About Our Program

The Levine Impact Lab’s Capacity Building Program is a 12-month, high-engagement operational partnership designed to help environmental organizations move strategic and financial priorities forward.

At the core of the program is hands-on operational support: our team works side-by-side with your leaders to drive progress on a critical project, whether it’s strengthening your financial infrastructure, increasing earned revenue, or planning for growth.

This is a working partnership. The grant funding and peer-learning community are designed to support and accelerate your momentum.

We are the best fit for organizations that:

  • Operate at the intersection of environmental impact and social enterprise

  • Are past the startup phase but still in a critical growth stage

  • See LIL as a thought partner in unlocking strategy, scale, and sustainability

  • Show up with clear goals and a commitment to moving the work forward

More information about participation commitments here.

Eligibility Criteria

Organization

  • Must be a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a current strategic plan and mission related to:

    • Environmental justice

    • Climate solutions

    • Sustainability

  • Current annual operating budget between $500,000-$3.5 million

  • Social enterprise or earned revenue model in place (e.g., products, services, fee-for-service models) that contributes to organizational sustainability

  • Must be midsized; beyond early-stage but still growing

  • Must have a governance structure in place, including an active, engaged Board of Directors that provides strategic oversight and reflects the organization’s mission and community

  • While there is no strict staff size requirement, organizations should have the internal capacity (at least 8–10 full-time staff) to fully engage in strategic operational projects

  • Organizations rooted in and serving Indigenous communities within the U.S. or U.S.-affiliated territories are welcome and encouraged to apply

People

The success of this program relies on having the right organizational leaders at the table. Each organization must commit two senior staff members who are equipped to make key decisions, drive implementation, and stay closely involved throughout the 12-month engagement. These leaders must:

  • Have clear decision-making authority and/or strong backing from the Executive Director or CEO

  • Be directly involved in the project or challenge the organization is addressing

  • Be able to commit time, energy, and focus to move the work forward

There will also be opportunities to include additional staff members in operational projects, as needed, to ensure the right voices and expertise are present. 

Who this might include: Executive Director and Finance Director, Business Development Manager and Operations Lead, or Marketing Manager and Operations Director, depending on the nature of your project.

Operational Support

To get the most out of this program, organizations must come prepared with a specific project, workstream, or organizational challenge they want to tackle over the 12 months with operational support. Find examples of what past cohorts have worked on here.