Support Center and the Grunin Foundation are currently offering organizations small scale consultancies on a range of topics. Applications are open. Selections will be made on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted.
About the Small Scale Consultancies
These consultancies will begin with an hour-long introductory call to understand what’s going on in your organization, your strengths and where there are opportunities to become stronger and more sustainable as an organization. Areas of focus include the functioning of your board, fundraising, operations, technology, communications, Human Resources, organizational culture, staff development. It really runs the gamut and taps into Support Center’s staff and 50+ person community of practice. The small-scale consultancy usually includes three to four follow-up meetings (roughly up to 8 billable hours) and email exchanges in between to better understand the issue, provide guidance, and offer resources. Support Center will work with participating organizations to define the scope of the work and expectations for what organizations are responsible for during these consultancies.
If you’re still unclear as to what this could mean, here’s a few examples:
o Our board is having a hard time recruiting members. After an initial phone call, a small scale consultancy might review the resources that you have to support board recruitment (e.g. board member position description, process for nominations, bylaws) and provide guidance and resources to jumpstart board recruitment.
o We’re having a hard time filling open staff positions. A few check-ins could afford time to briefly review a job description and discuss your recruitment efforts. We can also offer advice on outlets for getting the word out about openings and do some brainstorming about what could work better.
o We want to provide professional development opportunities to staff that we aren't finding elsewhere. We can discuss your current professional development practices during an initial conversation and discuss some possible options. We'll share topics the Support Center can provide for your organization and facilitate learning time for your team, potentially following up to check back on how learning is being applied.
o We’re working to get to the “next level” as an organization. Together, we’ll try to understand where you are now and where you’d like to go as an organization. We can do some thinking together about resources, approaches, and goals that might represent what that next level looks like for your organization.
Participants:
o Should be in senior leadership or given authority in the organization to pursue Custom Capacity Building and Consultancies
o Represent organizations based in Monmouth and/or Ocean Counties, New Jersey, or have a significant service presence in Monmouth and/or Ocean Counties
o Are ready and willing to be involved: this opportunity is entirely voluntary and an incredible benefit but only for organizations who are interested and dedicated to the process
o Should commit to the process, prepare for meetings in advance and communicate cancelations in advance; failure to complete pre/post work can impact use of your time with the consultants
If you have any questions, prefer to complete the process via conversation, need assistance with the application, or have suggestions, please reach out to Vicki Fernandez, Grunin Director of Thriving Communities at Vicki@GruninFoundation.org
