Remmer to participate in The White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Roundtable

On December 9, 2008, Ellen Remmer will join the Compassion in Action Roundtable at  Models and Strategies Day: Proven Approaches for Investment in Frontline Nonprofits. The event will provide an opportunity for Foundation leaders to explore innovative models that have proven successful for funding, evaluating and extending the impact of community-based nonprofits to engage critical societal needs. 

Over the past eight years, the Federal government has invested billions in strategies designed to harness the creativity and personal touch of small- and mid-sized nonprofits to address the full spectrum of social challenges.  An expansive array of models have been designed, tested and refined—many of which have proven highly effective in tapping and growing the distinctive strengths of grassroots organizations, while also mitigating their weaknesses.  The work of White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives has included projects focused on specific areas of need, as well as capacity-building initiatives relevant to any social service nonprofit. 

Models and Practices Day will feature presentations, research and discussion upon which Foundations can draw to enhance the reach and impact of their investments.  Topics will be applicable to virtually every social service need, including:

• Best practices in capacity building from the $350 million Compassion Capitol Fund;

• Effective structures for intermediary model partnerships;

• Growing nonprofit’s organizational capacity  as part of projects focused on service delivery;

• Challenges and opportunities of partnership with faith-based organizations;

• Outcome tracking and evaluation for small organizations.