More and more organizations are working towards building a data-informed culture. We talked about what it means to be a Data-Informed Organization in this blog. As we have been working with organizations to build and strengthen their culture to be data-informed, an essential component of this work is building the capacity of their team. All…
Author Archives: Amanda Lopez
What is a Data-Informed Organization?
Over the last decade, data has become a big deal and is showing up more in our everyday lives and work environment. Over the past 18 months, with COVID-19, we have all been using data to track incident rates, exposure rates, deaths, and vaccination rates. Data has equipped our leaders and the public with information…
How Do I Start Fundraising?
Did you know a majority (90%) of non-profit organizations report that they have one source of funding and that one source accounts for 90% of their total funding? When we work with clients to help increase their funding, we typically recommend that they diversify their funding. When an organization is strongly reliant on fees for service or…
4 Steps to Complete a Feasibility Study
Too often non-profits and government agencies immediately begin implementing a new program or service area. They see a need with their clients or a gap in the existing services, so they elect to help meet that need. This all sounds good, right? The challenge is that there has not been enough time to complete a…
Using a Collective Impact Framework to Support Your Community
Do you see an issue or need in your community that is greater than what your individual organization can address on its own? Right now, COVID -19 is wreaking havoc on our communities.
3 Tips to Use Your Data to Drive Program Improvement
Nationally, only about half of students who start college actually complete and earn college degrees, according to the National Student Clearinghouse. It is much worse for students who start at a community college or 2-year degree program. This means many students are increasing their debt (from student loans) and not reaping the financial benefits of…
Are You Ready for a Federal Grant?
Receiving a federal grant can be a great way to accelerate your impact. There are many positive attributes in applying for and receiving a federal grant. Federal grants tend to be for larger amounts and are often multi-year funding to name a few. However, federal grant applications are complex and not easy to navigate. We…
Tools Your Board of Directors Need to be Effective
Every nonprofit organization and school has a Board of Directors that is meant to help govern the organization. There are many companies, books, and webinars that solely focus on supporting Boards of Directors. Over the years, we have found and developed some key tools that are easy to apply to help organizations and their Boards…
4 Steps of Strategic Planning
We have the privilege of working with a few organizations every year to help them create their “road map” or strategic plan for the next 3-5 years. In the course of completing these strategic plans, we have developed a formula that guides the process following four key steps. 1. Collaborate Good strategic plans are not…
4 Tips to Make the Most Out of Your Volunteer Committee
When was the last time you were asked to join a committee? Did you have a deep sigh of angst or a smile of excitement. Your reaction was probably the former, which is not uncommon. Most professionals I know are involved in one if not multiple volunteer committees and seem either frustrated or lukewarm about…