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, Feasibility Studies, Grow, Growth/Scaling Plans, Organizational Assessments, Program Development, Social Impact Architects
Growing up, my mother introduced me to the music of Kenny Rogers. My sister and I loved twirling around our house, singing his songs at the top of our lungs. My favorite was “The Gambler” and its famous lyrics: “You’ve got to know when to hold ‘emKnow when to fold...
Board Development, Feasibility Studies, Grow, Growth/Scaling Plans, Impact, Lean Start-Up, Organizational Assessments, Program Development, Social Impact Architects, Strategic Planning
I always love thinking about the possibilities a new year brings for the future, but sometimes it’s difficult to know where to start. I was recently asked by a client how to determine where to focus energies in their organization in the coming year. My go-to...
Advocacy/Policy Change, Collaborate, Growth/Scaling Plans, Organizational Assessments, Program Development, Social Impact Architects
Thanksgiving is a time for families (biological or chosen) to come together, express gratitude and enjoy each other’s company. Families play an important role in shaping our lives. Renowned psychologist Urie Bronfenbrenner studied this phenomenon, and it led to the...
Business Planning, Grow, Growth/Scaling Plans, Impact, Impact Measurement, Lean Start-Up, Program Development, Social Impact Architects
“Evolve or die.” This saying is even truer today than when I started Social Impact Architects. Just two decades ago, I learned about social business plans in business school at Duke, but today traditional business plans are being replaced by a more efficient tool: the...
Business Planning, Business Planning, Collaborate, Feasibility Studies, Grow, Growth/Scaling Plans, Organizational Assessments, Program Development, Social Enterprise, Social Impact Architects, Strategic Planning
Because the social sector is in the business of changing the world, we often are inclined to see every need or idea as a call to action. The result of taking on too many opportunities comes in the form of mission creep, donor confusion or staff burnout. Research...
