Insights From Our Consultants

In the last blog, I challenged the usefulness of a SWOT analysis. However, there are some really useful tools that can be alternatives to a SWOT analysis. These ideas are really designed for organizations to create more insightful, responsive strategies by surfacing...

Oh the SWOT Analysis. You know the exercise. It is done in a board/staff retreat at the beginning of a strategic planning process. A facilitator draws a two-by-two matrix and labels each quadrant with the following titles: Strengths, Weaknesses,  Opportunities and...

Most nonprofit or public human services agencies seek some sort of change. Whether it be school readiness, stable housing, improved household income, or a safe environment, change is the focus of most organizations. It is important to capture that change in some form...

Vision and mission are crucial elements in a strategic plan. Having a North Star can help a nonprofit grapple with the uncertainty and complexity of today’s environment. In addition to these two elements of a strategic plan, Partners for Impact encourages clients to...

Students at the United States Army War College started using the acronym VUCA to describe the context of the post Cold War era. Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity all reached a new height after this era.The concept was applied to business in Bob...

Partners for Impact has submitted many proposals for organizational strategic planning to a variety of nonprofit human service agencies. In one case when we didn't get the gig, tne organization said they wanted a more “traditional” approach to strategic planning.  I...

The steps for building a Theory of Change for your program are similar to those needed to build one for a community change initiative. However, the single largest difference is the number of stakeholders that will need to be engaged in the process. Involving...

Partners for Impact has been working on the Kaleidoscope Project since 2019. It has moved through very different phases. During the first four years, the focus was on improvising places and spaces in order to support the social-emotional well-being of young children....

While the lack of affordable housing in rural North Carolina may seem daunting, a recent white paper we completed at Partners for Impact highlights proactive steps communities can take.  At the local level, municipalities can review zoning policies and create...