iCAT
Impact Capacity Assessment Tool (iCAT)
Giving every nonprofit the capacity to lead.
Research shows that the health of a nonprofit can be assessed using 6 core capacities: leading, learning, overseeing, generating, planning and managing.
The Impact Capacity Assessment Tool (iCAT) is an organizational assessment and planing tool that helps nonprofits better understand their capacity and put that understanding into action to increase their impact:
New opportunity!
CVNL recently received a generous grant from the Marin Community Foundation to offer the Impact Capacity Assessment Tool (iCAT) to nonprofits serving Marin County. Through the grant, we are offering the iCAT to organizations at a significantly discounted price of $500 (the regular fee for iCAT is $1500). Contact Linda Jacobs at 415-448-0300 to learn more and claim your spot. All iCAT slots are being filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
How it works
- Using an anonymous, online survey, iCAT collects input from invited staff leadership, Board and other key stakeholders with a focus on six, research-based organizational capacities.
- Data is converted into an online report summarizing your organizational strengths and weaknesses
- Prioritized recommendations, based on what research says will be most effective for your nonprofit at this point in time, are part of the online report
- Throughout the process, CVNL guides the administration and interpretation of results
- Each nonprofit is assigned a CVNL consultant to help utilize the results to design a plan for improvement that takes its unique perspective and circumstances into consideration
- Nonprofits – Receive valuable, honest feedback from stakeholders; leverage iCAT recommendations in seeking funds for capacity building; prioritized recommendations show what will have greatest impact.
The iCAT survey helped us realize our strengths and weaknesses and then informed what we could do to be the best we could be. – Brigitte Moran, Executive Director, Agricultural Institute of Marin
- Grantmakers – Inform your capacity building investments to support grantees; research-based tool you can recommend with confidence; purchase in bulk for multiple grantees.
The iCAT provides a comprehensive view of how an organization is changing and growing, priorities it can pursue, and realistic suggestions for improvements… The process and report provide credibility and justification to organizations and funders for capacity building support. – Barbara Clifton Zarate, Director of Economic Opportunity, Marin Community Foundation
For more information about iCAT in Northern California, contact Linda Jacons, CEO, at 415-448-0300 or ljacobs@cvnl.org.
Resources for Nonprofits and Grantmakers
Download the informational flyer, or view or download our informational slides below: