Every nonprofit has blind spots. One way to stay ahead of blind spots is to chart growth based on the nonprofit lifecycle. Much like phases of for-profit company growth, the nonprofit lifecycle features systemic benchmarks in organizational life from idea, start-up, growth, maturity, and decline and crisis. Each nonprofit is at some stage on the nonprofit lifecycle. The key is not to compare your organization with others, but to chart the right growth trajectory for your organization. By completing internal and external assessments, you can find out where you are relative to others and determine the best and most efficient methods to achieve growth and sustainability. At Social Impact Architects, we utilize both quantitative and qualitative tools and provide a customized report that we can share with your staff and board. This process is most helpful before a strategic planning process, during a strategic refresh or during executive transitions.

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Are business plans dead? Yes and no. A well-developed business plan creates a roadmap for your social sector or nonprofit venture and includes detailed analysis on your market, competitors, resource considerations, financials and risk mitigation plan. For the organization, it forces discipline around your venture story and reduces ambiguity. For the funder, it instills confidence that every detail has been considered. Yet, not every business plan is equal. They can come in many formats depending on your needs and the audience – a pitch, a prospectus or a business model canvas. At Social Impact Architects, we build strong and sustainable business plans for social sector programs, organizations or social enterprises.

Doing good is good business. In the 20th century, only a dozen Fortune 500 companies even issued a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report. Now, the majority do, and more than 7,000 businesses around the world have signed the UN Global Compact pledging to show good global citizenship. According to Landor Associates, 77% of consumers say it is important for companies to be socially responsible. In addition, many companies are following the lead of strategy experts, such as Michael Porter, and embedding CSR into their organizational strategy and operations – calling it strategic CSR.

At Social Impact Architects, we work at the intersection of business, government and the social sector, and can help companies – large and small –  create or refine a Corporate Social Responsibility plan to enhance your impact in the community, increase your recognition for exceptional corporate citizenship and community service, and impact your performance through enhanced employee and community engagement. We also conduct trainings for businesses on social sector shifts, such as social innovation and entrepreneurship, impact measurement and collaboration.

Time is our most valuable asset. If you are committing to training for yourself, your team or your grantees, it needs to be full of “aha moments.” Social Impact Architects works with clients in the United States and Canada to design training and education sessions that meet your organization’s needs and expand the capacity of your staff. We work with audiences ranging from 30 to 250 people, and our past clients include the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the National Juvenile Justice Network, Catholic Charities, the Social Enterprise Alliance and Social Venture Partners International. We have had the privilege of speaking in 38 states across the country. Our goal is to always engage participants in dialogue about important issues, trends and challenges in the social sector. Participants walk away with actionable ideas to implement in their organizations immediately.

Executive Coaching/CEO Leadership DevelopWe all get stuck. Sometimes you can forge a path forward alone and sometimes you need a trusted ally who has walked in your shoes and can serve as a guide, accountability partner and resource. At Social Impact Architects, we have seen that your effectiveness as an executive is inextricably tied to your ability to create a vision, and lead and motivate your team. We can help you develop your abilities and test your ideas before you share them with your organization. Often, we have found it isn’t what you say that creates tension, but it is how you convey it. We can work with you to assess your strengths, identify the capabilities or resources you need to take your organization to the next level, and develop an action plan to implement changes. Social Impact Architects can provide one-time coaching or ongoing services through a formal or informal leadership development plan.

One of the biggest myths in the nonprofit space is that bigger is better. Scaling in the nonprofit space is different. It isn’t just about getting bigger; it is also about getting better. Influenced by leading researchers on scaling, Social Impact Architect’s scaling and growth process follows a path to uncover precisely what is innovative about your program or organization and how to best scale it to maximize social impact and financial returns.

Impact is the bottom line of the social sector. We take the anxiety out of impact measurement and management and shift your culture to one that drives continuous improvement for your organization. While most consultants start with a logic model, at Social Impact Architects we start with culture and the “why” behind impact measurement. Then, we move forward with refreshing approaches to logic models, evaluation planning and storytelling. We provide a range of services – from coaching and training to consultation on your organization’s evaluation – always ensuring that your clients and community are at the center of our work.