• Confirms existing findings

• Grassroots nonprofits are currently prioritizing their efforts towards resources, management and programming

• Ask funders to allocate dollars to the identified inputs to incentivize participation

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How You Can Build EFP Capacity

• Re-examine & re-take the ABCs of EFPs

• Determine and utilize volunteers’ skill sets

• Network with Other Program Coordinators

• Food Bank

• Other Funders & Foundations

• Attend Capacity Building Trainings for Nonprofits

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Questions?

Thank you!

slater.bethany@gmail.com

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