EMCF looks at several factors to assess an organization’s overall capacity and operational viability. Often, one area overlaps with other areas and may affect them. For example, the lack of an effective financial internal controls system can result from the lack of a strong financial manager.

Among the areas EMCF looks at:

• Leadership: Does the senior leadership have the right team members to lead the organization successfully through growth? Does the leadership have a compelling vision for the future, and the skills necessary to achieve it? Does the organization’s board have the members necessary to govern, support and guide the organization? Are succession plans in place for the organization’s senior leadership?
• Financial: Does the organization have a realistic economic model that supports the ongoing financial sustainability of its operations? Does it meet standard auditing and reporting requirements, and have sound financial and fiscal practices? How healthy are the organization’s reserves to meet unforeseen circumstances? How strong are the organization’s relationships with key funders?
• Operations: Is the organization‘s staff able to implement programs with high quality? How strong is the organization’s ability to attract and retain good staff? How sophisticated are the organization’s marketing and communications efforts? Does the organization have the capacity to scale its human resources, information technology and other back-office operations?