Feeling Stuck: A Case-Study

Case-Study

July 11th, 2018

Problem: “We Feel Stuck, What Should We Do?”

Background

Often clients complain that starting a nonprofit is hard. I joke with them and say, “Starting a nonprofit isn’t hard. Everything after that is.” To which I get a “You got that right” nod or emphatic “Amen.”

Case in point, I got to work with an inspiring nonprofit 501(c)(3) that’s looking to turnaround the dire state of medical care in an African country. The board was full of expertise, and the mission much needed. But for some reason, they weren’t able to get much momentum after starting the organization. Two years in, and they hadn’t consistently implemented a program. I see this a lot in non-charitable businesses and charities alike. Lots of momentum at the front end, but once all the paperwork is done things can slow to a stall.

How We Helped

EMPLLC was hired to help jumpstart the organization and get it moving again. In this situation, I I recommended the organization do a strategic planning package. But not the tired ol’ strategic planning most staff and boards are used to. Those focus on where you’re at, and jump to where

1

you want to go. I’m not so concerned with where you’re at, I want to sit with why you started.

What was it that made you stay up all night working on this thing? What gets your heart beating faster?

Most of the organization’s board was in another city, and I wanted to make the package affordable for them. So we broke up the typical “strategic planning day” into several bite-size video conferences. I sent a questionnaire to each board member looking to understand what their individual passions were, and what were they looking to get out of service?

Next, we worked on a landscape scan. To see where services were being duplicated. Whether there inauthentic parts to programming (in the sense that they weren’t something everyone was passionate about) and if so, could we leave those up to someone else? Or reframe them in a way the board was passionate about. Turns out there were, but more on this in a sec.

I also wanted us to understand where funding was going, how could the organization position itself for that funding, and who were potential partners. Lastly, what was the mission and narrative for other organizations in the space? I had a sense (seeing how broad my client’s mission was) that its statement and narrative was the root of many problems.

“What was it that made you stay up all night working on this thing? What gets your heart beating faster?”

All of this culminated into an in-person meeting. We met for a few hours and really hashed out who the individual board members were. Turns out, the mission statement didn’t really reflect what most of the members wanted to do. This is actually easy to do, and happens way more than you think. The way the mission was being executed, it had veered into what members thought needed to be done and not what they were passionate about. Through discussion, we finally found a way to root the work they were doing in their passions, still align with needs in the community and make them attractive for funding. Board members were excited again, and ideas for micro-steps to take next flowed.

This entire process was written up into a report, including snapshots of the process we went through, where we started, major insights, potential hurdles and an accountability Gantt Chart for board members to monitor their progress.

The report also included exercises the board could run themselves. One to create client profiles and develop service delivery in a way that would be responsive to community needs. The other was a worksheet that would allow the board to develop sustainable revenue flows without depending on grants.

2

The work this organization does and will do is incredibly important, and will actually save lives.

It was so fulfilling for me to work with them.

How We Can Help You

If you find you and your business (charitable or not) is stuck, reach out and see if there’s a way we can help.

We could: - Develop a guide or workbook for the organization, tailored around its specific sticking points, - Meet in-person or via video to walk through your challenges, - Facilitate difficult discussions and help shift the organization out of its rut, - Deliver training, or - Develop a strategic planning package to accommodate your budget.

At the end of the day, we want to help you help others.

Schedule a free time to talk now here

3