Back in 2019, as a leader in a small but quickly growing nonprofit, I was struggling to keep up with the day-to-day that was required to successfully run programs and ensure smooth operation. I had an ever-growing task-and-project-list, and I knew this stuff all needed to get done. But I also knew that every minute I spent tackling tasks was one minute spent not creating connections or building the organization and generating lasting impact.
If this organization was going to achieve maximum mission impact - saving the lives of companion animals - I needed to remain focused on the big picture. But how?
I reflected on an experience I had while I was working in corporate America: a Kaizen event - a simple framework that breeds continuous improvement. I realized this was exactly what our leadership team needed. So I got the ball rolling on a Kaizen-type process improvement project for one of the most time-consuming (and critical) programs within our organization: volunteer onboarding & training.
- Defined our goals and measured the "current state"
- Mapped the process and identified waste, gaps in information, and missing resources.
- Eliminated waste, filled gaps, and developed resources.
- Tested the improvements and tweaked them as-needed.
- Rolled out the changes with a strategic communication (and training) plan for each of our audiences.
Before I knew it, my role had completely shifted. I started as a program manager, and I quickly became a cross-functional strategy, engagement, and process expert who excelled at identifying pain points and solving for them. Within a year, our nonprofit had completed 3 major process overhauls that generated significant program growth (and put us in a place to make informed, data-driven decisions in areas that we previously had zero program data).
And so my love for organizational development and strategy was born. I promptly became an expert Process & Communications strategist, both within my organization and within my network and community.
The story
Below are just a few of my favorites
Since then, I've worked on some impactful projects.
A spreadsheet worth thousands.
With the creation of one spreadsheet, I was able to help a nonprofit bookkeeper eliminate 4+ hours worth of work every. single. week. This new spreadsheet requires next to no technical know-how (just one simple copy & paste - it takes 30 seconds), and it has given the organization 4+ hours per week back. This spreadsheet tracks program impact, so it's also allowed the organization to seek (and secure) significant program funding.
Significant program savings
In a recent project, we streamlined a nonprofit's application process, cutting it from 40 hours of labor per week to 20. In addition to significant time savings, we were also able to cut process-related labor costs by about 80%; before the project, the process was administered entirely by paid staff. Since the project, 80% of the process is being completed by a team of volunteers and by customized automations.
Additionally, applicants are now flowing through this process at a much faster rate, which has created a significant increase in revenue opportunity.
Volunteer Program Overhaul
- Increased capacity to onboard volunteers by 100%
- Improved volunteer conversion from 20% to 75%
- Significantly improved volunteer engagement & retention through resources and training
- Allowed us to measure the impact of the volunteer program (and share this impact in grant applications, with donors, and more)