The Vermont Community Foundation awarded a two-year, $50,000 grant to CCTV Center for Media & Democracy for CommonGoodVT.org, a two-year pilot network that aims to support Vermont’s nonprofit organizations to “do more with less” and generate social benefit for the people of the state. CommonGoodVT.org convenes a human and electronic network designed to raise the visibility of Vermont’s independent sector and improve the capacity of its nonprofit organizations to deliver efficient and effective service.

VCF Senior Philanthropic Advisor Jen Peterson said: “The Vermont Community Foundation is thrilled to support the launch of this project. The network will offer both the technical assistance and peer connections that nonprofits have requested, and it dovetails with the Foundation’s goal to help charitable partners achieve their missions. CCTV has embraced the power of Web 2.0 technologies, and we applaud their continued commitment to help nonprofits take advantage of these cutting edge tools.”

CommonGoodVT.org will result in 1) an animated network of nonprofit organizations connected with each other 2) a vibrant, active online web portal/commons/network (www.commongoodvt.org) that raises the profile of the independent sector and provides capacity support in the areas of concern to nonprofit leaders and 3) a business plan that evaluates and proposes scenarios for the long-term viability of CommonGoodVT.org.

CCTV Center for Media & Democracy (www.cctv.org) provides channels, tools and training for organizations and activists to expand their reach and impact and make social change happen. Celebrating 25 years as a nationally recognized hub of free speech advocacy, public access demonstrations and nonprofit capacity building, CCTV is a pioneer of community media in the digital age.

For more information please contact Kathleen Swanson, CCTV Development Director at Kathleen@cctv.org or 802.862.1645 x19 or Paige Pierson, Communications Manager, The Vermont Community Foundation, ppierson@vermontcf.org or 802.388.3355 x246.

As you know, the Vermont Community Foundation (VCF) has been working with Vermont nonprofits to identify a sustainable revenue model that provides the sector with capacity-building opportunities and resources.

After securing start-up funding for an online resource center and a nonprofit manager position, the VCF sent out a survey late last year designed to assess sector support for a revenue model that would sustain these resources. The proposed revenue model was supported by nonprofit registration fees collected through the Secretary of State's office. (We believe strongly that, start-up costs aside, any long-term solution should be owned and supported by the sector).

Many thanks to everyone who participated in the survey. We received 149 responses, and many of you contacted us personally to share your thoughts.

The survey results suggest that there is more work to be done in creating a sustainable revenue model. Indeed with respect to the concept of using any level of registration fees to support nonprofit resources, fifty percent of respondents were undecided. With respect to the tiered contribution scale proposed by the model, fifty percent were "somewhat unsupportive" or "very unsupportive,” and 26% were “somewhat supportive” or “very supportive.” At the same time, the responses enthusiastically confirmed that networking and capacity-building opportunities are critical to the sector. For highlights of the survey findings please click here.

Given the questions surrounding a sustainable revenue stream for capacity-building work, we feel it prudent to adapt our plans for this year. Specifically, we have scaled back the plan for an online center, and we have decided not to hire a nonprofit manager. Here's a look at our revised plan:

1. The VCF has budgeted $100,000 for 2008 to pursue programs and partnerships that specifically support nonprofit capacity building. We are currently exploring ideas like capacity-building grants initiatives, cultivation and support of regional and local nonprofit networks, and collaboration with other organizations that provide capacity-building and leadership training to nonprofits. Look for details later this spring.
2. In addition to our competitive grant rounds, we will continue our agency endowment management program, our planned giving partnership program, and the Vermont Directory of Foundations. We will also invite nonprofits to submit their events to our calendar of events on our Understanding Vermont website. Finally, we will expand our online offerings to include a directory of consultants and businesses that serve nonprofits.
3. We will complete two studies that identify the strengths and opportunities in Vermont's nonprofit sector and in Vermont-focused philanthropy. These reports will be shared broadly with VCF fundholders and other key constituents to encourage deeper engagement with nonprofit-related issues and interests. Deeper philanthropic engagement leads to greater investment in the entire sector.
4. The VCF will seek ways to gather information on legislative issues that impact Vermont nonprofits and will provide updates to the sector.

In addition, we will continue to pursue dialogue with nonprofit leaders and community members to build on this work and ensure that nonprofits are well-served and receive the resources they need to succeed.

We will keep you posted as we go along. As always, we encourage you to share your thoughts.

At the suggestion of the nonprofit task force, leaders from Vermont’s nonprofit sector including funding institutions, nonprofits, and nonprofit consultants convened in Grafton in June 2007 for a conference dedicated to the future of the sector. The conference, The Future of Vermont's Nonprofit Sector: a Framework for Stewardship and Success, provided clarity about the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for Vermont’s nonprofits, as well as what the sector needs to meet them.

The results of the conference will be used as the basis for action plans, to seek funding from local, regional, and national funders for important sector-building products and services, and possibly to identify a policy agenda that can guide legislators.

Thanks to everyone who attended the September 28th meeting in Fairlee to think together about how to strengthen Vermont's nonprofit sector. We covered quite a bit of ground and made significant progress towards identifying common needs, concerns and hopes.

We're making available the following materials from that meeting:

• an executive summary of the conference report
• the results from the "Vermont Nonprofit Capacity Building Needs" survey, which was completed by over 300 individuals
• a copy of the presentation on possible statewide models

We encourage you to share these materials, as well as your own experiences, thoughts and ideas from the meeting with your peers who could not attend the meeting.

We will keep you updated on the next steps in this ongoing process. In the meantime, please continue to share your thoughts with us.

The closing of the Vermont Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations (VANPO) leaves a significant void in the capacity-development services available to Vermont nonprofits. The VCF understands the importance of these services to the nonprofit sector, and is responding with an initial small convening of nonprofit leaders, funders, and consultants this summer to create a plan for moving forward.

We are also working with VANPO to transfer some of the resource material from their website to our website, so that it remains available to the community.

We will continue to communicate with VANPO members about new developments, and to solicit insights and ideas about next steps. Please continue to watch this space for additional news and information.

Along the way we know that we will need the input and advice of nonprofits. Do you have any thoughts? We'd love to hear them.