Capacity building – is a term that is broadly used to describe any action or activity that increases organizational effectiveness, enhances an organization’s ability to provide services and promotes sustainability.  CCF has identified five primary areas of capacity building – leadership development, organizational development, program development, community engagement and revenue development strategies. 

Community-based Organizations (CBO) – CBO are usually local organizations or local chapters of national organizations that focus on any number of issues at local and community levels.  Frequently they are located in the communities they serve.

Compassion Capital Fund (CCF) – a federal grant program begun in 2002 helps faith-based and community organizations increase their effectiveness and enhance their ability to provide social services by building their organizational capacity.

Coaching – Each organization in the SafeHouse Outreach Learning Community will receive 24 hours of one-on-one coaching from one or more of the Project Team coaches.  Coaching will address issues in the five primary areas of capacity building.

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) – HHS is the United States government's principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves. 

Faith-based Organizations (FBO) -- organizations that self-identify as being founded by religious institutions or individuals based on faith-inspired motivations (caring for those in need) or seeking to advance some type of faith-inspired mission or purpose. FBO include local congregations, national networks (denominations and their social service arms) like Salvation Army, Catholic Charities and Lutheran Social Services as well as independent organizations providing a broad range of services like food pantries, afterschool programming, housing, recovery services, etc.

Learning Community – refers to all of the SafeHouse Outreach Learning Community activities and emphasizes that everyone (staff members, consultants and participants) contributes to the overall learning and benefits from participation in the Project.  Our goal is to foster a community environment in which all participants are committed to every member’s success.

Modeling -- members of the SafeHouse Outreach Learning Community modeling will participate in 18 hours of modeling including a broad range of activities that may include observing board meetings, staff meetings, volunteer recruiting and management, participation in city and community leadership meetings.

Sub-award funding – is money awarded through the SafeHouse Outreach Learning Community for approved capacity building projects.

Technical assistance (TA) -- Technical assistance is a term used in many different ways in business and government. For our purposes, we mean providing information and support to another organization. Technical assistance is another word for help. In the  SafeHouse Outreach Learning Community, TA usually occurs in one-on-one or small group settings.