Mission: Impact podcast & blog
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 In episode 109 of Mission: Impact, Carol Hamilton discusses the critical components of nonprofit strategic planning, emphasizing that it's much more than just a retreat. She highlights the importance of preparation, comprehensive stakeholder involvement, and continuous adaptation to ensure the strategic plan remains relevant and actionable. Hamilton underscores that nonprofits should consider a strategic planning process that includes pre-retreat work, stakeholder engagement, and post-retreat follow-through, fostering alignment between board members, staff, and the overall mission. The episode concludes by reminding leaders that strategic planning is an ongoing, adaptive process aimed at maintaining the organization’s ability to respond to changing circumstances while staying focused on its mission.
Episode highlights: [00:00:00] Strategic Planning Beyond the Retreat Carol introduces the episode by discussing the common misconception that strategic planning is just about the retreat. She explains that a truly effective process requires more preparation and post-retreat follow-up for long-term success. [00:03:00] Why Do Strategic Planning? Strategic planning helps nonprofits step back to assess their current state, engage with stakeholders, and reconnect with the organization’s mission. The medium-term focus (3–5 years) creates a roadmap for growth and mission alignment. [00:05:00] Pre-Retreat Preparation: Data Gathering and Stakeholder Input Carol emphasizes the importance of gathering input from a diverse range of stakeholders before the retreat. This data gathering phase, often aided by an outside consultant, helps shape the strategic inquiry for a more informed and balanced planning process. [00:07:00] Involving Both Board and Staff in the Retreat Carol explains that involving both board members and staff (depending on the organization's size) leads to a more holistic understanding of the nonprofit and enhances buy-in for the resulting strategic plan. This inclusive approach ensures that the plan is grounded in reality and supported by key stakeholders. [00:08:20] Pitfalls of a Retreat-Only Approach If strategic planning retreats are conducted without adequate preparation, they risk creating disjointed goals that don’t align with the organization's actual capacity or needs. Carol cautions against generating “wish lists” that lack actionable steps for implementation. [00:09:00] Post-Retreat Follow-Through and Plan Implementation After the retreat, a smaller committee should refine the draft plan and ensure feedback from the larger group is integrated. Carol stresses the importance of setting shorter-term goals (quarterly, biannually) to ensure the organization remains agile and responsive to change. [00:11:00] The Dynamic Nature of Strategic Planning Strategic planning is not a static process. Carol advises that plans should be revisited regularly, with progress measured and adjustments made as new challenges arise. Having clear success indicators helps ensure the plan evolves along with the organization’s needs. [00:12:00] Embracing the Full Scope of Strategic Planning Carol concludes by reinforcing that the power of strategic planning lies in its ongoing nature, which allows nonprofits to remain adaptable and responsive while still focused on their mission. Leaders are encouraged to embrace this comprehensive process to boost both organizational impact and sustainability. Nonprofit Success: Using Logic Models to Showcase Impact and Improve Organizational Alignment10/8/2024
 In episode 108 of Mission: Impact, Carol Hamilton explores how nonprofit leaders can measure and map their organization’s impact through building out their theory of change and program logic models. I explain:
Episode highlights: Every Organization Has a Theory of Change (Even If It’s Hidden) [00:02:32] - Hidden Theories of Change Carol emphasizes that every nonprofit already has a theory of change, even if it’s implicit. The challenge lies in making it explicit and shared across the organization to align efforts and strategy. [00:03:25] - Logic Models as Blueprints She explains how program-level logic models map out the necessary resources, activities, and expected outcomes, serving as blueprints for program implementation and evaluation. [00:04:49] - Building a Shared Vision Working together to create a Theory of Change and logic models not only reveals gaps in assumptions but also builds a shared understanding within the organization, strengthening cohesion. [00:07:12] - Practical Example: Watershed Organization Carol provides a concrete example of a local watershed organization, illustrating how they mapped out their programs in a logic model to address environmental education, citizen science, restoration, and policy work. [00:09:55] - Keeping Evaluation Simple She advises against overwhelming data collection, encouraging nonprofits to focus on a few key metrics that matter. This helps balance the workload and ensures meaningful learning from evaluations. [00:11:21] - Hypothesis Testing Carol describes the logic model as a hypothesis, where organizations can test assumptions and adjust programs based on data, making the process an opportunity for learning rather than a pass/fail exercise. [00:12:29] - Sharing Results with Stakeholders She highlights the importance of sharing results not only with funders but with all stakeholders, customizing communication based on the audience’s interests. [00:16:05] - Simplifying Program Evaluation Using the example of a peacebuilding nonprofit, Carol explains how she helped them streamline their evaluation process across different programs by designing a unified set of survey questions, enabling more effective data collection. [00:17:41] - Complexity of Systems Acknowledging the limitations of logic models, Carol encourages organizations to use them as tools to capture a slice of reality and proceed with realistic expectations. [00:18:56] - Encouragement to Invest in Evaluation Carol encourages nonprofits to invest time in building their Theory of Change and Logic Models, emphasizing that these tools help align strategies, reveal gaps, and strengthen program evaluation.  In episode 107 of Mission: Impact, Carol Hamilton and Kim Romain discuss the intricacies of leadership in nonprofit organizations, focusing on the unique challenges and opportunities faced by executive teams. Romain emphasizes the importance of cultivating a collaborative, mission-driven leadership culture that avoids burnout and fosters a sense of belonging among team members. She highlights the critical role of self-awareness and the need for leaders to step back from day-to-day problem-solving to focus on visionary leadership. The conversation also explores the dynamics of competition within teams, the impact of leadership behavior on organizational culture, and the importance of creating supportive systems that align with the needs of individual team members. Episode highlights: The Role of Leadership Teams in Nonprofits [00:05:08 - 00:08:01]
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Guest Bio:
Kim Romain is a Life & Business Alchemist for visionaries, changemakers and paradigm shifters. With over 25 years of experience as an attorney, nonprofit executive, and artist, Kim is a catalyst for awakened leadership and creating a more just and equitable world from a place of centeredness and strategic alignment. As the founder of The Rising Visionaries and co-host of Kickass Career Conversations – now the Empowered and Embodied podcast, Kim fosters sustainable success and embodied leadership, inspiring purposeful action with ease, joy, and freedom. Important Links and Resources: Kim Romain Your Kickass Career Kim Romain - Life & Business Alchemist Related Episodes: Episode 46: Generous nonprofit leadership Episode 54: Best of nonprofit leadership transitions Episode 92: Three stages of nonprofit leadership Episode 100: 10 things I have learned from 100 episodes Click "Read More" for a transcript of the interview.  In episode 106 of Mission: Impact, Carol Hamilton talks with Julia Patrick, a seasoned nonprofit leader and philanthropist. On the episode, Patrick shares her perspectives on the evolving challenges and opportunities in nonprofit board governance, emphasizing the importance of strategic board management, the integration of younger leaders, and the need for continuous training to foster board engagement and effectiveness. The discussion also covers innovative solutions such as board liaisons and board portals to streamline operations and enhance transparency. Patrick advocates for intergenerational collaboration and the adoption of the 10-10-10 rule for decision-making, which helps leaders prioritize actions based on their impact over time. Episode highlights: Challenges in Board Governance [00:05:45 The complexities of board service, the importance of mission achievement, and the uniquely American philanthropic spirit. Generational Shifts and Board Member Engagement [00:07:54]
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Effective Board Management Practices [00:16:29]
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Guest Bio:
Julia C. Patrick is the CEO of the American Nonprofit Academy and trains nonprofit leaders across the globe. At the onset of the global pandemic in 2020, Patrick launched The Nonprofit Show, the nation's only daily live broadcast. She and her team have produced more than 1,000 episodes and have been broadcasting now for 5 years! Important Links and Resources: Julia C. Patrick American Nonprofit Academy Building Board Champions: https://www.amazon.com/Building-Board-Champions-Activating-Impactful/dp/B0D58122XR Related Episodes: Episode 61: Impactful boards Episode 81: Being a co-leader with your board Episode 99: Elevating nonprofit governance and leadership Episode 102: The Nonprofit board’s duty of foresight Click "Read More" for a transcript of the interview.  In episode 105 of Mission: Impact, Carol Hamilton continues to celebrate her four year podiversary by reflecting on how nonprofits can create healthier and more sustainable organizational cultures. Through a series of guest responses, the episode explores the necessity of fair compensation, flexible work environments, and the importance of mental and physical health for nonprofit staff. It also touches on the exploitation of passion in the sector, the need for diversity and inclusion on nonprofit boards, and the importance of strategic foresight in nonprofit governance. The episode underscores the collective responsibility of nonprofit leaders to foster environments where staff and volunteers can thrive, with a focus on stewardship, progress over perfection, and creating roles that align with both organizational needs and individual aspirations. Episode highlights: [00:00:00] Imagining a healthier and more sustainable nonprofit sector
Sabrina Walker Hernandez and Liz Scott discuss the ongoing challenges of diversity and inclusion in nonprofit leadership, particularly on boards. They call for accountability in creating inclusive cultures and emphasize the need for boards to reflect the communities they serve. [00:24:00] Strategic Foresight in Governance
Important Links and Resources:
BoardSource’s Leading with Intent: https://leadingwithintent.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-findings/ Be Well, Do Good, Self Care and Renewal for Nonprofit Professionals and Other Do Gooders https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/be-well-do-good-lauren-brownstein/1142829280 Related Episodes: Episode 42: Building shared governance Episode 55: Helping nonprofit boards move toward greater equity Episode 62: Healthy nonprofit organizational culture highlights, part 1 Episode 63: Healthy nonprofit organizational culture highlights, part 2 Episode 72: Exploring passion exploitation in nonprofit organizations Episode 85: Building equitable compensation frameworks for nonprofit organizations Episode 102: Nonprofit board’s duty of foresight Click "Read More" for a transcript of the episode. |
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Grace Social Sector Consulting, LLC, owns the copyright in and to all content in and transcripts of the Mission: Impact podcast, as well as the Mission: Impact blog with all rights reserved, including right of publicity.
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