ABOUT US

The BEST Project is a comprehensive capacity building program in Genesee County, Michigan. BEST is an initiative of the Flint Funders Collaborative (FFC) which is jointly funded by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Community Foundation of Greater Flint, and the United Way of Genesee County. The United Way serves as the Host Agency and grantor to agencies for the BEST Project.

Mission/Purpose:

To strengthen the nonprofit sector of Flint and Genesee County by providing capacity building support and technical assistance.

Vision:

Funders, nonprofits and technical assistance providers will work collaboratively in a learning community. They will demonstrate adaptive capacity individually, within their respective organizations and sub-sectors, and as a collaborative whole system. Benchmarks of excellence will include sustainable organizations whose missions are in alignment with community needs; consultants and other technical assistance providers whose expertise, diversity and understanding of the local community ensures customized, effective technical assistance; and, funders who work in concert to deliver integrated, comprehensive support for sustaining critical community needs.

Core Values:

Healthy nonprofits are critical components of our democratic society, and that internally stable, effective nonprofit organizations are essential to achieving a high quality of life in Flint and Genesee County.

Building the long-term capacity of key organizations in the local nonprofit sector is a worthy philanthropic investment that will have a positive, long-term impact on the community.

Building capacity in people and organizations is most effective when it begins by identifying existing strengths, creating a realistic plan for a preferred future, and then taking the first steps on that journey.

Long-term sustainability requires a collaborative relationship between nonprofit organizations, funders and consultants, because together we can accomplish what each group cannot do alone.

Since the launch of the Pilot Project in 2003, the BEST Project has conducted twenty-three organizational assessments and awarded twenty capacity building grants. Based on the assessment recommendations, agencies use the grant dollars to hire vetted consultants and technical assistance providers to facilitate capacity building activities. Agency work frequently includes: board development; strategic planning; personnel management; executive coaching and leadership development; marketing and communications planning; resource development; and, technology implementation.

Administration:

Positive data from preliminary evaluation of the BEST Project resulted in a decision by the FFC to establish a permanent office and staff to ensure ongoing administrative support. In 2006, BEST renovated a space at the YWCA in downtown Flint and hired the first Director of Programs, Jennifer Acree. She joined the Lead Consultant, Anne Glendon of Glendon Associates, who conducted regional and national research on funder collaborations and capacity building initiatives prior to launching the BEST Pilot Project. La’Shawn Leitzsey joined the BEST staff in May as the part-time administrative assistant.

BEST staff administers professional development and peer learning sessions; recruits and screens consultants and technical assistance providers; coordinates micro- and macro-evaluation strategies; provides a Help Desk for ongoing troubleshooting for agencies and consultants, as well as facilitating additional technical assistance as needed; maintains regular contact with grantees; documents meetings, feedback from stakeholders and lessons learned; and, partners with regional and national capacity builders in order to advance the field.

For more information about the history of the BEST Project go to the Project Overview and/or the FAQ section of the website.