Are you a fit

As you consider whether or not to apply to The Forbes Funds for a Management Assistance Grant (MAG), it may be helpful to review the criteria we use to evaluate grant requests. The focus of our MAGs is to support the nonprofit as it works to build the management capacity of its leadership (board and staff) and/or its operational processes to increase the organization’s independent ability to continuously and effectively address their challenges and opportunities.

Management capacity can be enhanced by:

investing in the skills of people,
enhancing organizational processes for decision making and service delivery,
redesigning organizational structures for greater efficiency and effectiveness or
strengthening the organization’s ability to collect and interpret information for better planning and program management.

A nonproft can apply for a grant if:

it is located in Allegheny County.
it is a 501(c)(3).
it is a human services and/or community development organization.
it will use third party consultants to guide the project work.
the request is for a capacity-building challenge and the project is not already underway.

What We Do Fund
Projects designed to improve the organization’s ability to monitor and respond to the needs of its clients, consumers, supporters and donors and to distinguish between community need and consumer demand Projects designed to improve the organization’s ability to recruit, retain and effectively utilize high quality talent, whether professional or volunteer Projects involving adoption of management innovations, process improvement and accountability Efforts to diversify the organization’s revenue streams Strategies to form collaborative ventures with public, private or other nonprofit institutions Requests to support technology audits and analyses of information management systems

What We Do Fund

Projects designed to improve the organization’s ability to monitor and respond to the needs of its clients, consumers, supporters and donors and to distinguish between community need and consumer demand
Projects designed to improve the organization’s ability to recruit, retain and effectively utilize high quality talent, whether professional or volunteer
Projects involving adoption of management innovations, process improvement and accountability
Efforts to diversify the organization’s revenue streams
Strategies to form collaborative ventures with public, private or other nonprofit institutions
Requests to support technology audits and analyses of information management systems

What We Do Not Fund
staff salaries administrative overhead computers (hardware or software) or other equipment or furnishings rent or other occupancy or facilities expenses financial audits tuition for degree programs fees and other costs of attending conferences accreditation processes capital campaigns or campaign consultants recurring staff or board training expenses capital campaigns and endowments Please also note that MAGs are not made to cover fees and/or costs already incurred, or projects already under way, including capacity-building projects for which the organization has already signed contracts with its preferred provider.

What We Do Not Fund

staff salaries
administrative overhead
computers (hardware or software) or other equipment or furnishings
rent or other occupancy or facilities expenses
financial audits
tuition for degree programs
fees and other costs of attending conferences
accreditation processes
capital campaigns or campaign consultants
recurring staff or board training expenses
capital campaigns and endowments

Please also note that MAGs are not made to cover fees and/or costs already incurred, or projects already under way, including capacity-building projects for which the organization has already signed contracts with its preferred provider.

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