Lessons from the Street: Capacity Building and Replication
Appendix 2:
Questions Asked As Part of the Foundation's Needs Assessment
A. Background
1. Has your organization received technical assistance before?
If yes, in what areas and from whom?
2. Was the technical assistance helpful? If yes, why? If no, why?
B. Organizational Development
Does your organization have a clear, written mission statement of purpose,
goals, values, programs, services, and priorities -- that is understood,
supported and practiced by all staff? If yes, please rate the clarity of
the mission statement on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being most unclear and least
supported and 10 being the most clear, understood and supported. Add any
comments below.
Is your organization incorporated? Does it have articles of incorporation
on file with appropriate government agencies and on file within the organization?
Add comments below.
Does your organization have a board with a clearly defined role? If yes,
on a scale of 1 to 10, please rate how clearly defined the role is -- 1
being not at all clear and 10 being as clear as it can be. Please describe
the role of your board (for example, in fundraising, policymaking, budgeting,
and hiring and supervision of executive staff).
Does the board consist of a diverse group of members who help bring resources
to your organization? On a scale of 0 to 10, please rate the effectiveness
of your board in directing the development of your organization. Please
describe the strengths and weaknesses of your board below.
What are some of the resources the board has helped bring to your organization?
(For example, computers, office equipment and funds.)
Please describe the challenges you face in working with the board.
Does your board hold periodic meetings or retreats to revisit its mission
and vision, assess progress toward goals and develop new initiatives to
respond to client needs? If yes, on a scale of 1 to 10, please rate how
helpful those meetings are in directing the development of your organization.
Add any comments below.
Does your organization have an organizational chart that delineates lines
of accountability? If yes, please rate on a scale of 1 to 10, the helpfulness
of the chart. What are the strengths of having this chart?
What are the challenges to implementing the chart?
Does your organization have a process to involve everyone, including board
members, staff, volunteers and funders in developing the organization's
strategic plan? If yes, please rate on a scale of 1 to 10 the effectiveness
of the process.
What are the advantages of this process? What are the challenges?
Are there any other individuals who should be involved but are not?
Does your organization have a manual that contains explicit statements
about policies on organizational structure, accountability, hours of operation,
opening and closing procedures, emergency and security procedures, code
of conduct for staff and other general operating rules? If yes, please
rate the helpfulness of the manual on a scale of 1 to 10. What are the
advantages of having the manual?
What are the challenges to developing such a manual?
Does your organization have liability insurance to protect officers and
directors? Add any comments below.
Does your organization have a process for addressing lawsuits and legal
matters? If yes, please rate the strength of the process on a scale of
1 to 10. Please describe the process, its strengths and challenges.
Is there any other technical assistance that you may require that has not
been addressed?
C. Fiscal Management
Does your organization have a federal tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3)
of the Internal Revenue Code? If not, what are the challenges to having
one?
Has your organization registered with the appropriate state and federal
agencies for purpose of withholding employee income taxes? If not, what
are the challenges to registration?
Does your organization contribute to state and locality unemployment insurance
and workmen's compensation programs? Are notices on claims for workmen's
compensation posted in readily seen areas? If not, what are the challenges
to doing so?
Does your organization have a payroll system that provides for timely payment
of state and local income taxes, of unemployment taxes, social security
and Medicare contributions? If not, what are the challenges to developing
one?
Does your organization have an accounting system in place with clear procedures
for financial transactions, financial reporting and fund disbursement?
If not, what are the challenges to developing one?
Does your organization develop an operating budget that is utilized as
a planning and operating tool? If not, what are the challenges to developing
one? If yes, please rate the effectiveness of the budget as a tool on a
scale of 1 to 10. What are the strengths of using it as a planning and
operating tool?
Does your organization have a Chief Financial Officer or other staffer
who is primarily responsible for managing the financial activity of the
organization? If yes, how would you rate the person's skills and knowledge
on a scale of 1 to 10? Add any comments below.
Does your organization have a system in place to maintain the fiscal integrity
and protection of the organization's assets, including annual and independent
audits? If not, what are the challenges to having a system in place? If
yes, please rate the effectiveness of the system on a scale of 1 to 10.
What are some of the challenges of the system?
Is there any other technical assistance you may require in this area that
have not been addressed?
D. Fundraising and Proposal Writing
Does your organization have staff who are responsible for fundraising ?
If yes, who are they? (For example, board members, the executive director,
fundraisers and consultants.) How would you rate their skills and knowledge
in fundraising on a scale of 1 to 10? Add any comments below.
Do fundraising staff receive compensation consistent with that of other
professionals in similar organizations in your region? Add any comments
below.
Has your organization submitted any proposals or grant applications to
foundations, federal agencies or other funders in the past year? If yes,
how would you rate the strength of the proposals or grant applications
that your organization submits, on a scale of 1 to 10? Add any comments
below.
Is there other technical assistance that you may require that have not
been addressed?
E. Program Administration
Does your organization provide health benefits, including disability insurance
and availability of tax sheltered annuity (403(b)) plans for staff? If
not, what are the challenges to providing benefits?
Does your organization have a personal manual which defines employment,
benefits, termination, sexual harassment, staff codes of conduct, grievance
procedures and liability issues that are available to all staff? If yes,
on a scale of 1 to 10, please rate the helpfulness of the manual. If no,
what are the challenges to developing a manual?
Do the physical characteristics of your organization's location (like the
building, office space and the surrounding area) maximize the implementation
of your program activities? Please rate on a scale of 1 to 10 the efficiency
of the physical characteristics. Add any comments below.
Is your organization in compliance with local zoning and fire codes? Add
any comments below.
Is there any other technical assistance that you may require that has not
been addressed?
F. Program Development
Does your organization have clear program objectives, guidelines and curricula?
If yes, please rate their clarity on a scale of 1 to 10. What are the challenges
you face in defining program objectives, guidelines and curricula?
Does your organization have outreach activities to increase its visibility
and recruit program participants? If no, why not? If yes, please rate the
effectiveness of the outreach activities on a scale of 1 to 10. Please
describe the activities and their challenges.
Does your program have relationships with other organizations (nonprofit,
private and public)? If no, why not? If yes, please rate the strength of
those relationships on a scale of 1 to 10. Please describe the relationships
and their challenges.
Is there any other technical assistance that you may require that have
not been addressed?
G. Staff Development
Does your organization have adequate staff to meet the program's objectives
and client needs? If yes, on a scale of 1 to 10 please rate their knowledge
and skills in meeting the program's objectives and client needs. What are
the challenges?
Does your organization have a process in place for recruiting, training
and supervising volunteers? If yes, please rate on a scale of 1 to 10 the
effectiveness of the process. What are the challenges?
Does your organization have a process for the continuing education and
development of staff members (through, for example, training, certification,
conferences and courses)? If no, what are the challenges to having such
a process? If yes, please rate the strength of the process on a scale of
1 to 10. Please describe briefly the process.
Does your organization have a process for addressing issues such as staff
burnout and time management? Please rate the strength of the process on
scale of 1 to 10. Please describe briefly the process. What are the challenges?
Does your organization provide specific staff training to address the needs
of the target population (for example, case management training, group
facilitation, conflict resolution and mentoring)? If yes, please rate the
effectiveness of the training on a scale of 1 to 10. Please describe briefly
the training. What are the challenges?
Is there other technical assistance that you feel you may require that
have not been addressed?
H. Communication
Does your organization have sufficient technology (for example, computers,
modems, fax machines, copiers, Internet access and electronic mail) to
communicate effectively? If yes, please rate the effectiveness of the technology.
What are the challenges?
Does your organization have staff who are trained to use the technology?
If yes, please rate the skills and knowledge of the staff that use the
technology, on a scale of 1 to 10. What are the challenges?
Does your organization have a press or media kit that includes logos, annual
reports, brochures, photos and newspaper articles? If yes, please rate
the strength of the kit on a scale of 1 to 10. Please describe briefly
the kit. What are the challenges?
Does your organization have staff who are responsible for communicating
with the media? If yes, please rate the knowledge and skills of the staff
on a scale of 1 to 10. What are the challenges?
Does your organization have established relationships with members of print
and electronic media? If yes, please rate the strength of the relationships
on a scale of 1 to 10. Please describe how the relationships have been
used in the past and their benefits. If no, what are the challenges to
developing such relationships?
Is there any other technical assistance that you feel you may require that
have not been addressed?
I. Evaluation
Does your organization have a system in place to monitor the progress of
your activities? If yes, please rate the effectiveness of the system on
a scale of 1 to 10. Please describe briefly the system. Does it distinguish
among inputs, proximate outcomes and outcomes? What are the challenges?
Does the staff understand what outcome evaluations mean? If no, why not?
If yes, please rate the average level of understanding on a scale of 1
to 10.
Are there any areas that you feel require technical assistance that have
not been addressed?