The Alliance for Children and Families has chosen 14 nonprofit organizations to participate in a pilot project that will explore, test, and develop an understanding of the elevation of strategy within nonprofit human service organizations. The pilot sites have been awarded a total of $2.5 million in grants.
The Alliance, headquartered in Milwaukee, is one of the nation's largest membership associations of private, nonprofit human service organizations.
The Alliance launched Strategy Counts—a multi-year pilot project dedicated to elevating the role of strategy within nonprofit human service organizations—in May 2011 with a $5.375 million grant from The Kresge Foundation. The majority of funds will be re-granted to Alliance members.
Through a competitive selection process, the Alliance chose 14 of its member organizations to participate as pilot sites. These organizations will either hire a chief strategy officer or implementing a transformational project.
“Because nonprofits are under pressure from changing client needs and reduced resources, the tendency is to focus on day-to-day demands, while strategic decisions take a back seat,” said Michael Mortell, director of Strategy Counts. “The pilot sites are exploring how a strategic focus increases positive results for communities and clients.”
The pilot projects are designed to align and integrate the organizations’ key functions with a coherent view and plan for the future. Through the Strategy Counts grants, nonprofits will identify and evaluate ways to anticipate emerging market forces and adapt strategies to meet those changes, all in order to ultimately improve the lives of children and families.
Nine Alliance members will receive an average of $231,000 over a 3-year period. These funds will be used to hire a full-time chief strategy officer:
- Heartland Family Service, Omaha, NE
- Holy Family Institute, Pittsburgh, PA
- Hopelink, Redmond, WA
- Leake & Watts Services, Yonkers, NY
- Neighborhood Centers Inc., Houston, TX
- Public Health Management Corporation, Philadelphia, PA
- The Opportunity Alliance, South Portland, ME
- The Village Network, Smithville, OH
- Volunteers of America of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
Each organization has committed to matching the grant amount during the project time period. The chief strategy officer will be charged with advancing and deploying strategy within his or her agency and with guiding the organization toward meeting its mission to achieve positive outcomes for clients and communities.
Five Alliance members will receive $100,000 over 18-24 months. These funds will be used to implement a transformational project:
- St. Joseph’s Villa, Rochester, NY
- Jewish Family & Children’s Service, Sarasota, FL
- The Children’s Village, Dobbs Ferry, NY
- Starr Commonwealth, Albion, MI
- Hathaway-Sycamores Child and Family Services, Pasadena, CA
Each organization also has committed to matching a portion of the grant amount. Transformational projects will serve as catalysts for efforts to expand an organization’s long-term view, align operations to the core mission of the organization, bring a more proactive approach to decision making, and increase client and community impact.
The 14 Alliance member agencies participating as Strategy Counts pilot sites will test how the elevation of strategy affects the ability of nonprofit human service organizations to adapt to changing market forces, including the needs of populations served. The pilot projects also will contribute a new depth of understanding about the role of strategy in nonprofit organization that share a mission to improve the lives of children and families.
