In the Fall of 2007 the Foundation launched the ADVANS project, which stands for Advancing and Developing the Assets and Value of Nonprofits in Syracuse. A total of 9 nonprofit organizations were selected to participate in the pilot program, which runs until October 2010.  They work with area consultants who utilize the self-assessment and business planning tool and techniques developed by Dr. Susan Kenny Stevens as outlined in the book Nonprofit Lifecycles: Stage-based Wisdom for Nonprofit Capacity.

Organizations in the first ADVANS cohort received 1 to 3 years of consultant support and grants to help implement organizational changes and business plans.  These nine nonprofits represent a cross-section of the Foundation’s programmatic interests and have been approved by the Foundation’s board because of the importance of their mission and services to the people of Central New York and because of their institutional readiness and excellent position to participate in this rigorous Initiative.

The nine original ADVANS organizations are Arc of Onondaga, Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Center for Nature Education at Baltimore Woods, Dunbar Center, Hiscock Legal Aid, Huntington Family Center, La Liga (Spanish Action League), Literacy Volunteers of Greater Syracuse and RedHouse Arts Center. 

In the summer of 2010 the Foundation announced the next round of participants for ADVANS 2.  Each of the four organizations will receive a Lifecycle assessment, one year of consultant support and $25,000 to implement their identified capacity needs. They are Farnham Family Services in Oswego, the Matilda Joslyn Gage Center in Fayetteville, Sage Upstate in Syracuse and Cooperative Federal (Syracuse Cooperative Federal Credit Union) of Syracuse.

The Foundation will still review grant requests from other organizations throughout Onondaga, Oswego and Madison counties, but will focus this giving towards capacity requests only.  Grants will be awarded to organizations seeking capacity assistance ranging from board and staff development to software and technical advancement.  See Grantmaking Section for more details.