Capacity Cohorts
Long-term programs for non-profit leaders.
What is a Capacity Cohort?
Capacity Cohorts are in-depth and long-term programs for individual leaders and organizations looking to increase capacity and strengthen resiliency. Participants are provided with skill-building training and the opportunity to build relationships with peers navigating similar challenges in their community.
Cohorts give participants the opportunity to work with trusted leaders who can support them to map a path to achieve their aspirations.
Through the power of working in community, Capacity Cohorts support not-for-profits to take concrete steps towards developing stronger tools to support their mission.
All Capacity Cohorts:
- Provide tools for capacity assessment and organizational development
- Provide common language and practical tools to plan and implement capacity goals
- Build on local expertise
- Strengthen organizational sustainability and mission impact
Change Network
Change Network is a pilot project funded by Vancouver Coastal Health’s Health Promotion Community Investments. The cohort-based program is designed to provide the skills and tools required for like-minded organizations to collaborate through collectively creating and advocating for a common advocacy goal.
Participants learn the structure, skills, and tactics of a successful advocacy campaign, while they are provided with resources and a system of supports to work together in making meaningful change.
The stages of this program include:
- Identifying a “Change Goal”
- Mapping Stakeholders and Conducting Research
- Articulating a Theory of Change and Developing Strategy
- Implementing the Strategy
- Evaluation
This program is ideal for non-profit organizations in the Vancouver Coastal Health region that seek to improve their advocacy skills and reach.
Upcoming Cohort
A third cohort will take place in early 2024. The focus area will be shared in fall 2023.
Past Cohorts
Our first cohort invited not-for-profits working to end Food Insecurity to collaborate and learn how to implement effective social impact campaigns. This group launched the #VoteFoodSecurity Campaign, advocating for individuals to choose candidates who recognize food security as a priority policy issue in the 2022 BC municipal elections. Find out more about this work on this website.
Our latest Change Network cohort brought together senior-serving agencies connected to the Seniors on the Move initiative, which is aimed at increasing transportation options for older adults in BC so they can continue to lead a full life after they stop driving. These agencies recognize the emotional and practical challenges posed by driving cessation and help facilitate a smooth transition to a new chapter of mobility and independence. As part of BC Seniors Week, this cohort has chosen to profile and celebrate community champions who are advocates for alternative forms of transportation. Find out more on this website.
To learn more about Change Network and how get involved, please review the accessible PDF: Change Network Program Guide.
For further information about the Change Network, contact Jenessa Ellis at jellis@thevantagepoint.ca.
Learn about BESTi
BESTi: Building Excellence and Sustainability Together Intensive
Please note: Application period is closed for the current BESTi Kelowna cohort.
A 12-month Lifecycle Capacity cohort, the BESTi program is designed to provide capacity building support for select not-for-profit organizations to transition through key organizational development growth moments by developing strong governance, management, administrative systems, and financial resources, using the lifecycles approach to building not-for-profit capacity.
The program is designed to:
- Provide a new tool for holistic assessment and planning tailored to each participant’s lifecycle
- Provide common language about the capacity and elements of organizational health that become embedded in the community vocabulary
- Build local expertise in lifecycle consulting and management
- Strengthen key partners in support of mission sustainability
Understanding an organization’s lifecycle stage allows organizations to pinpoint exact growing pains and next steps in capacity development. The model is intended to empower organizational leaders to conduct a detailed self-assessment across the following five areas: programs, management, governance, administrative systems, and financial resources. This assessment will reveal the current state of the organization across these five dimensions to inform the development of a detailed Capacity Enhancement Plan.
BESTi Kelowna is a 12-month cohort for not-for-profits in the Central Okanagan, jointly offered by the Central Okanagan Foundation, Valley First, City of Kelowna, Nonprofit Lifecycles Institute, and Vantage Point.
To learn more about BESTi Kelowna, please review the accessible PDF: BESTI Program Guide.
For further information about the BESTi cohort, contact Jenessa Ellis at jellis@thevantagepoint.ca