Good Referrals

Nonprofit leaders are not scientists, and their mission isn’t scientific. Program evaluation is simply not their job. Nonprofit professionals are practitioners. And, like a physician, they need to (1) understand the problem, (2) know what works to address the problem, (3) deliver the intervention, and (3) then check in to make sure people got the intended benefit.

You literally do this every.single.day.

In the for profit world, because customers vote with their wallets, corporate leaders can review productivity, sales, and profit data to tweak and tailor their product to meet their customer’s needs and desires.

Why can’t nonprofit leaders have access to similar productivity and profit data (aka how much goodness they are generating)? This information would allow them to evolve, innovate, and effectively communicate what their customers (aka clients) are getting and need!

All this boils down to nonprofit leaders needing – and deserving – to have meaningful, uncomplicated, and actionable data and storytelling strategies at their fingertips.

The ImpactStory Strategy evolved naturally from years and years of partnership, learning, and overcoming these obstacles with nonprofits and their funders. The Strategy includes three straightforward steps that include everything (even very small) nonprofits need for confidently telling clear and compelling impact stories. The Strategy is a recipe for straightforward, sustainable, and affordable systems tracking and talking about impact.

I host two ImpactStory Academies each year which are open to all nonprofits. The 9-week, on-line Academy teaches participants about each step of the Strategy. The Academy includes all the information, tools, templates, and resources needed to build out the Strategy. Participants get time and support in beginning to build it out. They also free and forever membership in the ImpactStory Network for ongoing questions, sharing resources, and staying in conversation.

I also have a suite of supports for ensuring affordable sustainability of the ImpactStory Strategy at both larger and very small nonprofits.

Lastly – because there’s no impact without sufficient resources, I work with philanthropists to maximize the benefits of trust-based philanthropy. The ImpactStory Strategy can be used to facilitate real, growth-oriented partnerships focused values and informed by straightforward, clear, and actionable data. In this way, funders and nonprofit partners can be responsive to changing community needs while working towards commonly valued systems change.

All my partnerships are focused on using impact to promote democracy, social justice, equity, and activating the power of those who have been disenfranchised.