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Rocco Legacy Endowment
Capacity-Building Grants

Capacity-building strengthens an organization’s short- and long-term abilities to carry out its mission and serve the community. These grants are solutions-driven, seeking to increase the knowledge, skill level, and/or efficiency of a nonprofit board and/or staff.

Funding supports

  • the purchase of tools to improve efficiency, tracking, or management, or
  • the hiring of an expert consultant to provide planning, training, support, and/or analysis.

More Information

**Funding varies each year but expected totals are around $10,000. The grant may be a sum total or awarded in multiple, smaller amounts, depending on committee decisions and proposals submitted.

  • The organization must have 501(c)(3) status.
  • The organization must be located in and primarily serving Harrisonburg and Rockingham County residents.
  • The organization must have at least three years as an established functioning entity offering services and/or programming aligned with its mission statement.
  • Preference is given to organizations with revenue under $500,000 as identified in the latest Form 990 (utilizing line Part I, Row 12, Current Year) or 990-EZ (Part I, Row 9).
  • Organizational capacity to contribute at least 10-25% of the cost of the project
  • Support for the project from the board of directors (in the form of a signed letter attesting that the project has been discussed and approved at an officially called board meeting)

Funding may cover software, tools, or technology, or consultant fees for the following:

  • Organizational assessment
  • Exploring new staffing models
  • Strategic and long-range planning
  • Program evaluation and planning (improvement of monitoring or response to clients)
  • Developing broad-based marketing or fundraising/diversification of revenue plans*
  • Organizational adjustments to address challenges caused by changes in federal funding or policies
  • Exploration of mergers/collaboration
  • Feasibility studies
  • Board and leadership training intended to provide a focused learning opportunity that builds organizational capacity (to benefit the organization over time, not training for one person)
  • Projects involving adoption of management innovation, process improvement and accountability
  • Support of technology audits and analyses of information management systems

This grant does not support

  • direct products (such as annual reports, websites, advertising or capital campaign content),
  • direct program services,
  • general operating support,
  • building or maintenance expenses,
  • capital expenses,
  • tuition for professional development classes or conferences or degrees,
  • recurring staff or board training expenses,
  • staff positions, or
  • endowments.

Projects will be evaluated on the following criteria:

  • Clarity in the description of the capacity challenge
  • Clarity in the workplan design to address the capacity challenge, including feasibility
  • The impact on the organization of the anticipated results
  • Defined and measurable outcomes of the project
  • An articulated plan to reinforce and sustain the gains in capacity
  • A clear and relevant project budget
  • July 1-August 1: Provide initial application/letter of intent.
  • August 10-12: Organizations moving to the second phase will invited to fill out a full proposal.

         Download: List of Requirements for Initial Application/Letter of Intent and Full Proposal

  • October 1: Full proposals due.
  • Mid-November: Awards announced.
  • January 2026-November 2027: Work completed
  • December 2027: Final reporting due. Recipients will be contacted on a quarterly basis for a progress report and will be provided with several options for completing a brief final report.

Securing a bid from a consultant who has expressed interest in working on your project is an important step in the process of applying for a Rocco grant.

BoardSource offers these guidelines related to choosing a consultant.

TCFHR has compiled a list of consultants and consulting companies located in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County offering a range of facilitation, planning, and evaluation services.

Use the contact form on the TCFHR to request the list.

Please note that this list is not comprehensive, and that appearing on this list does not imply a recommendation or endorsement. We encourage you to conduct your own vetting process, explore each company’s website or materials, and ask for references.

Applications Open 7/1/2026

The Rocco Legacy Endowment funds programming to strengthen local nonprofit leaders and their organizations through professional development, capacity-building, innovation, and collaboration. These goals honor the legacy, values, and spirit of Rocco Enterprises, Inc. For nearly 50 years, Rocco’s corporate culture recognized the inherent power of mutual interdependence among its partners, the promotion of creativity and intrapreneurship, and philanthropic engagement.