Collaborate, Ecosystem Mapping, Impact Measurement, Organizational Assessments, Social Impact Architects, Social Movements, System Change
In 1997, on my first day as a program developer at Phoenix House, a nationwide evidence-based substance abuse program, I started to learn bottom-up program design. And to ensure I really understood the journey of those we served, I spent a lot of time in our programs...
About Suzanne, Career Advice, Organizational Assessments, Personal
My friends and family often ask, “How do you get so much done?” “Jedi mind tricks,” I quip. Lately I have noticed a flood of Fortune 500 CEOs sharing their “productivity tricks,” so my team decided we would share ours – with a Stars Wars twist – as this busy summer...
Advocacy/Policy Change, Growth/Scaling Plans, Issue Based Blogs, Social Impact Architects, Social Movements
Each year in February, state legislative sessions begin across the country. It is an exciting time and opportunity for nonprofits – with new possibilities for proactive policy change to better address social issues in our communities. Whenever I discuss this the...
Annual Traditions, Business Planning, Communicate, Corporate Social Responsibility, Fundraising, Giving Trends, Grow, Growth/Scaling Plans, Lead, Organizational Assessments, Social Impact Architects
Americans have always been known for their generosity. Just as in other difficult times, Americans stepped up giving during the pandemic. Now, upon reviewing the Giving USA 2023 report – the social sector’s annual report – we saw trends that, not unexpectedly, showed...
Business Planning, Social Impact Architects, Storytelling
We got a great email from a reader that we thought we’d share: “Dear Suzanne, we are working with a ‘big-fish’ entrepreneur and instead of a grant, she is asking us for a prospectus. We have researched this term and don’t see how to apply it to our nonprofit. Can you...