Capacity Building Grant Program

ABOUT THE PROGRAM 

The Capacity Building Grant for Nonprofit Organizations supports Broward County nonprofits in strengthening internal operations, leadership, and long-term sustainability. Through targeted funding, executive coaching, and technical assistance, the program helps organizations enhance systems and structures, improve leadership capacity, and ultimately better serve children and families. These grants are designed to build internal infrastructure, increase overall effectiveness, and promote long-term organizational stability.      

The information on this page is designed to help you prepare for the grant in advance and is based on procurement details from a prior fiscal year. It is subject to change. It is the applicant’s responsibility to review all current procurement documents once released to ensure they meet the latest requirements and follow the current guidelines.

We encourage you to sign up for the Agency Capacity Building (ACB) newsletter (click here) to receive correspondence pertaining to the Capacity Building Grant for Nonprofit Organizations RFA.  
 

WHO MAY APPLY/ELIGIBILITY OVERVIEW

CSC invites applications from small, niche, and emerging nonprofit organizations that meet all the following criteria:

• Be a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with continuous operations beginning January 1 of the application year and at least two years of operating history.
• Qualified to conduct business in the State of Florida
• Operates at least one child-serving program in Broward County
• Have annual revenues of $1,000,000 or less.
• Be able to provide the organization's filed IRS Form 990 or an accepted alternative to verify annual revenue.
• Has received no more than two CSC Capacity Building Grants and is eligible to reapply only after a ten (10)-year waiting period following the second award.
• Submit a valid capacity-building project (direct-service projects will not be considered)

WHAT THE GRANT SUPPORTS

Below are eligible project categories to guide the development of up to 3 capacity-building projects. Ideal projects should be completed within a 9-month grant cycle.

Board Governance & Leadership

• Purpose: Strengthen board and executive leadership for effective oversight.
• Examples: Board and leadership training, governance policies and procedures, and developing manuals.
• Expected Outcome: Improved decision-making and accountability structures.

Communications & Marketing

• Purpose: Strengthen visibility and stakeholder engagement.
• Examples: Branding updates, marketing plans, outreach strategies.
• Expected Outcome: Increased awareness and stronger community support.

Financial Management

• Purpose: Enhance financial stability and accountability.
• Examples: Budgeting systems, financial audits, revenue diversification strategies like donor cultivation plans.
• Expected Outcome: Strong financial controls and increased organizational resilience.

Human Resources

• Purpose: Build strong HR systems to support organizational effectiveness.
• Examples: HR policy manuals, recruitment and retention strategies, and onboarding procedures.
• Expected Outcome: Improved talent retention, clear HR processes, and organizational stability.

Program Evaluation & Learning 

• Purpose: Measure impact and improve program effectiveness.
• Examples: Program evaluation, data collection and impact reporting, and efforts for scalable replication.
• Expected Outcome: Evidence-based decision-making and continuous improvement.

Strategic Planning and Organizational Resilience

• Purpose: Define organizational vision, mission, and long-term goals.
• Examples: Strategic plan development, succession planning, risk management framework.
• Expected Outcome: A clear roadmap for sustainability and growth, including strategies to mitigate organizational risks.

Technology & Infrastructure 

• Purpose: Modernize systems and improve operational efficiency.
• Examples: IT upgrades, cybersecurity measures, AI, or CRM implementation.
• Expected Outcome: Enhanced productivity and secure, reliable systems.

WHAT THE GRANT DOES NOT SUPPORT:

• Salary and benefit costs for staff
• Compensation for volunteers, interns, or board members
• Direct service or program delivery
• Fundraising events
• Fundraising consultants without a development plan and training component
• Grant writing consultants
• Purchase of food and beverages
• Travel, lodging, or meals for conferences
• Use of more than 4% of grant dollars on collateral materials
• Payments to current board members or staff for consulting services or training facilitation
• Routine administration and operating costs (monthly or annual expenses)        
  Note: Subscriptions directly aligned with a project may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
• Partisan political activities or lobbying events
• Capital equipment (as defined by Florida Statutes, Chapter 274: items valued over $1,500 with a life expectancy of more than one year)        
   

STEP-BY-STEP APPLICATION PROCESS 

Here are clear instructions for applying, along with the required documents. Click here.

EVALUATION CRITERIA 

Here is a sample Rating Tool used by the review panel. This document outlines the criteria for scoring and prioritizing applications. This document is subject to change. Click here.

COMPLIANCE & REPORTING REQUIREMENTS 

Once the applicant receives the Notice of Award, a series of deliverables must be met throughout the grant cycle. These requirements are as follows:  
CSC Requirements:

• Attend CSC Capacity Building Grant Orientation (date is provided in the timeline of the procurement document)
• Awardees are required to submit a completed project work plan(s) for a portion of the funds to be released. 
• Awardees are required to submit a final report to release the remaining grant funds. 
• Awardees are encouraged to take advantage of the numerous training opportunities available at CSC to support their success. (Training fees are waived during the grant cycle.)  
  
   

Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC) of Florida Atlantic University Requirements:

• Awardees are required to sign up on SBDC’s website before services can begin.
• Awardees are required to complete the Organizational Capacity Assessment (link provided at orientation).
• Awardees are required to work with and receive project oversight from consultants employed by the Small Business Development Center.
• Awardees must complete a work plan and work with SBDC to finalize it and the budget before the first installment of grant funds can be released.
• The Organization’s Principal/CEO/President/Executive Director must be willing to dedicate a minimum of 3-5 hours per month to working with SBDC.
• Awardees are required to work with SBDC on completing and submitting a Final Recipient Report and Final Budget to the CSC by August of the grant cycle year.

THE SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER (SBDC) AT FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY 

To help grant awardees maximize project outcomes, CSC has contracted with SBDC to provide business consulting and technical assistance. As a statewide provider of entrepreneurial and business development services, the Florida SBDC Network plays a vital role in Florida’s economic development by assisting entrepreneurs in every stage of the business life cycle. Since 1976, Florida SBDCs have assisted hundreds of thousands of emerging and established businesses by providing the professional expertise, tools, and information necessary to make sound business decisions in a complex and ever-changing marketplace.

Fort Lauderdale SBDC has a highly qualified team of consultants who can assist with all facets of the organization. For the purposes of this Capacity Building Grant, they will provide the following services:

• Expert guidance to fine-tune your project work plan and devise execution strategies in order to maximize your project dollars.
• Confidential one-on-one consulting services to assist in other areas of business operations within your organization.
• Screening of all consulting, coaches, and subcontracted organizations related to the project(s).

For more information, go to http://sbdcfortlauderdale.org

EXAMPLES OF SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS 

Here is the list of grant recipients for fiscal year 2025-2026. (Click here)

CONTACT INFORMATIONN 

Kimberly A. Goulbourne, Director of Public Affairs & Organizational Development
kgoulbourne@cscbroward.org 

Roxanne Smith, Senior Capacity Building & Training Manager
rsmith@cscbroward.org