Capacity building is defined as the process of developing and strengthening the skills, attitudes, capacities, processes and resources that organizations and communities need to survive, adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing world. . An essential element of capacity building is internally generated change that is sustained over time; This type of change goes beyond action to change mindsets and attitudes. Sustainable Development Goal 17: Reinvigorate the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, the United Nations commits to change from within. Goal 17 includes capacity-building targets, including increasing technology and innovation in least developed countries, and improving data collection and monitoring for the achievement of the SDGs. Universities can act as centers of research, innovation and capacity building, including through data collection and analysis.
Capacity building today is not just about the capabilities of a nonprofit, but also the ability of the nonprofit to effectively fulfill its mission now and in the future. Capacity building is an investment in the effectiveness and sustainability of a nonprofit organization.
Specific capacity building projects such as Things like identifying a communications strategy, improving volunteer recruitment, ensuring thoughtful leadership succession, updating a nonprofit’s technology, and improving the way it measures its results all accomplish their mission effectively. When capacity building is successful, it strengthens the nonprofit’s ability to fulfill its mission over time and increases the nonprofit’s ability to make a positive impact on lives and communities.
Whatever capacity building is needed to bring a nonprofit to the next level of operational, programmatic, financial, or organizational maturity, so that it can more effectively pursue its mission in the future. Capacity building is not a one-time effort to improve short-term efficiency, but a continuous improvement strategy towards building a sustainable and effective organization.