USTA/NJTL encourages the private sector (community leaders, business people, etc.) and the public sector (youth recreation, schools, and government agencies, etc.) to work together for the benefit of the youngsters in the community. It is an approach that works. Showing steady growth over three decades, USTA/NJTL programs and chapters now reach more than 201,789 youngsters each year in over 3,500 communities from coast to coast.
The NJTL has many small programs that provide excellent tennis instruction and an opportunity for participants to develop a wide range of important life skills. Small, high quality programs will always be an important component of NJTL. At the same time, some programs and chapters seek to expand their impact by serving a greater number of kids and providing more comprehensive youth development opportunities. Often, programs and chapters that seek to expand must first develop additional management capabilities. Outside assistance with management and organizational issues can greatly increase the odds that such organizations will be successful in making this transition.
The Capacity Building Program is designed to provide long-term assistance to select chapters that are committed to achieving significant qualitative and quantitative growth and to developing management capabilities necessary to achieve their goals. By focusing on a specific group of chapters, NJTL national staff can best assess their needs and tailor assistance accordingly for the greatest impact.
Selected chapters will receive several major benefits, including:
- Management assistance concentrating on nonprofit organizational development - Assistance with an organization assessment, planning for growth, fundraising, board development, financial management, operating procedures, etc.
- Tennis programming assistance with on-court programs, coach training, facilities management, events, recruitment of participants, management of volunteers, etc.
- Educational component programming assistance with support from field experts.
- Youth development programming with support from youth development experts.
For selected chapters, assistance from NJTL national staff will be provided via on-site consultation, national workshops, regional workshops, conference calls, visits to mentor sites, web-based information sharing, and referrals to other programs and volunteers with appropriate expertise. Assistance will be provided, as needed, for a period of three years. In addition, chapter leaders will receive stipends to attend the Community Tennis Development Workshop, and special NJTL Capacity Building Program meetings. There will also be opportunities for local and national publicity, support for local fundraising, and small grants to fund critical capacity needs.
NJTL Chapters are selected based on a series of criteria at the time of application, including:
- Tax exempt status (501(c) 3 IRS designation)
- Number of participants
- Size of budget
- Number of sites at which they operate
- Number of courts at which they operate
- Population size of market in which they operate
- Staff size and experience
- Section and District endorsement
NJTL Capacity Building Program Resources
2006 NJTL Capacity Building Chapters
2005 NJTL Capacity Building Chapters