We know that effective capacity building and infrastructure support are crucial for fostering a robust and resilient voluntary and community sector. This includes:
- Strengthening grassroots groups and amplifying marginalised voices which are essential for building sustainable community responses to local needs.
- Fostering innovation and learning which enables organisations to adapt and thrive in a changing and more financially challenging environment.
- Increasing the ability of voluntary and community sector organisations (VCSOs) to engage confidently and meaningfully with public sector partners to address system-wide challenges.
Capacity building refers to the process of developing and strengthening the skills, resources, systems, structures, and strategies that VCSOs need to survive, adapt, and thrive in a changing environment. It aims to enhance an organisation’s effectiveness, sustainability, and ability to deliver its mission.
This work is typically focused on people, processes, and performance—helping individuals and organisations gain the knowledge, confidence, tools, and partnerships they need to increase their impact and resilience.
Infrastructure support describes the underlying systems, services, networks, and structures that provide the VCS with the foundations it needs to operate effectively. This includes both physical and digital infrastructure, as well as organisational development, governance, coordination, and strategic support.
Examples of Capacity Building and Infrastructure Support
Below are examples of the many varied types of support or areas of work that fall under the umbrella of capacity building and infrastructure support.
- Organisational Development – including governance training and trustee recruitment support, and strategic planning and business planning support
- Funding and Financial Resilience – includingbid writing and application support and building income diversification strategies (e.g. trading, commissioning)
- Workforce and Volunteer Development – including volunteer recruitment and retention strategies, and training for staff and volunteers (e.g. safeguarding, data protection, Diversity, Equality and Inclusion)
- Policy, Voice, and Representation – including supporting VCSOs to engage in local policymaking and consultations and amplifying the voice of under-represented groups or communities
- Collaboration and Networking – including creating and facilitating networks, forums, and partnerships and coordinating consortia for joint bids or collective impact
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning – including training in outcomes measurement and impact reporting
- Legal and Compliance Support – including help with charity registration or incorporation and advice on legal structures and constitutional changes
- Infrastructure and Physical Resources – including access to community spaces or shared office/hot-desk facilities and coordination of volunteering and DBS checking service
- Digital and IT Support – includingtraining on digital service delivery and social media use and advising on CRM systems, websites, and digital tools
- Emergency and Crisis Support – including rapid-response support during crises (e.g. COVID-19, cost of living) and supporting continuity planning and risk assessment
For a full list of capacity building and infrastructure services that could be offered click here
Capacity Building at Neighbourhood level
In Lewisham, we know that traditional and more formalised ways of capacity building, such as training, mentoring, and peer support work for some organisations and not others. Our expectation at Neighbourhood level is that capacity building is more hands-on, linking the identifying of needs, and gaps in local services, to a proactive approach to building the capacity of services to bridge this gap. This will mean reaching out to organisations and building networks to identify community assets and skills to meet this gap. We also want neighbourhood-based services to be able to access capacity building and fundraising support that is quick to respond, and is able to offer bespoke support that is suited to the needs of the organisation. We understand that this approach is more focused and targeted and as such will take more time and resource. However, we believe this approach is much more suited to delivering the desired outcomes at neighbourhood level.