Developing a Measurable and Impactful Grant-Making Process

Client
Victory Housing
Faculty
Kevin Hansen
Team
Michelle Avila, Sarah Dadson, Audrey Lapiner, Bora Lee
Victory Housing, the nonprofit housing development arm of the Archdiocese of Washington, provides affordable housing and related support services for mixed-income seniors and low-income families in DC and Maryland. Victory Housing uses donated funds to disseminate one-time grants to residents and hourly staff in times of need. Historically, Victory Housing has not had a formal process for defining emergency needs, selecting recipients and award amounts, distributing funds, or measuring impact. Victory Housing enlisted a Capstone team to develop a grant-making process that is measurable and impactful. The team conducted an assessment of key stakeholders to determine levels of need and to assess the feasibility of a grant-making process for the organization. Utilizing data from interviews, surveys, and industry research, the team provided targeted recommendations for Victory Housing to conduct systematic grant-making, assess the impact of these grants, and leverage their successes toward future fundraising and program development.
Capstone Year