Strategy Counts! Initiative

Strategy Counts is an initiative of the Alliance for Children and Families. The initiative is designed to encourage Alliance members to elevate the role of strategy in their work.

The initiative recognizes that while most organizations have a strategic plan, many struggle to fully implement it and align it with daily operations.

The Alliance believes that a greater focus on strategy increases the probability of creating stronger, more sustainable organizations. In turn, higher performing organizations are capable of sustaining more effective services and greater community impact.

Strategy Counts is funded by a $5.375 million, multiyear grant from The Kresge Foundation. The grant is the largest the Alliance has ever received.

Initiative Components

Fourteen Alliance members have received grants to implement and evaluate various strategy models, such as the hiring of a chief strategy officer or the executive of a transformational project.

The goal of funding these pilot sites is to identify best practices that will allow other Alliance members and external nonprofit human service organizations ratchet up organizational commitment to strategy.

The initiative is focused on identifying best practices within these pilot sites. Through a cohort learning group, the project will accelerate the development of transferrable models and expand knowledge related to strategy within the Alliance membership and for the external human services industry.

View the full list of pilot sites.

Initiative History

Preparation for Strategy Counts began in 2010, when the Alliance received a planning grant from The Kresge Foundation. The planning process involved a comprehensive literature review and interviews with Alliance members.

For more information, contact Strategy Counts staff.