Our History: ZCAM to ACAM
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THE
LEGACY OF A SUCCESSFUL PILOT PROJECT
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The three-year pilot phase of ACAM was the Zip Code Assistance Ministries
Organizational Development Project or ZCAM ODP. It was developed and implemented
in 2005 by a collaboration of local funders, partners, and nonprofits. The lead
organization, Rockwell Fund, Inc. had been conducting extensive research on the
issues facing local 501(c)(3) faith-based emergency service providers (or
community assistance ministries [CAMs]). They found that there were many areas
in which capacity building activities could help CAMs be more effective, more
sustainable and ultimately accomplish more in their communities. Motivated by
the opportunity to create positive change for families in need, Rockwell invited
others to be a part of this new initiative. Through high-engagement
philanthropy, a collaborative of 16 funders (private foundations, the United Way
and the Houston Junior League) invested their time, talent and more than $2
million over 3 years to accomplish ACAM’s successful pilot phase. Eight program
partners also contributed technical services including training, consulting and
evaluation.
By providing assistance with organizational
assessment, capacity building, networking, mentoring and collaborative projects,
ZCAM ODP helped community assistance ministries accomplish the following
results:
- Ministries equipped to meet the increase in the
demand for services
- Funding increased and diversified
- Number of volunteers increased and new
partnerships developed
- Personnel and volunteer management programs
enhanced
- Board and executive director leadership
strengthened
- Technology infrastructure improved, resulting in
better data tracking and management
- Long-term strategies developed
Energized by the success of ZCAM ODP, participating
funders and ministries explored the feasibility of formalizing this network in
2007, the pilot’s final year. A consultant hired to staff the planning process
began conducting one-on-one interviews with nearly 20 ZCAM ODP stakeholders to
uncover areas of consensus, divergence and perceived obstacles. These findings
became the basis for the ensuing work sessions that tackled the issues of
purpose, mission, structure and potential constituency. The rigor and
thoroughness of this process has ensured a firm foundation for ACAM, which was
launched in January 2008. Because not all member organizations were zip code
based, the name was changed to Alliance of Community Assistance Ministries of
Greater Houston in 2008.
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FIND OUT MORE
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For more information on how we conducted the pilot
project, please contact Quynh-Anh McMahan or Carolyn Watson at (713) 629-9022.
For more information on the results of the pilot project, please click here to
download the final report (PDF, 346,677 bytes).
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