Inside Grants and Programs – “Grantmaking Plus”

Everything we do at the Community Foundation for Monterey County (CFMC) is connected to our mission: “to inspire philanthropy and be a catalyst for strengthening communities throughout Monterey County.” – Laurel Lee-Alexander,  CFMC Vice President Grants & Programs

Strengthening Nonprofits

What does that mean to the Grants and Programs team? In a nutshell, by strengthening the nonprofit sector, we strengthen communities.  We see our role in helping nonprofits develop and thrive as “Grantmaking Plus.” How does the CFMC envision “Grantmaking Plus?”

While the traditional role of a grantmaker is to award financial support for nonprofit organizations and programs (such as our Community Impact grants), the CFMC offers more than grants to programs and nonprofit operations.

Targeted Grantmaking

We also manage targeted grantmaking programs for:

• Organizational Development – grants that focus on an organization’s capacity
• Opportunity Grants – grants that support emerging organizations and ventures, urgent and time-sensitive needs
• Neighborhood Grants – small grants for community and volunteer-led grassroots groups

Observing trends and learning from local nonprofits led the CFMC to establish the “Next Steps for Small Nonprofits” program–which includes three years of general operating support grant funding, organizational assessments, individualized plans for strengthening the organization, training, peer meetings and one-on-one support from a professional nonprofit mentor.

Center for Nonprofit Excellence

Within the Grants and Programs department, the Center for Nonprofit Excellence (CNE) works with organizations to strengthen operations, leadership and sustainability. The CNE also offers resources including workshops and webinars, consulting and opportunities for peer learning for executive directors, management staff and board members.

The CFMC’s approach of “Grantmaking Plus” allows us to manage grant programs from a collaborative perspective-taking into account how grantmaking intersects with other opportunities to help local nonprofits improve their work and better serve the people of Monterey County.

Learn more about the CFMC’s grants and programs here: www.cfmco.org/nonprofits.

Laurel Lee-Alexander is Vice President of Grants & Programs. She oversees the planning, strategy development and operations of the Community Foundation for Monterey County’s Grants and Programs department, which includes all competitive and donor advised grants, core programs, and community partnerships.  She has over 20 years of experience in philanthropy, nonprofit fund development and corporate marketing. She has also served on numerous nonprofit boards, and volunteers in other capacities.