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Introduction to the Community Acceleration Project Program and Timeline

A thriving nonprofit sector, and responsive, representative government entities are crucial for San Mateo County to serve vulnerable populations and help address critical issues for all residents. Our nonprofits, cities, county government departments and commissions all face a common challenge: limited time and resources. To help support the wider San Mateo County community and support innovative problem solving in the nonprofit and government sectors, Leadership Council SMC offers pro-bono expertise through our Community Acceleration Project (CAP) Program.

In January, we will launch the third year of the CAP Program. The program enables high-performing professionals from the business, nonprofit and government sectors, participating in our Leadership Immersion Programs, to apply their skills to project-based work for organizations serving San Mateo County.

Participating organizations can expect to:
  • Engage in creative problem solving with a group of cross-sector leaders from diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise.
  • Complete an essential project, develop a new service or offering, research a topic or best practice, or improve upon an existing program or organizational practice.
  • Expand their network of influential leaders.
  • Build strong relationships with potential future board members, strategic volunteers and/or partners.

What makes an organization a good fit for selection?

You must meet the following requirements for your project to qualify for CAP team assistance:

Organization Status: Nonprofit organizations must have 501(c)(3) status (including educational institutions, B-Corps, and 501(c)(6) organizations) or an agreement with a qualifying fiscal sponsor.
Or, the organization is a government agency, city, board, or commission serving residents of San Mateo County.

Supportive Leadership: Nonprofit should have a fully staffed Board of Directors, unless your application is regarding help in this area. The Community Acceleration Project application must be supported by the Board of Directors or the organization’s department head.

Capacity for Decision-Making: Your organization should be capable of making quick decisions and approvals to achieve project goals.

Committed to working with the CAP Team: The organization must be able to work with, and be in regular communication with, the project team (2-3 hours per month) from January through May, 2025.

Demonstrate Flexibility: Organizations must be able to exhibit flexibility and creativity in project requests.

We encourage you to review sample projects from the 2023-2024 program year here.
CAP Program Timeline 2024 - 2025

  • 8/20, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.: Zoom CAP Information Session
  • 9/20, 5:00 p.m.: Applications are closed.
  • 10/4: Applicant Organizations notified of Project Selection no later than 10/4.
  • 10/16 (11-11:30am) or 10/22 (2-3:30pm): Mandatory Orientation Session for the Organization's CAP Project Lead.
  • 1/24 or 1/31: Project Kick-Off: Organization Leads must be available to meet with their teams on 1/24 (Emerging Leaders Program CAP Projects) or 1/31(CORPS Program CAP Projects)
  • Monthly (from February to May): Meetings with CAP project teams
  • 5/31: Final Deliverables Completed
  • 6/6: Program Graduation
CAP Info Session Recording

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* 1. What is the name of your organization?

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* 2. Main Contact for this Application:

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* 3. Main Contact's Email

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* 4. Main Contact's Phone Number

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* 5. For nonprofit organizations, please provide your organization’s 501(c)(3) EIN. If you have a fiscal sponsor, please provide their EIN.

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* 6. Describe the mission and primary activities of your organization. (200 word limit/1200 characters)

Project Description

The duration of the project is five months. Each project team will have 5-6 members, with each member providing 2-3 hours of project work, per month, outside of program days working on the project. An organization can expect 65-70 hours of project team work time. Note: CAP teams do not engage in political campaigning, issue advocacy, or fundraising activities.

What makes a project a good fit: These guidelines will help organizations define projects that are practical, achievable, and impactful within the constraints of the program.

Focus on Specific Problems: Narrow down the project scope to address a specific issue rather than a broad or complex problem. For example, instead of "improving water supply," focus on "developing a plan to increase rainwater harvesting in a specific neighborhood."

Prioritize Feasibility: Ensure the project can be realistically completed within the 5-month timeframe. Assess the required resources, including time, expertise, and materials, and confirm they are available. Avoid projects that require extensive research, long-term implementation, or significant funding.

Leverage Existing Resources: Look for projects that utilize existing tools, resources, or partnerships. This will streamline the process and reduce the time needed for new resource development or training.

Ensure Tangible Outcomes: Choose projects with outcomes that can be directly observed or measured. For example, instead of a broad project like "improving community health," focus on "Improving community health amongst the 65+ population in a specific neighborhood, through increased opportunities for physical exercise.’

Plan for Sustainability: Select projects that have a clear path for sustainability beyond the 5-month period. Ensure that the organization can continue the project or maintain the outcomes after the program ends.

Be Realistic About Scope: Make sure the project is neither too simple nor too complex. Aim for a project that is challenging enough to be meaningful but simple enough to be manageable within the given timeframe.

Clear submissions will enable teams to better understand and engage with your ideas and needs.

If you need help defining your project, Kaarin Hardy is available to discuss your organization’s current hurdles and challenges to help you develop your project. Please reach out to Kaarin at kaarin.hardy@leadershipcouncilsmc.org or call her at 650-307-0429.

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* 7. What specific challenge or issue are you trying to solve through the Community Acceleration Project? (100 word limit/500 characters)

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* 8. What would success look like if a project team addressed it? (100 word limit/500 characters)

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* 9. How does this project align with your organization's current goals and initiatives? (100 word limit/500 characters)

Support and Engagement: Active, accessible engagement with decision-makers in your organization is essential to the success of the project.

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* 10. How will your organization ensure regular communication and engagement with the CAP team (2-3 hours per month)?

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* 11. Who will be the main point of contact for your CAP Team?

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* 12. Are there other key individuals or organizations that the CAP team will need to interact with? If yes, please list here:

Sustainable Outcomes: Select projects that have a clear path for sustainability beyond the 5-month period. Ensure that the organization can continue the project or maintain the outcomes after the program ends.

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* 13. What sustainable outcomes or information do you anticipate resulting from this project that will benefit the community? (200 word limit/1000 characters)

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* 14. How do you plan to utilize the results of this project after its completion? (200 word limit/1000 characters)

Flexibility and Creativity: In their project work, teams often discover hidden issues and/or opportunities. Some of the best projects have come from teams that diverge from the original task based on things discovered early in the project.

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* 15. Is your organization flexible in terms of project direction and utilizing the creativity of the CAP team?

CAP Program Project Selection:

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* 16. I understand that Leadership Council SMC will review all applications to determine their suitability for the CAP Program. If my application is selected, Leadership Council SMC will pair our project with a CAP team from one of our Leadership Immersion Programs - either from the Leadership CORPS Program or the Emerging Leaders Program for rising leaders.

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* 17. If selected, I confirm that the Project Lead from my organization will be available from 9:30-11:30 am on 1/24/25 (Emerging Leaders Program) or 1/31/25 (CORPS Program) to meet with their team for the Project Kick-Off.

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* 18. If selected, I confirm that the Project Lead from my organization will be available to attend a mandatory orientation session on either 10/16 (10-11:30am), OR 10/22 (2-3:30pm).

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* 19. Additional Information: Is there anything else you would like to share that would help us better understand your organization and project needs? (100 word limit/500 characters)

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