For nonprofits and the people who love them...
3 for Thursday, brought to you by K. Weill Consulting Group, LLC
July 20, 2017 Edition
1. A New Movement:
Leap of Reason
2. New Report:
Managing Growth
3. New Report:
Casey Foundation's Kids Count Data Book
 
PLUS, RECOMMENDED
SUMMER READING:
 
Storytelling in the Digital Age: A Guide for Nonprofits
Nonprofits of all types and sizes would benefit from the wisdom of this practical, insightful new book by nonprofit social media guru Julia Campbell! A great read with lots of tips, tools and templates to help take your organization to a higher level of communication with - and support from - your constituents.

1. A New Movement:  
Leap of Reason
Mapping Mission to Performance
An important movement within the nonprofit sector is afoot: a network of leaders focused on measuring whether or not their organizations are actually making a difference.
Leap of Reason, according to its website, works with leaders "to expect and support:
  • Highly effective, high-performing organizations
  • Mission-focused, performance-driven leadership
  • Disciplined, information-informed management
  • Talented staff functioning within a culture of continuous improvement
  • Funding based on reason and results - rather than blind faith or photogenic anecdotes."

Leap of Reason has brought together an Ambassador Community of nonprofit leaders, funders and policy makers with the aim to propel this movement forward. Two critical products of the Ambassador Community to date are the Performance Imperative: A Framework for Social Sector Excellence, which includes 7 pillars of high performance, and the accompanying Performance Imperative Organizational Self-Assessment.

2.  New Report
Managing Growth
Abila
In its latest study, Abila set out to discover among other things the types of growth nonprofits are striving for over the next several years, as well as the risks and challenges associated with such growth.
 
A few key results of their national survey of 300 nonprofit financial professionals from a diverse set of organizations:
  • The most common strategy nonprofits plan to put in place to support growth is seeking new grant funding, though only 33% had a high degree of confidence they would have sufficient grant funding heading into FY18.
  • 62% respondents indicated organizational growth would make it somewhat or much more difficult to manage risk (e.g. create contingency plans for future funding uncertainty, maintain compliance with funding requirements, assess internal controls, train employees).
  • While respondents find their employees under age 35 to be ethical, passionate and highly motivated, 78% of respondents indicated retaining Millennial employees is a moderate or major challenge.
3.  New Report
2017 Kids Count Data Book
Annie E. Casey Foundation
The latest annual report of the welfare of children and families was recently released. Kids Count provides national and state-by-state data points. The Data Book tracks trends over a 5-year period for 16 indicators of childhood well-being in the areas of education, health, economics, and family & community. 

Nationally, between 2010 and 2015, we made the most progress in
  • reducing the teen birthrate
  • getting kids health insurance
  • graduating high school students
  • reducing the burden of high housing costs (though it's still quite high)
While the child poverty rate dipped slightly, it's still unconscionably high at 21% (15 million kids).

Children in the New England states of New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Vermont are faring the best, while those in Mississippi, New Mexico and Louisiana are struggling the most.
 
 
          
K. Weill Consulting Group, LLC has no financial or other relationship with entities or products featured in this e-blast - we just like 'em!  
 
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K. Weill Consulting Group, LLC

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