Prior to 2023, leadership transitions were leading to high employee turnover at The Rapid City Arts Council. The Council knew they needed to invest in training and team-building activities, but they lacked the funds in their operating budget.
After receiving a 2023 Capacity Building Grant from the Black Hills Area Community Foundation, The Council provided professional development, training resources and networking opportunities to their staff that year.
After these investments, a survey showed a 50% increase in the number of staff who felt the organization was moving in the right direction. Staff members were twice as likely to recommend The Arts Council as a great place to work.
“The seemingly simple initiatives funded by the grant have allowed us to operate much more cohesively around how we accomplish our mission,” said Jacqui Dietrich, Executive Director of The Rapid City Arts Council. As well, “there’s been a dramatic increase in the quality and quantity of programming our team has been able to offer,” leading to more community participation, Dietrich noted.
Among other positive outcomes, the grant enabled leadership to refresh a three-year strategic plan, and the staff boosted volunteer recruitment using skills learned from online training.
“We’re always looking at how to re-imagine our organization to have the most benefit for the community. Having that focused funding to put toward initiatives like staff development is really critical,” Dietrich said.
Learn more about BHACF’s grant opportunities, and encourage nonprofits in your network to apply for a Capacity Building Grant!