How LISC Greater Kansas City Builds Capacity Of Partners

Organizational improvements are necessary to evolve. Whether it be developing stability, maintaining financial strength or establishing good leadership, a capacity building strategy is an innovative and efficient way to enhance and address an organization’s internal needs. LISC Greater Kansas City uses multiple capacity building  strategies to assist partner organizations alike to strengthen their foundational capabilities. 

One of the most common ways LISC Greater Kansas City provides capacity building strategy efforts is through its grants, funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Section 4 and other non-government sources. These grants can help fund organizational development, facilitate access to essential resources and catalyze impactful initiatives. This funding also can be used for training to enhance skillsets or hiring much-needed professionals such as an accountant, consultant or HR manager.

Amanda Wilson, senior program officer at LISC Greater Kansas City, works closely with partner community organizations on capacity building initiatives. 

“At LISC Greater Kansas City, our method is to review an organization's policies and procedures. We review their audits and do a deep analysis of the organization’s overall health,” Wilson said. “Attending an organization’s board or committee meetings or serving on the advisory board to gain a deeper and more holistic view is another approach.”

“We also do regular check-ins with our partners. We also advise our partners to provide six-month performance reports to watch out for potential issues that may arise,” Wilson said.

Another capacity building approach that LISC Greater Kansas City uses is called a “Cap Map” which is short for Capacity Mapping. This strategy consists of around ten different capacity building modules. The modules include a questionnaire that LISC Greater Kansas City walks through with the partner to help them identify potential weaknesses. Some key examples of barriers that organizations may need to address include weak financial management, lack of real estate expertise or failing to review important documents.

Capacity building ensures that organizations are equipped with the necessary skills to provide valuable resources, resulting in long-term impact while building trust and sustainability. LISC Greater Kansas City not only assists partners with the strategy, but also supports the development and execution. LISC Greater Kansas City dives deep to support the work of its partners and helps them achieve their goals.

“By supporting an organization’s capacity building efforts, we're benefitting the larger Kansas City ecosystem while supporting our own goals,” Wilson said. “ The stronger our organizations are, the better.”