When we talk about “capacity building” in the nonprofit world, it can sound abstract, like something that happens in conference rooms, not communities. But spend a little time with the organizations building their capacity in Sacramento’s Del Paso Heights neighborhood, and the picture becomes much clearer.
It looks like 45 staff members sitting together for a full-day wellness event, finally having the time and space to reflect and reconnect. It looks like a social worker showing up at the Teen Center every afternoon so a teenager in crisis always has someone they can turn to. It looks like an organization having the ability to explain the change it’s working toward.
This spring, I had the chance to learn how four Del Paso Heights organizations utilized flexible capacity-building grants from the Sacramento Region Community Foundation, made possible through our partnership with the League of California Community Foundations. What they did with that support is worth sharing.
Trust Organizations to Lead
Each of the four organizations — Mutual Assistance Network, Stanford Settlement Neighborhood Center, Neighborhood Wellness Foundation, and Roberts Family Development Center — received more than $10,000 with one core message: Use it for what you need to grow your organization’s capacity to serve.
That kind of trust isn’t always the norm in philanthropy, where grants often come with specific, prescribed uses. But organizations serving the Del Paso Heights neighborhood have earned that trust. They have deep roots, relationships built over years, and an honest understanding of what makes their work sustainable or fragile. They are the experts on their own infrastructure.
What happened when they were trusted to lead? Each organization built something distinct.
People, Programs, and Systems
At Mutual Assistance Network (MAN), the investment went into the people behind the programs. Forty-five staff participated in trauma-informed training, including education and motivational supervision. Billing staff gained confidence in Medi-Cal managed care systems. A new Social Media Committee formed. Quality assurance tools were developed. A leadership lab series ran three sessions. None of this may be visible to the families MAN serves, but all of it shapes the experience those families receive. A more supported staff is a more effective one.
At Stanford Settlement, the focus was clear: keep someone there. This grant funded sustained social work staffing at the Teen Center, making consistent daily coverage possible. About 25 young people received ongoing case management and mentorship. Five went through crisis intervention and short-term stabilization. The work isn’t complicated to describe, but can be genuinely hard to fund. Relationships take time. You can’t build trust with a teenager during a single visit.
At Neighborhood Wellness Foundation, the grant opened doors simultaneously. Facilitators for Healing Circles and Parent Cafés built confidence across eight locations. An Expungement Clinic — a first for the organization — was hosted in partnership with Golden 1 Credit Union and the Sacramento District Attorney’s Office, connecting community members to legal support that can change their lives. Staff built their skills in documentation and referral tracking, which means the people they serve are better connected to the full range of support available to them.
At Roberts Family Development Center (RFDC), the investment focused on clarity. Working with a coaching firm, RFDC completed a full organizational systems assessment and developed a framework that aligns the organization’s programs, evaluation approach, and outcomes language into one coherent picture. They also took early steps toward a new case management platform. This kind of work can feel slow and internal, but it sets the stage for everything else: better storytelling, stronger partnerships, more effective grant applications, and ultimately more resources for the families RFDC serves.
What This Makes Possible
Each organization’s work looked different, which is the right approach because one size doesn’t fit all. Mutual Assistance Network wanted to strengthen its people. Stanford Settlement wanted to sustain its presence. Neighborhood Wellness wanted to expand its reach. Roberts Family Development Center wanted to chart its path forward.
They each knew this about themselves. The funding just made it possible to act on it.
I’m proud that the Sacramento Region Community Foundation played a role here — both by directing this support to organizations we trust, and by advocating for the kind of flexible, community-led grantmaking that makes outcomes like these possible. This work is part of our broader commitment to Del Paso Heights, supported by donors to our Impact Fund who believe, as we do, that investing in local organizations is one of the most powerful things philanthropy can do.
Make Your Impact
Support efforts like this with a gift to the Impact Fund. You can also join the Impact Collaborative, a network of people who care about this community and want to make a difference alongside others who feel the same.