Advocacy/Policy Change, Client Flow/Design Thinking, Evaluation Planning, Social Impact Architects
We all have projects to complete this spring. With new programs to start and new internal efforts to kick off, our to-do lists feel never-ending. But here’s the challenge many nonprofits face: great ideas do not automatically turn into well-run projects. One of the...
Client Flow/Design Thinking, Evaluation Planning, Impact, Impact Measurement, Lean Start-Up, Logic Model Development, Program Development, Theory of Change
At a recent forum, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria was asked the ONE thing that children need to learn. His answer? Intellectual discipline. He defined it as the ability to wade through noise, discern the facts, analyze findings and form a point of view. We echo this sentiment...
Evaluation Planning, Impact, Impact Measurement, Logic Model Development, Program Development
During COVID-19, everyone turned into bakers and cooks. For my family, it was perfecting homemade ice cream for our annual Memorial Day Bash. We had a family recipe — but I wanted to kick it up a notch. I reimagined the model of what I thought ice cream should be and...
Board Development, Communicate, Evaluation Planning, Impact, Impact Measurement, Lead, Lean Start-Up, Logic Model Development, Marketing & Communication, Organizational Culture, Social Impact Architects, Storytelling, Strategic Planning, Theory of Change
“Sustainability” has been a buzzword in the social sector for a while now, but what does it really mean? Everyone agrees that sustainability is an important factor in evaluating the resiliency of social sector organizations, but few have agreed on a simple path for...
Communicate, Evaluation Planning, Impact, Impact Measurement, Program Development, Social Impact Architects, Storytelling
In 2020, The New York Times published a great article, “Social Programs Can Sometimes Turn a Profit for Taxpayers,” bringing Social Return on Investment (SROI) and cost-benefit analyses into the mainstream. In it, Seema Jayachandran, an economics professor at...
Business Planning, Evaluation Planning, Grow, Growth/Scaling Plans, Social Impact Architects, Strategic Planning
While there are numerous books and websites on strategic planning, the process of developing a plan often seems prescriptive – but it doesn’t have to be. Strategy for any organization can be tailored to set forth the ways an organization will negotiate its environment...