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.”

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.”

Trainings

• Partner Relations, Delivered to the Colorado School of Public Health, Center for Public Health Practice, Denver, CO, August 17, 2009.
• Public Health Project Management, Delivered to the Colorado School of Public Health, Center for Public Health Practice, Denver, CO, August 26, 2009.
• Using Organizational Analysis for Development and Growth, Presented at the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors, 2009 Chronic Disease Academy, Seattle WA, March 26-27, 2009.
• Planning, Developing and Implementing a Sustainable Chronic Disease Program, Presented at the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors, 2009 Chronic Disease Academy, Seattle, WA March 25, 2009.
• Using Organizational Analysis for Development, Growth and Impact, Presented at the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors, 2008 Chronic Disease Academy, Denver, CO, February 21-22, 2008.
• Planning, Developing and Implementing a Sustainable Chronic Disease Program, Presented at the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors, 2008 Chronic Disease Academy, Denver, CO, February 20, 2008.

Presentations

• How to Make Community Programs Last Where to Start and What Changes to Make! Presented at the Michigan Partners on the PATH Statewide Meeting, Lansing, MI, November 10, 2009.
• How to Make Community Programs Last Where to Start and What Changes to Make! Presented to the Asthma Initiative of Michigan Partnership Forum, Lansing, MI, November 10, 2009.
• Strategic Positioning. Presented at the Annual Rural Philanthropy Days, Steamboat Springs, CO, September 16, 2009.
• Creating Sustainable Chronic Disease Programs, Presented to the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors, General Member Call, August 27, 2009.
• Building Meaningful Partnerships.Presented at LiveWell Community Grants Orientation Meeting, March 4, 2009, Colorado Springs, CO.
• From Coalitions to Community Constituents. Presented at LiveWell Community Grants Orientation Meeting, Colorado Springs CO, March 3, 2009.
• Planning & Positioning to Create a More Sustainable Community Health Program, Presented to the Sustaining Healthy Carolinians Partnerships: 16^th Annual Conference, Greensboro, NC, October 9, 2008.
• From Coalitions to Constituents, Presented to the Sustaining Healthy Carolinians Partnerships: 16^th Annual Conference, Greensboro, NC, October 9, 2008.
• The Integrated Strategy for Success & Sustainability, Presented at the Sustaining Healthy Carolinians Partnerships: 16^th Annual Conference, Greensboro, NC, October 9, 2008.
• Four Years and One Day: Sustaining Interventions for the Long Term, Presented at CDC State Arthritis Programs Grantee Meeting, Atlanta GA, September 17, 2008.
• Using a Systems Change Approach, Presented at the 2008 National Institute for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention, Atlanta GA, September 10, 2008.
• The Definitive Answer to the Dreaded Question: “How do you plan to sustain this program at the end of the grant cycle?” Presented at the Public Health in the Rockies Conference, Breckenridge CO, September 15, 2008.
• Setting the Stage: External Support & Sustainability, Presented to The National Campaign to Prevent Teen & Unplanned Pregnancy, 2008 Training, Washington, DC, July 29, 2008
• Creating a Strong, Sustainable Public Health Program, Presented to the Colorado Society for Public Health Education, Denver, CO March 11, 2008.
• Using Your Brand for Impact, Leverage and Sustainability, Presented to the Colorado Trust – Health Professions Initiative Grantee Networking and Initiative Celebration, Denver CO, February 8, 2008.
• Creating Sustainable Community Health Programs, Presented at the Public Health in the Rockies 2007 Annual Conference, Fort Collins, CO, September 19, 2007.
• Creating Sustainable School Health Programs, Presented at the Healthy Schools Leadership Retreat, Boulder, CO, June 13 and 14, 2007.
• An Integrated Strategy for Success and Sustainability, Presented at the School Health Coordinators Meeting, Denver, CO December 8, 2006.
• Strategic Positioning: Delivering on the Promise of the Brand, Presented to the Alliance for Families and Children, Executive Leadership Conference, Santa Fe, NM, June 23, 2006.
• Ten Imperatives for Successful (Corporate) Fundraising, Presented at the Child Welfare League of America National Conference, Washington DC, February 27, 2006.
• Raising Money from the Business Community – From Sponsorships to Relationships, Presented to the Colorado Chautauqua Association, Boulder CO, December 9, 2005.
• Program Planning and Evaluation, Presented to the New Leaders Network Initiative at Hampshire College, April 2, 2004.

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.”

Tools and Templates

• Strategic Planning Process Overview download PDF
• Strategic Plan Outline download PDF
• Sample Positioning Plan Outline download PDF
• Business Plan Process Overview download PDF
• Sample Business Plan Outline download PDF
• Sample Marketing Plan Outline download PDF
• Sample Marketing Plan Matrix download PDF
• Marketing Mini Audit download PDF
• Marketing Plan Process download PDF
• Fundraising Program Process Overview download PDF
• Sample Fundraising Plan Matrix download PDF
• Testing Your Event’s Feasibility Worksheet download PDF
• Board and Staff Roles in Fundraising Worksheet download PDF
• Sustainability Plan Outline download PDF
• Donor Communications Worksheet download PDF
• Board Development Activities download PDF
• Project Plan Template download PDF

Workshops and Training

Workshops

• Strategic Positioning – The New Strategic Planning Read more…
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In today’s competitive and challenging environment, strategic planning isn’t always enough — organizations and agencies must be more strategic about their position in their sphere of influence. Strategic positioning is a more sophisticated approach to planning that more fully explores the external operating environment and leverages your distinct assets for competitive advantage. This workshop presents concepts, tools, and techniques to help define your position and create a plan to achieve results and dramatically increase your organization’s presence and support.

• Creating Successful and Sustainable Programs Read more…
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Public health providers create a variety of programs and continually face the challenges of how to sustain them, achieve meaningful results, and engage disparate communities. And in an increasingly competitive environment, excellent programs are often at risk. This workshop introduces a framework for community health programs and partnerships to be more potent and sustainable using the Integrated Strategy.

• Reaching and Engaging Your Audience Read more…
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Nonprofit organizations and public agencies are becoming more sophisticated about engaging a broader, more diverse audience. This workshop helps participants apply a marketing approach to program participation, fundraising, and recruitment of supporters and provides tools, techniques, and templates that can be immediately applied to help create marketing plans that enhance mission and create a larger and more diverse constituency.

• From Coalitions to Community Constituents Read more…
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Many agencies and organizations create topic-specific coalitions in order to achieve specific goals and build a supportive and engaged base of diverse constituents. This workshop brings marketing concepts and a constituent-centered approach to coalition development and management so that your coalition can reach and engage targeted markets, create programs that are more successful and sustainable, and achieve real results.

Trainings

• Leadership and Management download abstract and table of contents
• Partner Relations download abstract and table of contents
• Project Management for Public Health Practitioners download abstract and table of contents
• Using Organizational Analysis for Development & Growth download abstract and table of contents
• Comprehensive, Coordinated Planning download abstract and table of contents

Booklets and Articles

Booklets

• An Integrated Strategy for Nonprofit Success and Sustainability Read more…
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This booklet outlines the importance of aligning organizational capacity, identity, and constituent outreach in achieving your organziation or agency’s next level of success. The Integrated Strategy has enabled organizations of different sizes and stages of development to achieve powerful results and enhanced sustainability. (2007)

• From Strategic Planning to Strategic Positioning Read more…
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Strategic positioning brings a more externally-focused and constituent-centered analysis to traditional strategic planning. This booklet outlines the reasons to consider strategic positioning and explains how to incorporate positioning into the strategic planning process. (2008)

Articles

• Nonprofit Marketing with a Purpose (Jan 2004) Read more…
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If your job includes attracting members and volunteers, building awarenes for your cause, or raising funds, then this article is for you! This step-by-step, how-to guide will help you reach and engage your audience. It demonstrates how simple marketing concepts can be applied and provides several examples for the development of a basic marketing plan.

• Building a Sustainable School Health Program, published in Rocky Mountain Center (RMC) Health Educator (Fall 2007) Read more…
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Your program is already successful, but you know it is capable of more. Program at this stage of development can benefit tremendously from the Integrated Strategy approach. The Integrated Strategy is a framework that helps sharpen focus by aligning identity, capacity, and constituency to ensure long-term success and sustainability. This article applies the Integrated Strategy framework to school health programs.

Boulder County Democratic Party
Colorado Chautauqua Association
Colorado Music Festival
Denver, City and County; Mayors Office
Eurasia Foundation
KUNC Radio
Latina Initiative
NARAL Pro Choice Colorado

Alliance for Children and Families
American Association of Homes & Services for the Aging
Anschutz Family Foundation; Rural Philanthropy Days
Better Business Bureau
Bonfils-Stanton Foundation
Bullitt Foundation
Colorado Association of Nonprofit Organizations
Colorado Health Foundation
Colorado Public Health Association
Colorado Society for Public Health Educators
Colorado Trust; Health Professions’ Initiative
General Service Foundation; New Leadership Networking Initiative
Grantseeker.com
Jefferson Economic Council
Latina Chamber
Michigan Suburbs Alliance
National AIDS Foundation
National Association of Chronic Disease Directors*
Rose Community Foundation; Women’s Organization
Special Forces Association