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The Capacity Building Initiative (CBI) is a comprehensive program that provides grants and technical assistance over a three-year period to selected watershed organizations and Riverkeepers for a suite of services including leadership training, program development, financial management, strategic planning and technology development.  This grant funding and technical assistance is designed to promote better clarity of goals, better program planning, implementation and tracking, and greater stability and efficiency within watershed organizations and Riverkeepers.  Services provided through the program include targeted operational grants, one-on-one and group trainings, networking, tailored technical assistance and participation in a new watershed network. 

The CBI is a collaborative of the Chesapeake Bay Funders Network and its funding partners include the Chesapeake Bay Trust, the Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment, the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, the Rauch Foundation, the Town Creek Foundation the Baltimore Community Foundation and the Prince Charitable Trusts.

Ultimately, the program seeks to establish a network of sustainable watershed organizations working collaboratively with public and private partners to make a measurable environmental difference for the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers. 

What is Capacity Building?
Capacity building refers to activities that strengthen an organization and help it better fulfill its mission. Capacity building can occur in every aspect of an organization, including programs, management, operations, technology, governance, fundraising and communications.

The types of capacity building activities needed by a watershed organization vary within each organization.  Capacity building activities are not limited to:

Strategic planning: The process of developing a three to five year strategic plan stating the organization's goals and objectives with measurable outcomes allows an watershed organization board and staff to map out the future direction of the organization in order to accomplish strategic priorities efficiently.
Board development: Board development may include activities such as leadership training, defining the role of the board, and strengthening governance which increases the effectiveness of a board's operation and uses the individual skills of board members strategically to advance goals.
Financial management: Improving financial management through activities such as upgrading financial management software, performing annual audits, and increasing understanding of nonprofit accounting can allow organizations to practice sound financial management and grow its resources.
IT Improvements: IT capacity through upgrades to hardware and software, networking and staff training can strengthen data management, expand donations, membership, and volunteers and expand the communications and outreach.