Capacity Building Legacies: Boards of the Richmond Male Orphan Asylum for Destitute Boys & the Protestant Episcopal Church Home for Infirm Ladies 1870-1900

Authors

F. Ellen Netting, Virginia Commonwealth University
Mary Katherine O'Connor, Virginia Commonwealth University
David P. Fauri, Virginia Commonwealth University

Keywords

Boards, charity, human service organizations, social welfare history, sustainability

Abstract

What strategies did early boards of managers of charitable human service agencies pursue to build capacity in a way that sustained their efforts for more than a hundred years? Using primary and secondary documents to focus on two organizations- The Male Orphan Asylum (1846) and the Protestant Episcopal Church Home (1875)-three norms emerged: run it like a business, keep it like a house, and base it in the community, along with a host of associated activities. Based on these norms and activities, three strategies were identified: diversification of resources, working boards, and leadership continuity, all of which have implications for building capacity for sustainability in contemporary community-based human service agencies.

Recommended Citation

Netting, F. Ellen; O'Connor, Mary Katherine; and Fauri, David P. (2012) "Capacity Building Legacies: Boards of the Richmond Male Orphan Asylum for Destitute Boys & the Protestant Episcopal Church Home for Infirm Ladies 1870-1900," The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 39: Iss. 3, Article 7.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15453/0191-5096.3686
Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol39/iss3/7