Click here to view or download the report online (1,515k pdf) Crossing Borders, Sharing Journeys
Click here to view or download the research report Factors in Successful Capacity Building with Immigrant- and Refugee-Led Organizations

About the Nexus Project
A growing number of nonprofit organizations have been created by immigrants and refugees to serve their communities in North America. These immigrant- and refugee-led organizations (IRLOs) work to provide services and meet a variety of needs, while at the same time building the infrastructure of these communities. Capacity builders have a special opportunity and responsibility to provide appropriate and effective services to IRLOs. The Nexus Project was created to help meet this challenge.

Through a grant from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation Innovation Fund, Fieldstone Alliance initiated the two-year project in January 2004. The goal of Nexus was to enhance the knowledge and skills of capacity builders across North America in working with immigrant- and refugee-led organizations. The Nexus Project had two main components: research on capacity building with IRLOs and formation of a peer learning community among those who build the capacity of these organizations.

The Nexus Project brought together eleven capacity building organizations that work with IRLOs in North America. Over the course of two years, representatives of the Nexus partner organizations shared resources through monthly conference calls and convened for three two-day gatherings.

About the Research
Wilder Research Center was hired to review the literature on capacity building with IRLOs, to interview IRLOs that had undertaken capacity building activities, and to interview capacity building providers. A separate document, Factors in Successful Capacity Building with Immigrant- and Refugee-Led Organizations, contains findings from the research. A summary can be found in Appendix 1 of this report.

How to Use The Report
This report draws three broad lessons for the capacity building field, with implications for the funding community, IRLOs, and capacity builders.
1. Effective capacity building takes time, which requires resources.
2. More immigrant and refugee capacity builders are needed.
3. Capacity builders need continuous learning and development.

The report includes the following sections:
The Introduction describes the formation of the Nexus Project, its goals, and its working definitions.

Chapter 1 describes the factors that result in effective capacity building with immigrant- and refugee-led organizations. This chapter will help capacity builders better understand the skills needed to succeed in this work.

Chapter 2 presents case studies from each of the Nexus partners. Each case study illustrates a practice used by Nexus partners when working with IRLOs and highlights principles that other capacity builders can apply when working with similar groups.

Chapter 3 details lessons Nexus partners learned through the course of this project. It further states implications of these lessons for those who fund work with IRLOs, for IRLO leaders, and for capacity building providers. It also suggests lessons for peer learning related to work with IRLOs.

The Appendices include a summary of IRLO research conducted by Wilder Research Center specifically for Nexus; a bibliography; and descriptions of the organizations and individuals who contributed to this report.