Mission

In partnership, the Arlington Tomorrow Foundation, the United Way of Tarrant County (UWTC), the City of Arlington, and The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) seek to help meet the ongoing internal and external needs of the Arlington nonprofit sector by developing a comprehensive research study to support the collective capacity of the sector.

Project Goals

1. Gather data and deeper perspectives on the Arlington nonprofit sector.
2. Collect insights from Arlington nonprofit leaders and local partners.
3. Share evidence of the local nonprofit sector’s capacity with stakeholders.
4. Develop a profile of the Arlington nonprofit sector.

Project Outcomes

1. Bridge gaps in nonprofits’ and funders’ understanding of community needs through community-engaged research.
   Develop capacity-building training for the local nonprofit sector.
2. Promote equitable practices within capacity training for nonprofit leaders to improve how local nonprofits steward organizational finances, lead staff, and serve clients.
   Expand organizational relationships within the Arlington nonprofit sector.
3. Increase the Arlington nonprofit sector’s well-being through public engagement and community feedback.

Timeline

Phase 1: February-May 2023: (4 months)

UTA researchers will produce a list of all known nonprofits with a 501(c)(3) designation in Arlington. This report will also offer preliminary data on these nonprofits’ core assets, growth areas, and impacts related to capacity building for the Arlington nonprofit sector. More specifically, the findings from this information gathering will inform nine capacity measures.

The nine measures are the following:

1. Human capital (workforce)
2. Financial capital
3. Physical capital (facilities)
4. Social capital (relationships)
5. Human resources tasks
6. Internal organizational systems
7. Open systems (outreach activities)
8. Programming
9. Board of Directors status

This information will help frame the development of evidence-based strategies to support the success of local nonprofits.

Phase 2: June 2023- September 2023 (4 months) 

In consultation with local nonprofits and community leaders, UTA researchers will design and release a survey to Arlington nonprofit leaders via email and direct mail. The analysis of survey data will reveal nonprofits’ present capacity needs. Additionally, UTA researchers, faculty, and students will interview a sample of community leaders to contextualize and validate important trends in the capacity assessment findings. Finally, an initial report will be prepared to update stakeholders on the project’s progress.

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