CMAAClowesFundFinalProposal2 (2)

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CAMBODIAN MUTUAL ASSISTANCE ASSOCIATION CLOWES FUND FINAL PROPOSAL 2016
SUMMARY STATEMENT
The Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association of Greater Lowell (CMAA) seeks $15,000 for its
Capacity Initiative 2016-2017 project. These funds would be used to initially support two part-
time positions: an intake and program assistant, and a development associate. Both positions will
be 20 hours per week to start, with the intention to expand either or both positions to more hours
if sufficient funds are raised.
Having dedicated intake and program staff to assist with walk-in clients and input program data
about CMAA's services will result in a quantifiably higher number of services for CMAA
clients, and allow CMAA staff now performing those duties on a rotating basis to focus on their
program-related work. A part-time development associate will also increase CMAA's ability to
serve its current clients by securing funding to support CMAA's effort to become sustainable by
diversifying its funding base. Apricot software will be used to maintain data about CMAA’s
points of service, and to capture specifics about our clients, thus allowing staff to assess the
evolving needs of the community and respond appropriately. Furthermore, Apricot will be used
to track donors and acknowledgements, generate reports for funders or for internal use.
The period during which this funding would contribute to these positions coincides with
CMAA’s 2017 fiscal year (FY), which goes from July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017.
The purposes of the project are: to improve client services and address existing capacity needs,
increase revenue and fundraising opportunities, capture and report data about our clients and
volunteers, diversify and secure organizational funding, and inform the organization about
current and future capacity needs.
BACKGROUND AND DETERMINATION OF CURRENT NEED FOR INTAKE ASSISTANCE
In 2014, CMAA moved into a new location and began increasing its direct services to the
community, including walk-in assistance with translation and interpretation for many complex
tasks that our clients' limited English language skills prevent them from completing alone.
CMAA re-emphasized its efforts on this form of assistance in response to community exchange
events, which occurred in 2013 and 2014. At these meetings, CMAA clients requested more
translation and interpretation help in several key areas: health matters (for example, state health
registrations, signing up for disability, making medical appointment and obtaining Personal Care
Assistants), citizenship matters (forms and green card applications, contacting officials) and
many other necessary daily tasks (assistance with bills, state food assistance, contacting
landlords and utility companies). While CMAA helped with some of these matters in years past,
such assistance was always offered on an inconsistent and informal basis, and funding for
dedicated intake staff has (until now) never been pursued. In contrast, CMAA now officially
offers walk-in assistance and appointments from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
As a result, CMAA's current activities have expanded in the past two years: beyond its core
programs (which are fee-based), a greater number of services are now available for free than ever
before. CMAA's relocation to the heart of Lowell's Cambodian neighborhood has made its

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service and programs more accessible for a greater number of walk-in clients, and the
organization has succeeded in becoming a place where individuals can learn, receive assistance,
and socialize in the community.
While client response to CMAA’s new focus on walk-in services has been overwhelmingly
positive, the organization faces a challenge as to how to respond to the growing needs of the
community with its current finances. Right now, CMAA pays up to 20 hours per week for intake
and program assistance, but funding for the position is not part of its current budget and must be
obtained going forward to ensure the work can continue. At the moment, the need for more
intake and program assistance is so profound that CMAA staff performs these duties as needed;
this takes time and attention away from regular job duties, leading to less organizational
efficiency and preventing staff from strategically responding to the needs of the community.
BACKGROUND AND DETERMINATION OF CURRENT NEED FOR DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE
At the end of 2014, a fundraising plan for CMAA was completed which called for increasing its
development capacity by soliciting volunteers to work in fundraising. CMAA succeeded in
obtaining three volunteers for development work. However, two of the three only volunteered
briefly and left when they found full-time jobs; the third volunteer's commitment expires in
February. Although this volunteer has agreed to temporarily extend his time commitment,
CMAA cannot rely on retaining volunteers for development work indefinitely, and a lack of
development capacity will negatively impact its sustainability. (While both the Executive
Director and Director of Programs contribute to the development process, neither can currently
perform both necessary development work and their regular duties.) CMAA must add a
development staff position to ensure continuity and success in fundraising.
Those who will be served by this grant include a greater number of our clients, as better
documentation of who comes in for help and the myriad issues resolved by CMAA staff will
increase funding opportunities to support and grow these positions. CMAA also expects that
consistent staffing in the intake and program role will lead to greater continuity of service.
Finally, all current CMAA staff will be served by the grant, as they will be able to fully dedicate
themselves to their given organizational roles.
EVALUATION
CMAA recognizes the importance of demonstrating our impact not only to funders and
supporters, but to our service clients as well. The following are specific goals and metrics for this
award, how they correspond to each position and how they will be achieved.
INTAKE AND PROGRAM ASSISTANT POSITION GOALS AND METRICS
Overall goal: to increase, improve and document client services
Goal 1: Increase number of tracked visitors by at least 25%, to at least 1,250 and
services delivered by at least 50%, to at least 750.
Rationale: Last fiscal year, for the first time data from sign-in sheets was transferred to an
Excel spreadsheet so it could be analyzed in a number of ways: for why people were visiting,

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how many unique visitors CMAA had, and which services were provided. This data showed
that in fiscal year 2014-2015, CMAA had over 1,500 visits from over 1,000 unique
individuals and rendered 508 individual services (not including Monorom Program services)
for clients. However, 30% of visitors did not record their reason for coming to CMAA. With
the use of Apricot to sign in each client, service data will be easier to capture and quantify,
and staff will better be able to determine the most frequently requested services and heaviest
walk-in traffic times, and adjust staffing accordingly. The data will also be used to better
target future programs to clients' needs, and for proposal and reporting requirements.
Goal 2: The number and type of volunteer hours will be tracked to show in-kind value
and true organizational capacity.
Rationale: Currently, volunteer time is tracked inconsistently. Apricot will be used to input
volunteer hours going forward, while past hourly totals can be added into the system profile
of any volunteer. This data will give CMAA accurate figures on the value (both replacement
and in-kind) of its volunteers' total time.
DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE POSITION GOALS AND METRICS
Overall Goal: To diversify funding base and increase donor retention
Goal 1: The number of donors tracked will increase 200%, to 375.
Rationale: Last fall, CMAA began gathering contact information at events; these initial
entries were collected with the other information into one master Excel database. CMAA staff
and volunteers will transfer donor data from this file into Apricot, which can be used to
analyze the likelihood of donors responding to specific campaigns. By tracking donors and
what they respond to (i.e. emails, mail, events), CMAA will have accurate information to use
for future campaigns, thus increasing its efficiency in fundraising.
Goal 2: Increase the number of fundraising activities by at least 100%.
Rationale: Up until 2013, CMAA relied exclusively on one annual fundraising event to bring
in individual contributions and sponsorships. In 2014, CMAA began its "Annual Fashion
Fundraiser" and brought the yearly total to 2 events; in 2015 CMAA again hosted both events
and tripled its income from the fashion fundraiser. (CMAA also launched a Giving Tuesday
and year-end campaign as a pilot activity in 2015). CMAA will continue these activities and,
in addition to planning a year-end fundraising campaign beginning on Giving Tuesday, also
add at least one other fundraising activity such as a house party, giving breakfast, or direct
mail solicitation. Events and the amounts they raise will be reported to funders in final reports.
Goal 3:
Increase grant applications by 50%, to at least 20.
Rationale: Because much of the preparatory work necessary for the grant writing process has
now been completed (compiling a folder of common grant attachments, gathering program
specifics and metrics, updating CMAA's Guidestar listing and creating systems to track grant
and grant reporting requirements), the development associate can become quickly engaged in
writing proposals, with necessary input from appropriate staff. Though applications will
increase, development staff will not just apply for quantity's sake, but seek opportunities from
foundations whose mission and goals align with those of CMAA.

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ENGAGEMENT OF PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS
Though not engaged in the planning of these activities, our program participants will be engaged
both through providing data and evaluating activities. For example, walk-in service clients will
be asked to fill out a form for each point of service which describes how well their problem was
solved and whether any follow-up is necessary. The data provided by CMAA's clients will
document both our services and the characteristics of service recipients.
ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY AND MISSION
CMAA was created in 1984 and received its IRS-determined nonprofit status in 1986. Founded
by Michael Ben Ho and the Massachusetts Office of Refugee Resettlement, CMAA emerged at a
time when Lowell’s Cambodian refugee population was just a few hundred newly arrived
refugees. (The Cambodian population in Lowell now exceeds 35,000 people). Mr. Ho, with the
help of others, founded CMAA to address the needs of the growing refugee community. In the
'90s, CMAA launched two of Lowell's most prominent and enduring Khmer cultural entities:
Angkor Dance Troupe and the Southeast Asian Water Festival. More recently, CMAA fiscally
sponsored and supported SayDa Nar CDC, which now thrives independently as a development
center for the Burmese community in Lowell. Over the years, CMAA has evolved from an
agency that primarily met the needs of newly arrived immigrants to one which also helps long-
settled Cambodians and other ethnic minorities overcome persistent disadvantages; for its work,
CMAA was just honored with the Lura Smith Foundation's 2016 "Living The Dream" award.
The Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association’s mission is dedicated to improving the quality
of life for Cambodian Americans and other minorities and economically disadvantaged persons
in Lowell through increased educational, cultural, economic and social programs.
KEY STRATEGIES
Cambodians in Lowell face many economic, linguistic, legal and cultural roadblocks to success.
As an organization, CMAA's response to these roadblocks is to offer assistance in each area and,
when unable to help, serve as a trusted intermediary and interpreter who can refer clients to
outside agencies and its community partners.
While CMAA hosts its own programs and services, one successful strategy has been to increase
opportunities for learning and aid for our clients through successful community partnerships.
Through these, CMAA continues to offer English For Speakers of Other Languages and
citizenship classes on the premises (with Frederick Assad Abisi Adult Education Center), first
time home buyer classes in Khmer (with the Merrimack Valley Housing Partnership), citizenship
clinics with Project Citizenship, small business and employment fairs, and periodic seminars on
financial and health-related topics (with presenters from Lowell Community Health Center and
Jeanne D'Arc Credit Union). In 2016, CMAA will continue its partnership with Entrepreneurship
for All, which offers technical and financial assistance to Cambodians wishing to start their own
small businesses. Another key strategy is to inform clients about all CMAA programs and
services, so that even if they come in for one reason, they can address additional concerns or
issues, and be referred to community partners they might not find on their own.

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In terms of overall strategy, the organization plans carefully before taking on new projects,
determining ahead of time capacity for any new program's successful implementation.
GOALS
In 2015, CMAA's strategic planning process continued to evolve in response to community
exchange events and through staff and board reflection on CMAA's mission. Collectively, staff
and board decided that, in addition to continuing its current activities, CMAA would focus its
future development in support of the following three goals:
• Increasing Cambodians’ civic engagement in city, state and national elections and local
politics, while remaining politically neutral.
• Supporting all generations of Cambodians, while concentrating on new initiatives to not
only help Cambodians preserve, transmit and celebrate their culture across age groups,
but provide the tools to succeed and thrive in America.
• Innovating and realizing new leadership development opportunities for upcoming
generations of Cambodian youth in Lowell.
Many of CMAA's current activities already reflect these goals. For example, rates of voting
among eligible Cambodians remain low, due to cultural fear stemming from the Cambodian
genocide, apathy, and language barriers. Last summer, CMAA used a civic engagement grant to
hire three youth from CMAA's surrounding neighborhood; these young women conducted
outreach to register voters and inform them about services at CMAA. CMAA also registers its
eligible clients, and last fall it featured "how to vote" lessons on the premises and on its TV and
radio shows and invited all city candidates to present themselves and their ideas (translated
simultaneously into Khmer) to viewers. In 2016, CMAA will restart its fully funded Young
Professionals Program, which will offer mentorship, job-seeking and job-retaining skills to area
high school and college students. And, in January 2016 CMAA won funding to specifically pay
tuition for CMAA staff to attend Tufts' Institute for Nonprofit Management and Leadership, and
the Lowell Plan Public Matters program; the latter is specifically dedicated to increasing civic
engagement in Lowell.
SUCCESSES
CMAA has been recognized and awarded throughout its history as an organization providing
crucial services to Cambodians and other ethnic minorities and low-income individuals in
Lowell. Recently, CMAA was chosen, after a rigorous selection process, as one of eight finalists
to be a 2016 Social Innovator by the Social Innovation Forum. This opportunity will provide six
months of technical assistance and training to CMAA's executive staff, and improve CMAA's
ability to both further its mission and communicate it to a larger group of potential funders.
In addition to maintaining and expanding its services, CMAA was, in 2015, chosen by the White
House's Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to offer feedback on ways to help
Cambodians and other Asians overcome roadblocks to government assistance. Monorom Family
Services Coordinator Brian Chen received Lowell Telecommunication's Producer of the Year
award for his work on CMAA's weekly TV show. And, after seventeen years of providing
consistent, much-needed assistance, the Monorom Family Services Program was chosen to

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receive more money from the state Department of Developmental Services to support a pilot
expansion of the program, which will allow CMAA to serve even more clients.
ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PLAN
This proposal to fund two part-time positions reflects CMAA's strategic plan to expand the
organization as funding becomes available. Because in the past the organization has had to
drastically reduce due to the loss of a funding source, CMAA now develops both programs and
positions to not be singularly reliant. The increased capacity from both positions will enable
CMAA to realize both its current mission and work toward achieving the three goals previously
outlined. Additionally, CMAA's intention to make (non-confidential) data on clients and services
public matches CMAA's strategic goal of increasing organizational transparency.
DETERMINATION OF SERVICE EXCLUSIVITY
Many programs and services CMAA offers to Cambodians and other low-income and minority
clients are exclusive to Massachusetts. For example, our Monorom Family Services Program
provides a full-time caseworker for developmentally disabled youth and their families; the
caseworker conducts outreach, assists with signing up for state benefits and determination of
disability status, and provides transportation to many specialist appointments outside the city of
Lowell. This program for families is not duplicated by any other statewide agency. Our first time
homebuyer's classes are also the only opportunity in Massachusetts for Khmer-speaking clients
to learn in their native language about one of life's most important financial decisions. And, part
of the reason that CMAA's walk-in services have brought increasing numbers of people to our
agency (including from other cities) is the fact that the assistance we offer on such a wide variety
of complex matters is not consistently available anywhere else in the greater Lowell area.
TIMELINE, MANAGEMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION
Following is a summary of when and how the goals outlined in the "Evaluation" section will be
accomplished by staff and board members, with examples of additional fundraising possibilities.
In each period, the hired development staff will work with the Executive Director and board to
initiate and continue these activities, with the goal of increasing enough revenue to sustain and
then expand each position's hours. Additionally, all staff and volunteers will contribute to
gathering and inputting data on points of service and volunteer activities.
• July 1, 2016 - September 30, 2016: Development position and program/intake positions
begin at 20 hours per week each. Development staff works on new grant proposals and
LOIs. Staff and board plan and implement Fashion Fundraiser, and begin planning
Annual Fundraiser. Supplemental fundraising example - House party by board member.
• October 1, 2016 - December 31st, 2016: Staff and board implement Annual Fundraiser
and plan and implement Giving Tuesday/Year End drives. Additional possible
fundraising event: CMAA board match. Board reviews strategic and fundraising plans to
ensure CMAA's mission and fiscal support remain strong. Program/intake staff compiles
services information and donor data for first half of grant period to track progress.

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• January 1, 2017 - March 31, 2017: Staff continues to input and collect data into
Apricot. Development associate continues grant research, writing and input of donor data.
Supplemental fundraising example: annual report with direct mail solicitation.
• April 1, 2017 - July 1, 2017: Program/intake and development activities continue. Fiscal
year 2017 data collected and analyzed; final reports prepared for funders.
IMPLEMENTATION
The Executive Director of CMAA will manage the overall implementation of the grant, with
support from staff and board. He is qualified to hire both positions and supervise and evaluate
activities leading to pre-determined goals (including the collection and reporting of data,
submission of grants and the continuing and expansion of fundraising activities). As a 2016
Social Innovator, he will be in a perfect position to apply new knowledge and experience to
increase both CMAA's impact and its ability to become more sustainable.
DIVERSITY AMONG THE STAFF AND BOARD
CMAA staff, contractors, volunteers and board members are diverse by gender and geographic
origin, and bring a wide variety of skill sets and experiences to CMAA. CMAA deeply values
such organizational diversity, and works to maintain it by both honoring differing perspectives
and creating multiple opportunities for learning and leadership development with its resources
and partnerships. CMAA also proactively seeks necessary input: for example, the board of
directors recently expanded so it could add members with specific nonprofit-related expertise.
VOLUNTEER ROLES
CMAA will continue to seek volunteers to assist and support both positions, as any such
assistance will allow regular staff to work more efficiently. In 2015, CMAA had development
assistance from three volunteers and one University of Massachusetts (UMass) Lowell intern; in
2016, we anticipate another placement. CMAA will also continue to seek volunteers through
Volunteer Match, which has brought CMAA both development and IT/technical assistance.
FUNDING PLAN
If awarded, the funding provided by The Clowes Fund will be used as part of a budget total of
$35,000. The Clowes Fund's contribution would specifically fund either 1,000 hours of the
program and intake position at $15.00 per hour, 750 hours for the development associate position
at $20.00 per hour, or in some combination (with other funding sources) for both positions.
FINANCIAL RESOURCES
At present, CMAA has $10,000 secured from the Social Innovation Forum (expected in May
2016). If The Clowes Fund awards CMAA the requested amount, the additional $10,000 needed
will be taken from general operations funding. CMAA has also been invited to apply for a
$100,000 grant from the Cummings Foundation, which, if awarded, would partially fund both
positions for 4 years at $25,000. CMAA will continue to solicit funding for future sustainability

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regardless of award outcomes, and will both allocate funds (when permitted) from awards and
include requests for program and development costs in future grant proposals.
ALTERNATIVE PLAN
If not completely funded, CMAA will continue to pursue opportunities to apply for capacity
building funds, program grants, and general operations. (Funding for the program and intake
assistant could come from our program budget or from general operations, while the fundraising
staff costs would come from general operations.) One possible sources of such funding is The
Parker Foundation, which has funded CMAA in the past for capacity building and may choose to
do so again. There is also the possibility that CMAA could fund both roles for fewer hours per
week to start, and attempt a board match that would specifically fund increased hours for the
positions. Additionally, CMAA has space on the second floor of its building which CMAA is
actively developing (with dedicated building funds) and anticipates rental income from the
second floor space as early as January, 2017.
LONG-TERM STABILITY AND MAINTENANCE
There is no doubt that fundraising for positions (not only these two specific ones, but any
increased organizational capacity) remains a challenge, as many foundations prefer to focus their
efforts on specific programs. CMAA must meet this difficult circumstance head on in two ways:
continuing to document the many unique ways it serves individuals, and by distinguishing itself
to funders as an organization where many staff positions actually comprise the program and
service delivery component of CMAA (i.e., Monorom Family Services, translation and intake
staff) although their titles imply more administrative roles.
In general terms, CMAA will also succeed by continuing to emphasize the many kinds of
assistance it provides to Lowell's immigrant and low-income communities that are not available
at any other area service organizations. If these distinctions are made, more funders may view
the funding of these positions as an opportunity to help CMAA further its mission. And,
capturing of data by CMAA staff will also improve its chances to demonstrate the organization's
unique value to a wider array of potential funders. Finally, as mentioned earlier, CMAA is
attempting to secure longer-term stability for these roles by applying for multi-year support. This
income could make other foundations more willing to contribute funding for the positions.
CMAA will support the long-term stability and maintenance of these new positions (and the
organization as a whole) by improving its service capacity, continuing to explore new avenues
for sustainable revenue, and thoroughly documenting and reporting its effectiveness as an
organization which assists some of Lowell's neediest residents through otherwise-unavailable
programs and services.

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