When done well, capacity building helps leaders and teams understand how to leverage their strengths to maximize impact. When integrated wisely, capacity building leads to impactful, equitable, and resilient organizations. At its most powerful, capacity building provides the direction and the fuel needed to change entrenched systems. 

Organizations vary, and there is no single model of success. Leaders need help identifying the priorities, approaches, and providers that resonate with them, so they can be set up for success on their own terms, in their unique environments. At the same time, the insights that emerge from these experiences must contribute to our collective understanding of what’s working and why.

A focus on racial and economic equity and justice must be integrated into capacity building, guiding decisions on what support looks like, who benefits from it, and, importantly, to what end. Capacity building must also include diverse voices, especially those who are most marginalized, attend to its impact on communities, and be in service of creating a more equitable and just society. 

Capacity building work is people work. People need to trust and be trusted in order to learn and grow, individually and collectively. Trust encourages calculated risk-taking and fortifies against setbacks and failures – ultimately leading to more impactful, equitable, and innovative solutions.