HIRI PCBR Database - Intermediary Profile Report

PHILANTHROPIC CAPACITY-BUILDING RESOURCES
DATABASE - INTERMEDIARY ORGANIZATIONS

Report Title:	Intermediary Profile Report
Report Date:

Organization:	Fieldstone Alliance	Program ID Number: I-2
Date Profile Created:	December 1, 2005	Date Profile Last Updated: September 29, 2010

Program Summary:
(Completed Program.) Fieldstone Alliance was dissolved in 2010. On August 15, 2010 Turner Publishing acquired the publishing assets of Fieldstone Alliance. Fieldstone books and publications are now available from Turner directly and at www.fieldstonealliance.org.

Fieldstone Alliance worked to strengthen the performance of the nonprofit sector. For 26 years it provided consulting, training, network development, demonstration projects, publishing, and other capacity-building services that strengthen the nonprofit sector and the communities it serves. It began operations as an independent organization in June 2005 after spinning off from the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation.

In order to increase its impact on the nonprofit sector, Fieldstone worked with others - grantmakers, intermediaries, collaborations, associations, networks, government partners, and multi-sector alliances - to help them support their nonprofit constituents. Fieldstone offered customized services that use its extensive strategy development, organizational effectiveness, network development, capacity building, and knowledge packaging capabilities. Four product lines - publishing, consulting, training, and research and demonstration projects - strengthened leadership, enhanced organizational performance, increased foundation effectiveness, and built the capacity of networks and intermediaries that supported the nonprofit sector.

Consulting and Training: Fieldstone's staff and network of associates designed customized services to help clients and partners achieve their goals. Grounded in research and direct experience, Fieldstone applied the most effective methods to build the capabilities of leaders, nonprofit and community groups, grantmakers, multisector partnerships, and national and international networks. Consultation included capacity-building initiatives, organizational assessment, strategy development, revenue strategy, collaboration and network capacity building, and community planning. Online assessment tools were available to help collaboratives, organizations, funders, and consultants got a comprehensive picture of their current practices and clarity about future direction.

Research and Demonstration Projects: Fieldstone conducted research and hosts demonstration projects to build greater impact for grantmakers or multi-organization initiatives and networks. Best practices were mined and disseminated throughout the sector. The largest of these projects was the Kellogg Action Lab (KAL), a three-year project in partnership with Nonprofit Finance Fund to strengthen the performance and sustainability of W.K. Kellogg Foundation's U.S. grantees, and to use what is learned to strengthen the broader nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. Services included mini-grants for knowledge resources, convenings, and consultation grants. In addition, KAL created the College of Consultants, a vetted, national directory of consultants available to work with organizations around the country. It was available to organizations registered in the Kellogg Action Lab and W.K. Kellogg Foundation staff. KAL also created the Innovative Practice Fund, a grant program to support testing, development, and application of innovative practices in the nonprofit sector.

Publishing: Fieldstone developed and distributed user-friendly publications that helped nonprofit, community, foundation, government, and business leaders improve their communities. Over a quarter million copies of award-winning publications are in use in the U.S. and in more than 70 countries. Authored by hands-on professionals and field-tested by experienced practitioners, the books have a proven track record of changing the methods and performance of those who use them. Funders and agencies often purchased multiple copies to improve practice across their communities; state nonprofit associations and other membership and trade associations carried libraries of the books to support their technical assistance providers. In addition, Fieldstone built an online repository of knowledge resources for nonprofits, funders, intermediaries, and consultants.

Fieldstone evaluated all activities of KAL as well as all of its consulting and training work. This was done using independent evaluators.

Contact Name:	Sondra Reis
Title:	Minnesota Council of Nonprofits
Phone:	(651) 757-3075
Fax:	(651) 642-1517
E-mail Address:	sreis@mncn.org
URL:	www.fieldstonealliance.org

Address:

2314 Univeristy Ave. #20
Saint Paul, MN 55114

Date Program Began:	1982	Total Funds Awarded for Most Recent Fiscal Year:	$1,800,000
Date Program Scheduled to End:	N/A	Total Capacity-Building Operating Expenses for Most Recent Fiscal Year:	$280,390/$2,301,204

How Program is Operated:

Run internally by the intermediary

Number Staff/Consultants:

6/16

Background Materials Available:

Yes

Geographic Areas Served:

National:

Yes

International:

Yes

Selected States:	N/A
Geographic Details:	Majority of work in U.S.

Types of Capacity-Building Assistance Offered to Nonprofits:

1. Grants:	2. Direct Service:	3. Direct Financial Support:
Categorical Part of a Larger Grant	Assessment of Service Needs Center (Facility Offering Services) Coaching/Training for Individual Nonprofits Convening Education/Training for Groups of Nonprofits Information and Referral Infrastructure for Peer Networking Participation in Community Capacity-Building Initiative Website with Capacity-Building Assistance	N/A

Grants Offered to Capacity-Building Service
Providers and Intermediaries:

*Support for Services to Nonprofits:*	N/A
*General Support:*	N/A

Grants Offered to Support Overall Capacity-Building Infrastructure:

Local, State/Regional, National

Areas of Nonprofit Operations Supported:	How Funding/Service Decisions Are Made:
Administration + Finance Communication (Internal/External) Evaluation Fund Development Governance (Board/Executive) Human Resources Planning Staff Development/Training	Application by Potential Recipient – Intermediary Selection Application by Potential Recipient – Outside Selection Pro-active Identification of Applicants by Intermediary Services Avaialble to All Nonprofits

Collaborating Organizations: N/A

Capacity-Building Work Evaluated:	Yes	Evaluation Results Available:	Yes
Frequency of Evaluation:	Ongoing	Type of Evaluation:	External, Surveys, Interviews, Document Reviews, Grantee Self-Reports

Summary of Evaluation Lessons Learned:
The following lessons learned were among those reported by this intermediary:

Small investments in capacity building can make meaningful differences. As little as $750 to spend on knowledge resources can make a meaningful difference in organizations, as reported by grantees.
Grantees' capacity-building needs are complex. While some grantees apply and receive funding for one targeted capacity-building service, many benefit from a bundled or phased approach in which they work with a consultant to address multiple issues simultaneously (e.g. developing strategic marketing while developing a fundraising plan) or complete one consultation with a next step in mind (e.g. an organizational assessment serving as the foundation for a strategic planning process).
Grantees benefit from guidance as they decide what type of capacity-building consultation to undertake. Grantees spoke highly of the intake call to help further clarify the capacity-building issue they need help with. Often they come out of this conversation seeking a consultant to help them with different or additional services that they didn't foresee needing when they entered the process.

In addition, evaluation results indicated the following as some of the significant impacts from this program (the lessons and results reported here come from an evaluation of KAL):

The majority of organizations with a budget under $1 million who received knowledge resource grants reported that they benefited or made a meaningful difference to their organization in the following areas: strengthened working relationships among community partners; increased community awareness; improved program and strategic planning; expanded outreach, fundraising, and technological capacities; strengthened program evaluation; developed more efficient financial systems; generated new products for communities and enhanced professional development and knowledge for staff; and developed new funding sources and financial management.
Grantees reported substantial value from consultation grants, including increased capacity and specific impact in the following areas: clarified capacity-building priorities; clarified how boards should work; rewrote by-laws; reconstituted board; tracked finances; clarified mission and provided fundraising education; enhanced financial sustainability; identified more unrestricted revenue; organized a more efficient board; enhanced board and staff relations; made positive changes in organizational culture; and facilitated receipt of pro bono services.