Nonprofit Facilities Center shares accomplishments, service to community
PRESS RELEASE
1:30 pm., May 11, 2006
Media Contact(s):
Patricia A. Ellis, 313-226-9484 or pager, 313-840-1948
Megan Bracket, 313-226-9409 or pager, 313-840-4321
More than $21 million in grants/loans given to improve nonprofits capacity to carry out mission
DETROIT – The Nonprofit Facilities Center (NFC), a partnership between United Way for Southeastern Michigan in metro Detroit and the Nonprofit Finance Fund in New York, shared accomplishments and key findings at a meeting with its partners, May 11. The focus of the meeting, Capital Investment in Our Community: Beyond Bricks & Mortar,highlighted the NFC’s accomplishments over the past four years, representing more than $15 million in grants and more than $6 million in loans. Altogether, more than $21 million has been allocated to help 116 nonprofit organizations in southeastern Michigan plan for and implement facility improvements that help each organization enhance its services and carry out its mission. This includes 86 energy efficiency grants to help organizations improve the energy systems in facilities that house residential programs.
The meeting also shared findings from a recent evaluation of the NFC conducted by Formulative Evaluation Research Associates (FERA), an independent research group located in Ann Arbor, MI.
The NFC was created as a pilot project in 2001. It began its services in 2002 to help nonprofits in southeast Michigan manage growth and achieve long-term financial sustainability through financial and advisory services related to capital facility projects. Funding from United Way’s 2000/2002 capital campaign provided $25 million for the NFC’s operations.
Since its inception, the NFC has worked with approximately 250 nonprofit organizations by conducting workshops and consultations, in addition to providing grants and loans for capital facility improvements. The nonprofits are primarily from Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties and represent United Way-member agencies as well as nonprofits that have not traditionally worked with United Way. Of the 116 nonprofits that received either a grant or loan from the NFC, only 25 percent (29) were United Way-member agencies.
The recent survey conducted by FERA, evaluated the NFC’s services and value to area nonprofits. The survey assessed the effectiveness of the NFC as a delivery system that assists nonprofit organizations with planning and developing sustainable business models. Of the 118 nonprofits that completed the survey, 62 percent where from Wayne County, 23 percent were from Oakland County and 9 percent were from Macomb County. An additional 6 percent of the nonprofits were headquartered in other counties or areas, including Lenawee, Livingston and St. Clair counties, as well as Ohio. The nonprofits – representing health and human services, education and cultural arts – received one or more of the services offered by the NFC.
Key findings from nonprofit respondents show that as a result of the NFC:
In addition to the nonprofit respondents, representatives from eight foundations were also surveyed. Key findings from the funders surveyed show that as a result of the NFC:
The NFC is currently in its fifth year and is looking to enhance its services for nonprofits.
Nonprofit organizations that benefited from the Nonprofit Facilities Center
Since 2002, approximately 250 nonprofit organizations have received one or more services from the Nonprofit Facilities Services (NCF). Of those agencies, 116 have received either a grant or loan for capital facilities projects. Here is a sampling of the nonprofits that have benefited from the NFC’s services.
Turning Point Inc., in Macomb County
Turning Point has been providing services to victims and survivors of domestic violence for 25 years. Services include counseling, a 24-hour crisis line, a shelter for women and their children, advocacy, education and other services. The nonprofit also runs the Secondhand Rose Thrift Shop, which benefits the shelter. Turning Point’s director was interested in moving its administrative offices from a very old and unsafe building to a location that would best serve its mission. After attending the NFC’s workshops, there was a very planned and thoughtful process before any decision was made. Instead of buying a building, the director decided to lease and renovate a 15,000 square-foot facility. Turning Point received several services from the NFC in order to make this happen, including a capital grant, two planning grants and an energy efficient grant. As a result, Turning Point’s administrative offices and Secondhand Rose Thrift Shop are in one building. The new facility is safe, efficient and pleasing in which to work. The move has improved the morale of staff and they feel more connected to the mission. Community members have increased their participation and donations to the thrift store because they have a greater awareness and understanding of how their contributions improve lives.
JARC of Oakland County
The Jewish Association of Residential Care (JARC) based out of Oakland County serves developmentally disabled individuals and their families through a wide range of residential and program services. JARC currently operates 19 single-family residential homes and eight condominiums. With the increased cost of running the facilities, JARC staff enrolled in the NFC’s workshops and also benefited from advisory services. After staff learned how to better plan for capital projects, they applied for several financial services. They received a capital grant, a Building for the Future grant and five energy efficient grants. As a result, JARC has improved its energy efficiency in some of its residences and is planning to make additional improvements to lower energy costs. JARC has benefited from the sustainable improvements, resulting in an external energy audit and a geothermal heating system in two of the residential centers that uses the ground source to heat or cool the homes. This has substantially lowered operating costs and decreased energy consumption.
Children’s Outreach and the Neighborhood Center Inc., in Wayne County
Children’s Outreach and the Neighborhood Center are both located in Southwest Detroit. The Children’s Outreach provides quality childcare for low-income families. The Neighborhood Center was interested in starting a childcare center, but didn’t have the expertise to run one. Representatives from both organizations met at a workshop hosted by the NFC. As a result of attending the NFC workshops, both nonprofits decided to collaborate to increase childcare services made available to their community. In addition to the workshops and advisory services, the NFC provided a planning grant, a grant for space improvements, and a $250,000 capital campaign grant to renovate the Neighborhood Center and a nearby park. The Children’s Outreach now operates three childcare centers and has increased the number of children in its childcare from 38 to 60.
About the Nonprofit Facilities Center
The Nonprofit Facilities Center is a unique partnership program of United Way for Southeastern Michigan (UWSEM) in Detroit and the Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF), headquartered in New York City. It was established in 2001 to provide specific facilities-related support to metro Detroit-area nonprofits to help them better plan, manage, and finance their facilities projects. The Center offers workshops, one-on-one consultations, planning grants, green building consultation, capital grants and capital loans to eligible organizations on an ongoing basis. The support provided by the Nonprofit Facilities Center encourages healthy and sound organizational growth, thereby enabling assisted organizations to provide greater impact in the community. Further information is available at 313-226-9420, www.nonprofitfinancefund.org, or www.uwsem.org
1:30 pm., May 11, 2006
Media Contact(s):
Patricia A. Ellis, 313-226-9484 or pager, 313-840-1948
Megan Bracket, 313-226-9409 or pager, 313-840-4321
More than $21 million in grants/loans given to improve nonprofits capacity to carry out mission
DETROIT – The Nonprofit Facilities Center (NFC), a partnership between United Way for Southeastern Michigan in metro Detroit and the Nonprofit Finance Fund in New York, shared accomplishments and key findings at a meeting with its partners, May 11. The focus of the meeting, Capital Investment in Our Community: Beyond Bricks & Mortar,highlighted the NFC’s accomplishments over the past four years, representing more than $15 million in grants and more than $6 million in loans. Altogether, more than $21 million has been allocated to help 116 nonprofit organizations in southeastern Michigan plan for and implement facility improvements that help each organization enhance its services and carry out its mission. This includes 86 energy efficiency grants to help organizations improve the energy systems in facilities that house residential programs.
“This is exciting work,” said Diane Van Buren Jones, director, Nonprofit Facilities Center. “We value our partnerships, which continue to help us guide nonprofits to thoughtful, long-term solutions to facility needs. We also look forward to enhancing our services, introducing organizations to new ways of planning, such as the Green Building initiative to create environmentally healthy facilities.”
The meeting also shared findings from a recent evaluation of the NFC conducted by Formulative Evaluation Research Associates (FERA), an independent research group located in Ann Arbor, MI.
The NFC was created as a pilot project in 2001. It began its services in 2002 to help nonprofits in southeast Michigan manage growth and achieve long-term financial sustainability through financial and advisory services related to capital facility projects. Funding from United Way’s 2000/2002 capital campaign provided $25 million for the NFC’s operations.
Since its inception, the NFC has worked with approximately 250 nonprofit organizations by conducting workshops and consultations, in addition to providing grants and loans for capital facility improvements. The nonprofits are primarily from Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties and represent United Way-member agencies as well as nonprofits that have not traditionally worked with United Way. Of the 116 nonprofits that received either a grant or loan from the NFC, only 25 percent (29) were United Way-member agencies.
The recent survey conducted by FERA, evaluated the NFC’s services and value to area nonprofits. The survey assessed the effectiveness of the NFC as a delivery system that assists nonprofit organizations with planning and developing sustainable business models. Of the 118 nonprofits that completed the survey, 62 percent where from Wayne County, 23 percent were from Oakland County and 9 percent were from Macomb County. An additional 6 percent of the nonprofits were headquartered in other counties or areas, including Lenawee, Livingston and St. Clair counties, as well as Ohio. The nonprofits – representing health and human services, education and cultural arts – received one or more of the services offered by the NFC.
Key findings from nonprofit respondents show that as a result of the NFC:
- 68 percent changed their thinking regarding the interrelationship of their programs and the capacity of their facility to carry out those services
- 96 percent made better informed decisions about their facility needs
- 95 percent were able to prepare stronger proposals for facilities projects to other funders
- 92 percent said they gained increased credibility with other funders
- 77 percent said they increased their revenue
- 71 percent increased their board involvement
- 93 percent improved the safety of their building
In addition to the nonprofit respondents, representatives from eight foundations were also surveyed. Key findings from the funders surveyed show that as a result of the NFC:
- Proposals that are received are stronger and reflect better project planning, assessment and awareness of actual costs
- Funders feel a greater sense of security and credibility when nonprofits have gone through the NFC process
- Funders believe that a grant or loan from the NFC is a ‘seal of approval’ for a well planned facilities project, which makes the funder’s job easier
The NFC is currently in its fifth year and is looking to enhance its services for nonprofits.
Michael J. Brennan, president & CEO, United Way for Southeastern Michigan added, “When you work with wonderful partners like the Nonprofit Finance Fund and the many foundations who continue to make sure we deliver on quality services, and when you see the results from the many nonprofits that benefited from those services, you know you have a successful model. We will continue to improve and provide what we hope will be an invaluable service for years to come.”“This has been a wonderful partnership,” said Clara Miller, president & CEO, Nonprofit Finance Fund. “We believe we have added value to the capital projects. We’ve learned a lot and look forward to doing better in the next chapter of our relationship.”
Nonprofit organizations that benefited from the Nonprofit Facilities Center
Since 2002, approximately 250 nonprofit organizations have received one or more services from the Nonprofit Facilities Services (NCF). Of those agencies, 116 have received either a grant or loan for capital facilities projects. Here is a sampling of the nonprofits that have benefited from the NFC’s services.
Turning Point Inc., in Macomb County
Turning Point has been providing services to victims and survivors of domestic violence for 25 years. Services include counseling, a 24-hour crisis line, a shelter for women and their children, advocacy, education and other services. The nonprofit also runs the Secondhand Rose Thrift Shop, which benefits the shelter. Turning Point’s director was interested in moving its administrative offices from a very old and unsafe building to a location that would best serve its mission. After attending the NFC’s workshops, there was a very planned and thoughtful process before any decision was made. Instead of buying a building, the director decided to lease and renovate a 15,000 square-foot facility. Turning Point received several services from the NFC in order to make this happen, including a capital grant, two planning grants and an energy efficient grant. As a result, Turning Point’s administrative offices and Secondhand Rose Thrift Shop are in one building. The new facility is safe, efficient and pleasing in which to work. The move has improved the morale of staff and they feel more connected to the mission. Community members have increased their participation and donations to the thrift store because they have a greater awareness and understanding of how their contributions improve lives.
JARC of Oakland County
The Jewish Association of Residential Care (JARC) based out of Oakland County serves developmentally disabled individuals and their families through a wide range of residential and program services. JARC currently operates 19 single-family residential homes and eight condominiums. With the increased cost of running the facilities, JARC staff enrolled in the NFC’s workshops and also benefited from advisory services. After staff learned how to better plan for capital projects, they applied for several financial services. They received a capital grant, a Building for the Future grant and five energy efficient grants. As a result, JARC has improved its energy efficiency in some of its residences and is planning to make additional improvements to lower energy costs. JARC has benefited from the sustainable improvements, resulting in an external energy audit and a geothermal heating system in two of the residential centers that uses the ground source to heat or cool the homes. This has substantially lowered operating costs and decreased energy consumption.
Children’s Outreach and the Neighborhood Center Inc., in Wayne County
Children’s Outreach and the Neighborhood Center are both located in Southwest Detroit. The Children’s Outreach provides quality childcare for low-income families. The Neighborhood Center was interested in starting a childcare center, but didn’t have the expertise to run one. Representatives from both organizations met at a workshop hosted by the NFC. As a result of attending the NFC workshops, both nonprofits decided to collaborate to increase childcare services made available to their community. In addition to the workshops and advisory services, the NFC provided a planning grant, a grant for space improvements, and a $250,000 capital campaign grant to renovate the Neighborhood Center and a nearby park. The Children’s Outreach now operates three childcare centers and has increased the number of children in its childcare from 38 to 60.
About the Nonprofit Facilities Center
The Nonprofit Facilities Center is a unique partnership program of United Way for Southeastern Michigan (UWSEM) in Detroit and the Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF), headquartered in New York City. It was established in 2001 to provide specific facilities-related support to metro Detroit-area nonprofits to help them better plan, manage, and finance their facilities projects. The Center offers workshops, one-on-one consultations, planning grants, green building consultation, capital grants and capital loans to eligible organizations on an ongoing basis. The support provided by the Nonprofit Facilities Center encourages healthy and sound organizational growth, thereby enabling assisted organizations to provide greater impact in the community. Further information is available at 313-226-9420, www.nonprofitfinancefund.org, or www.uwsem.org
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