bloggin' on arc...philanthropy and other good stuff

 

Something that my boss always shares with me is the idea of beginning with the end in mind.  If it’s a project, a paper, correspondence, or event, for that matter, begin planning your action with the idea of what you hope to accomplish.  This is pretty significant for project managers for a number of reasons.  I have found that this practice ensures a higher level of success and a larger degree of impact in several instances:

1-       Outcomes and Measurements - Foundations, through their competitive grant programs, base their funding decisions partly on what the proposed project is able to accomplish.  As you and your staff begin to think about the intent of the project or activity, begin with the end in mind, and this will guide you in designing your outcomes and related measurements.

2-      Exit Strategies - With programmatic initiatives that are created by on in part by your organization, be sure to begin with the end in mind as you concoct your exit strategy.  As you design the timeline of the initiative, think about whether or not the program should end.  If, for example, your organization intends to carry out a project for five years, think of how your organization will close out the project at the initial planning stages, not at year #4.  Some programmatic initiatives are designed to address issues in a fixed amount of time.  By creating an exit strategy, organizations can begin with the end in mind, thereby avoiding an abrupt or premature closing of your project.



HOW DO I BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND?
Take a long term view and approach when planning out your projects.  Here a few thoughts  from the Final Report of the New York Community Trusts’ September 11^th Fund that might help you along your way:

§  Establish Deadlines – Create timeframes that both meet the needs of the community and encourage sustainability.  Communicate the timeframe with all those involved so that they can prepare their plans and budgets accordingly.
§  Keep Records and Archives-It is important to maintain accurate records, contracts and copies of correspondence that are related to the project. 
§  Practice Fiscal Responsibility – Decide how to direct unspent funds granted for the project, and articulate these instructions to everyone involved.
§  Elect a Closeout Committee – After the conclusion of a project occurs, there should be an oversight mechanism to respond to issues that may arise in the future.  Depending on the magnitude of project, a staff member, board member, or board committee could be assigned this role.

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One of the great things about professional development organizations, activities, and events is that you can connect with lots of different folks and exchange conversations about all sorts of topics.  Sometimes those folks are in your field, other times they aren’t.  This year, I had the wonderful experience of wrapping up a year-long series of classes that were part of one leadership-building program.  Those in my class came from a diverse array of fields:  real estate, banking, health administration, and on and on. 

With only one other person from the nonprofit world in the bunch, it was challenging to talk with others about our fields– partly because they weren’t concerned about the same types of numbers, targeted clientele, or projected sales.

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