How did the funders conceptualize a BEST initiative?
All funders in the Collaborative credit their careful planning prior to launching BEST with building stronger relationships within the philanthropic community. As a result of this initial developmental stage, three value statements emerged that capture the unified vision and conceptual basis for the groups formation: * We believe that healthy nonprofits are critical components of our democratic society; and that internally stable, effective nonprofit organizations are essential to achieving a high quality of life in Flint and Genesee County. * We believe that building the long term capacity of key organizations in the local nonprofit sector is a worthy philanthropic investment that will have a positive, long term impact on the community. * We believe that building capacity in people and organizations is the most effective when it begins by identifying existing strengths, creating a realistic plan for a preferred future, and then taking the first steps on that journey. * We believe that
