The Alberta Law Foundation’s Organizational Capacity Building Fund

Apart from their missions, especially for nonprofits and community groups, success lies in the soundness of operations. The Alberta Law Foundation, by understanding the above reality, has created the Organizational Capacity Building Fund which has enabled organizations to provide necessary effectiveness enhancement, governance, and overall increased impact through funds. Whether toward further operational efficiency, the expansion of program reach, or response to emerging challenges, this fund is intended to provide the foundation upon which an organization can build secure, long-term success.

What Is the Organizational Capacity Building Fund?

The Organizational Capacity Building Fund was designed to provide nonprofit organizations, Indigenous communities, and other groups with grant support to help build internal capacity and reinforce operations in carrying out their missions. The fund targets organizational challenges, governance improvements, and enabling groups to adapt to changed and changing trends in their respective sectors.

Through this approach, supporting capacity-building efforts will result in the Alberta Law Foundation having better assurance to believe that an organization operating in either the justice, education, or legal services sector is better positioned to deliver enhanced services and programs for Albertans.

Key Objectives of the Organizational Capacity Building Fund

1. Strengthening Organizational Effectiveness: The fund provides resources to help organizations enhance their governance, leadership, and operational structures.
2. Building bigger program impact: The grant is used to further projects that enhance the reach, impact, and efficiency of programs conducted by these organizations.
3. Responding to Emerging Issues: This fund helps organizations, when new issues arise, shift gears and change strategies toward the most relevant and impactful areas.

Who Can Apply for the Organizational Capacity Building Fund?

The Organizational Capacity Building Fund is open to the following range of organizations including:

• Nonprofits: Organizations that deliver legal services, education, or justice-related programs in Alberta can apply.
• Indigenous Communities and Organizations: This call invites proposals from indigenous-led organizations that want to enhance their operational capacity and governance structures.
• Organizations Based Outside Alberta: The fund primarily caters to organizations based in Alberta; however, applications are not precluded from organizations whose head office is outside the province, provided they can show strong connections to Alberta and how their projects clearly benefit Albertans.

Applicants do not have to be registered charities, and the proposed projects need not be strictly law-focused. A project will be eligible for funding provided it concerns Canadian or Indigenous law, and provided it meets the capacity-building goals of the fund.

Call for Applications and Deadlines

Applications can be sent to the Organizational Capacity Building Fund at any time. The final receipt date for submissions will be September 30, 2025.

Grant Application Evaluation Criteria

Applications to the fund are considered against the following criteria:

• Demonstrated Need: The applicants should identify the "need" for the project; organizational challenges that they are comparatively attempting to address. Projects should respond to one or more of the following needs:
  • Strengthening governance and operational effectiveness
  • Increasing program impact and efficiency
  • Responding to emerging trends that affect the organization’s operations
• Project viability: Proposals should show a clear work plan, have a justifiable realistic budget, and clearly indicate a timeline of completion. Besides, the project must be able to show how the output will be maintained in the future.
• Budget Description: If the project involves contracting services, such as hiring a consultant, then applicants must include a proposal or work plan from the consultant in the application. During its review process, ALF may solicit additional bids for contracted work.
• Timeline: All the project work must be accommodated within a period of 12 months from the grant approval date.

How to Apply for the Organizational Capacity Building Fund

Applying for the Organizational Capacity Building Fund is a two-step process:

1. Submit an Inquiry: Organizations interested in applying must first submit an inquiry using the Organizational Capacity Building Fund Inquiry Form. The Inquiry form provides basic information about the proposed project to ALF.
2. Complete a Full Application: If your project fits within the goals of the fund, ALF will invite the organization to submit a full application using the Grant Portal. The application will request detailed information, such as:
   • Project title, start and end dates, and amount requested
   • Specific needs of the organization that the project will be targeting
   • How the project increases and/or improves the organization's ability to carry out its mission.
   • A project development plan, including a timeline of actions and milestones
   • A list of major deliverables and activities
   • A strategy on how the project will enhance the organization's governance or operations to create better and sustainable outcomes;
   • The detailed project budget with any funds from others, the work plan of any consultants associated with the project

Once an application is made, ALF's staff reviews the proposal on the aforementioned criteria and decides upon them. The foundation encourages any organizations that may have any questions before the submission process to forward them to them.

How Fluxx Simplifies the Grant Process for the Alberta Law Foundation

A grant program as broad in scope as Organizational Capacity Building Fund requires a robust and effective system. For this reason, the Alberta Law Foundation employs Fluxx as its grant management platform. Fluxx will simplify the process from the organization's application and follow-through to submitting supporting documentation.

The key benefits of using Fluxx for ALF's Organizational Capacity Building Fund are enumerated below.

• Simplifying Application Process: All applications for the grant go through Fluxx, meaning all inquiries through full applications are managed with ease.
• Improved Communication: Fluxx will allow real-time communication between the ALF and applicants for grants, thus allowing rapid responses to questions and any updates on application status.
• Project Tracking: Fluxx can be used to submit progress reports and track the effects of the capacity-building process once funding has occurred. This would create complete transparency and accountability throughout the process.

With Fluxx, the Alberta Law Foundation works to ensure all their grant programs are managed as it should be, including the Organizational Capacity Building Fund.

Building Stronger Nonprofits for a Better Future

The Alberta Law Foundation Organizational Capacity Building Fund provides an essential source for nonprofits, Indigenous organizations, and community groups, which are looking to strengthen internal operations and improve their program delivery. It is through governance, efficiency in operation, and strength in emerging challenges that this fund supports an organization to have the capacity to serve its community better over time.

If your organization is ready to take the next step in its journey of building capacity, then learn more about applying for the Organizational Capacity Building Fund on the Alberta Law Foundation website.