ARRA: Building the Capacity of Kentucky's Nonprofit Organizations

As the designated Authorized Entity for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the Nonprofit Leadership Initiative (NLI) is pleased to submit this proposal to implement the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)/Strengthening Communities Fund (SCF) Government Capacity Building Program. NLI will work with nonprofit faith-based and community-based secular organizations througout the state of Kentucky to build their capacity to better serve those in need and to increase their involvement in the economic recovery. Kentucky (KY) has longstanding economic and educational disadvantages that are magnified by the challenges of the current recession. KY's nonprofit organizations are committed to their missions but confronted with increasing needs and diminishing resources to meet them. This project will allow NLI to help these organizations build their capacity to better address the needs they and their constituents face. As KY's state association of nonprofits, NLI has worked diligently over the last seven years to provide training, support, technical assistance, and consultation to KY's nonprofit community, and the $250,000 we are requesting in this project will enable NLI to serve more nonprofits and more communities through expanded outreach and training capabilities (on-site, web-based and distance learning) and enhanced technical assistance and consultation services. Outreach, education and core training services will be open to nonprofits working to address the broad economic recovery issues in their communities; technical assistance will be provided to approximately 20 organizations. All services will help nonprofits build their capacity to better serve their constituents, access ARRA benefits/programs, and form or sustain partnerships to aid in client services and economic recovery.