ARLINGTON NONPROFIT ASSISTANCE NETWORK

Introduction

Arlington County relies heavily on the nonprofit sector for the effective delivery of many county services. Nonprofits are funded to provide social services, business assistance, and cultural enrichment to local residents and businesses. They are an essential part of the social, economic, and cultural fabric of the community.

The sector itself, however, is somewhat fragile. Many nonprofit organizations face issues of governance, financial management and fundraising, and performance accountability. Nonprofits are businesses by definition: although their missions may differ from other businesses, the need for effective governance and management are no different than for any other business type. Both the boards and management of nonprofits are increasingly subject to legislation at the state, federal and local levels regarding accountability but for many, the time required to implement sound business practices is often “traded off� for mission-based tasks. Because of these issues, many nonprofit organizations could benefit from assistance with both capacity building and increased, and broader, management capabilities.

Arlington County has devised a program to address both the governance and the management of community-based nonprofits. Arlington County will partner with Virginia Tech’s Nonprofit and Civil Society Program on a comprehensive assistance program: organizational assessments, training, and direct technical assistance, to increase the capacity, capability, and sustainability of the nonprofit sector in Arlington over time. The Virginia Tech Nonprofit and Civil Society Program will be the primary agent for the Nonprofit Executive Coaching and the Nonprofit Curriculum aspects of the project and will work with the Center for Nonprofit Advancement to supplement its faculty and staff. Arlington’s Library Department will manage the Resource Center. Arlington Economic Development staff will provide oversight.

Nonprofit Assistance Network Components

The Arlington Nonprofit Assistance Network is a multifaceted capacity-building program for nonprofits. Its components include:

• NonProfit Coordinating Council (NPCC)
• Nonprofit Resource Center
• Nonprofit Curriculum: Five Core Courses
• Nonprofit Executive Coaching Program

This program maximizes the use of existing County resources and partners with other organizations to provide customized help to Arlington’s nonprofit community. Assistance will also be provided to groups in the process of forming, or are considering the formation of a nonprofit organization.

In addition to General Fund support for this initiative, Arlington Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) capacity-building funds are earmarked for nonprofits delivering CD supported services.