BRATTLEBORO — Morningside Shelter of Brattleboro and Our Place Drop In Center of Bellows Falls will participate in the Benchmarks for a Better Vermont (BBVT) Performance Institute, a grant-funded organizational development program.
The institute is designed to help Vermont's nonprofits measure their performance through systems that are appropriate to their missions and are able to be sustained. It is offered at no cost to the selected organizations. The 16-month curriculum is based on the Results-Based Accountability framework developed by Mark Friedman.
Morningside and Our Place were two of 17 Vermont organizations awarded a place in the institute.
Morningside Shelter has provided temporary shelter and services to house those in need for more than 30 years.
“We felt this was a chance to improve upon what we do, and the more we improve, the more people we are able to help,” said interim director Josh Davis.
Our Place offers a welcoming daytime shelter, food pantry, and free community meals five days a week.
“Our board of directors and I think that the Performance Institute will be a valuable learning experience that can help us build on our core strengths, and progress in areas where we need to improve” said Lisa Pitcher, Executive Director.
“We are very excited to be working with an outstanding group of 17 nonprofits from around Vermont on performance measurement,” said BBVT director Kate Jellema. “Each of these organizations has made a strong commitment to take a results-based approach in their work.”
Benchmarks for a Better Vermont is a two-year initiative run by a consortium of organizations committed to strengthening Vermont's nonprofit sector. Marlboro College Graduate School serves as the lead agency. Other partners include the Vermont Community Foundation, Common Good Vermont, SerVermont, and the United Ways of Addison, Chittenden, Lamoille, and Windham counties.
Benchmarks was selected in September 2011 as one of five organizations nationwide to receive a Nonprofit Capacity Building grant from the federal Corporation for National and Community Service. The Performance Institute is supported by this $200,000 grant along with matching funds from the Vermont Community Foundation, the AD Henderson Foundation, and each of the BBVT collaborating partners.
“"The Performance Institute is a wonderful opportunity for organizational growth, personal learning, cohort networking and sector-wide conversation,” Jellema said. “We are very pleased to be working with this talented group.”
More information is available at bbvt.marlboro.edu.