About Us

I. Project Overview: The University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute (The University) Compassion Massachusetts is a comprehensive, organizational development initiative that targets small faith-based and community organizations (FBCOs) in the rural counties of Berkshire (western MA) and Barnstable (southeastern MA). In Year Three (October 1, 2009-Sept. 30, 2010) Compassion Massachusetts will open up the Subaward process to the following priority areas:

  • Homeless
  • Elders in Need
  • Families in Transition
  • Those in Need of Intensive Rehabilitation such as addicts and prisoners
  • Prisoners re-entering the community and children of prisoners
  • At-Risk Youth
  • And Organizations Who Serve Populations that combine the above priority areas.

The primary goal of the Initiative is to: expand the capacity of FBCO’s to deliver social services and increase sustainability by enhancing an organization’s ability to compete for federal and non-federal funds in the future.

Compassion Massachusetts is planned and implemented through a Partnership among the following organizations:

  • University of Massachusetts, Donahue Institute, which provides organizational development and training services to public agencies and private and non-profit FBCO’s.
  • Berkshire Youth Development Project comprised of three regional Partners - Northern Berkshire Community Coalition, Pittsfield Prevention Partnership and South Berkshire Youth Coalition.
  • New England Network for Child, Youth and Family Services, which provides organizational development and capacity building training and technical assistance to youth and family services organizations and research and policy development.

Compassion Massachusetts will support capacity building activities in five critical areas of development:

  1. Leadership: board and professional staff development and training.
  2. Organizational: organizational status, mission, vision, assessment, strategic planning, fiscal management, volunteer and staff development, annual performance reviews and increasing computer/soft-ware proficiency, and record-keeping.
  3. Program: develop/implement plans that increase scope of services and/or number of clients, new approaches, quality/effectiveness of services, client data, feedback and evaluation, services assessments, and organizational outcomes evaluation.
  4. Revenue: creating a fundraising plan, increasing number and sources of funding applications, hiring a grant writer/consultant to train staff.
  5. Community Engagement: creating/updating website, developing/distributing written materials, engaging in Partnerships with other FBCO’s, advertising, activities that increasing understanding of community and service area needs.

Compassion Massachusetts is now in its third year, and will be giving out 104,000 in sub-awards to Berkshire County non-profits in the Fall 2009.  Emerging Organizations, or those with budget less than 100,000 may apply for grants for 11,000, while established organizations, or those with budgets more than 100,000 may apply for grants up and until 20,000.

Compassion Massachusetts is a comprehensive, organizational development initiative that targets small faith-based and community organizations (FBCOs) in Berkshire County.  

Any organization that serves one or more of the above listed populations, and has an annual fiscal budget of less than 500,000 is encouraged to apply.  Priority will be given to organizations who have never received federal funds.  In addition, all faith based organizations are strongly encouraged to apply. 

The primary goal of the Compassion Massachusetts is to: expand the capacity of FBCO’s to deliver social services and increase sustainability by enhancing an organization’s ability to compete for federal and non-federal funds in the future.

The Berkshire Youth Development Project provides local support and networking opportunities for all those who participate in Compassion Massachusetts.  The BYDP provides opportunities such as the Youth Worker Summit that took place in Pittsfield this past September 16th.

The primary goals of the Initiative are to expand the capacity of organizations to deliver social services and increase sustainability by enhancing an organization’s ability to compete for federal and non-federal funds in the future.

Specialty training provided by New England Network for Child, Youth and Family Services (NEN) will provide technical assistance and trainings which will encourage the development of skills needed by organizations to build their capacity building potential. The training and TA NEN provides will include the use and design of outcomes measurement, but could also include: establishing professional staff mentoring; board development; supervisory skill training; and fund raising.  
  
Once chosen as a Subawardee, each organization will be eligible for:

  • Comprehensive organization assessment.
  • Technical assistance in at least two critical areas identified through the assessment.
  • Monthly 3-hour group trainings (in the Fall and Spring 3- month series) that will include training in the five core organizational development areas and other content deemed important by the participants in the regions. (Described earlier) These will include any specialized cluster training with the other Subawardees, as indicated by the combined finalized workplans.
  •  Technical Assistance hours provided by the University staff and consultants and the Project Managers.

The following guidelines govern acceptable uses for the Compassion Massachusetts grant award.


ELIGIBLE USES
Examples of activities include, but are not limited to:

 INELIGIBLE USES

  • Strategic planning
  • Financial management systems development
  • Staff/volunteer development and training
  • Board assessment and development
  • Improvements to information collection and tracking
  • Fund development, e.g. creating of a fund development plan, consulting time
  • Structuring strategic Partnerships and collaborations
  • Community needs assessments
  • Purchase/upgrade of computer equipment, software, and other technology.
  • Hiring a consultant for further technical assistance, including providing guidance, training and grant-writing.
  • Hiring full/part time staff to fill administrative positions, if subawardee can demonstrate sustainability beyond the subaward
  • Upgrade of the organization’s current facility (although not construction).
  • Training and travel expenses for staff and board members, including stipends.
  • Communication/outreach strategies marketing.
  • Materials, supplies, printing, etc. associated with capacity building.

  • Hiring staff to provide direct services.
  • Support of inherently religious practices such as instruction, worship or to proselytize. Faith based organizations must demonstrate that grant assists only the non-secular portion of the organization.
  • Programmatic expenses for direct services provision.
  • Construction or purchase of a building or property.
  • Seed money for fundraising activities,
  • Health or medical coverage
  • Purchases or transactions beyond those written in the approved Workplan unless written approval is procured by the Project Director at least fifteen (15) days in advance.

 

Website design based on original artwork by Berkshire students.