Nonprofit Impact » CASE STUDIES

Colorado HIV / AIDS Community Partnership

Jennifer Burstein — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 00:08:39 +0000

Center Colorado HIV / AIDS Community Partnership

Project

Colorado AIDS Projects Sustainability Planning

Year

2008

Length of Project

six months

Consultant

Karen Buck

The Situation

The Colorado HIV / AIDS Community Partnership was created by three local foundations in collaboration with the National AIDS Fund. As its first project, it asked the state’s five independent Colorado AIDS Projects (CAPs) to engage in a sustainability planning project. As federal funding for HIV / AIDS services declines and demand for services increases, finding ways to improve the sustainability of these organizations has become even more important.

The Process

The CAPs selected Nonprofit Impact to facilitate the project, the first stage of which was to conduct sustainability assessments for each of the five organizations. Karen worked to ensure that each assessment highlighted the uniqueness of that CAPs’ work and geographic service area and provided a set of organization-specific recommendations to improve sustainability.

Next, the staff and board leaders of the CAPs came together to explore what new types of collaboration might be possible. The process served to build trust among the CAPs so that these critical issues could be discussed in a substantive way. Karen also worked to keep the funders in the loop. Christiano Sosa, Program Officer for the Denver Foundation and Partnership leader noted, “Nonprofit Impact attended our meetings and became a bridge between the CAPs’ collective work and what the Partnership was doing. We had not anticipated how important that bridge would be .”

The Results

The sustainability project is now in its third year and the CAPs are exploring the possibility of consolidating some their operations. A transition committee that includes staff and board leaders from each of the CAPs is guiding the process and maintaining the relationships that were built during the project. Christiano said, “We needed this honest, confidential assessment among the CAPs to make this happen.”

North Carolina Injury and Violence Prevention Branch, North Carolina Division of Public Health, Department of Health and Human Services

Jennifer Burstein — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 23:49:54 +0000

Injury and Violence Prevention Branch, North Carolina Division of Public Health, Department of Health and Human Services

Project

Statewide Injury and Violence Prevention Strategic Plan

Year

2008

Length of Project

three months

Consultant

Shelli Bischoff-Turner

The Situation

In 2007, the North Caroline Legislature designated the Department of Health and Human Services as the state’s lead agency for injury and violence prevention. This spurred the Injury and Violence Prevention Branch within the Department to build partnerships with other stakeholders and highlighted the need for a statewide injury and violence prevention strategic plan. Having such a plan would also make North Carolina eligible to apply for certain types of federal funding.

The Process

The Branch selected Nonprofit Impact to guide the development of a statewide strategic plan. The process began internally by holding a retreat where Branch staff created a mission statement and clarified the Branch’s role and priorities distinct from others in the injury and violence prevention community. With this newfound clarity, the Branch moved forward to create a plan that was truly statewide, rather than a plan that only informed its own efforts.

Twenty-five key injury and violence prevention leaders from around North Carolina were invited to a 2-day meeting where the mission, values and goals for the statewide plan were developed. Shelli’s expertise and experience signaled needed credibility so that the group trusted the process. According to Valerie Collins Russell, Branch Head, “People left those two days feeling like they had accomplished something really significant.”

The Results

The Branch is putting the final touches on the statewide plan. The draft has been vetted by many stakeholders around the state and seven goal groups have drafted objectives, work plans, and action steps for each goal. Another outcome has been the creation of the new North Carolina Injury and Violence Prevention Advisory Council. Valerie explains, “We didn’t have the infrastructure in this field in North Carolina, and now we are building leadership to seek support for policy change and pursue new funding.”

Center for Health Living and Chronic Disease Prevention at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

nonprofitimpact — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:21:49 +0000

Center for Health Living and Chronic Disease Prevention at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

Project

Integration Demonstration Project Planning

Year

2008 – 2009

Length of Project

one year

Consultant

Shelli Bischoff-Turner

The Situation

The Centers for Disease Control selected only four agencies nationwide to be sites for its Chronic Disease Integration Demonstration Project in 2008. The Center for Healthy Living and Chronic Disease Prevention (the Center) of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment was one of those four. The Center had been working towards integration as a means to increase its effectiveness and their selection as a demonstration site became a catalyst to increase the pace of those efforts.

The Process

The Center contracted Nonprofit Impact to facilitate the integration planning process. The process began with the Center’s management and leadership team working to create a statement of purpose and shared goals to encompass all Center programs. As the process moved to strategy selection and the building of work plans, Shelli and the team ensured that the entire staff was included in the planning process in a meaningful way.

Shelli then worked to address organizational structure by making specific organizational development recommendations to support successful implementation of the integration plan. According to Andrea Poniers, Deputy Director, “We can talk things to death sometimes and Shelli really kept us moving forward so we knew we were getting somewhere.”

The Results

The Center is entering the second year of the demonstration project. As staff creates work plans for next year, they are focused on identifying strategies that tie more closely to outcomes. Also, the need to make formal structural changes is top of mind. Andrea notes, “Shelli helped us see how all the different pieces of the integration plan are linked and how the right organizational structure is required to really implement the plan successfully.”

Case Studies

nonprofitimpact — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 23:38:43 +0000

At Nonprofit Impact, we are committed to helping our clients achieve their desired outcomes. We invite you to read these brief case studies to learn more about how our customized approach has helped these clients meet their goals. Each case study outlines the client’s situation preceding the start of their project, the process they went through with Nonprofit Impact, and the progress they have achieved since project completion.