Continuing our work with The Patterson Foundation, Sara Leonard Group is proud to be supporting four nonprofits selected to join the ongoing initiative Margin & Mission Ignition. Since 2015, Margin & Mission Ignition has given nonprofits the opportunity to explore, develop and execute earned-income strategies.
As part of the initiative, Sara Leonard Group will be working directly with four nonprofit participant organizations with 1:1 consulting support for their fundraising efforts.
“The Patterson Foundation’s commitment to not only offering world-class training opportunities for local nonprofits, but also offering wrap-around support to help them implement what they learn proves time and time again their commitment to improving as many lives as possible through the reach of established nonprofits,” Sara Leonard Group founder Sara Leonard said of the initiative.
For more information on The Patterson Foundation or the Margin & Mission Ignition initiative, please visit their website.
Continuing our work with The Patterson Foundation, Sara Leonard Group is delighted to be supporting three nonprofits selected to participate in the pilot program for their newest initiative: Fueling Dynamic Fundraising.
The Patterson Foundation worked with The Fund Raising School at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy to develop a custom six-week virtual program that will challenge nonprofit participants to explore the power of the partnership between their board, staff, and CEO to strengthen their fundraising capability.
As part of the initiative, Sara Leonard Group will be working directly with three nonprofit participant organizations with 1:1 consulting support between course sessions and for one year following the conclusion of the course to help them implement their learnings and explore new possibilities for growth.
“The Patterson Foundation’s commitment to not only offering world-class training opportunities for local nonprofits, but also offering wrap-around support to help them implement what they learn proves time and time again their commitment to improving as many lives as possible through the reach of established nonprofits. We are thrilled to help these organizations build a well-developed strategy that can increase their fundraising reach,” Sara Leonard Group founder Sara Leonard said of the initiative.
For more information on The Patterson Foundation or the Fueling Dynamic Fundraising program, please visit their website.
Since November, I’ve been honored to be a part of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving’s (NSP) Social Enterprise Accelerator. This exciting initiative is part of the Foundation’s Nonprofit Support Program. Starting with a series of educational labs, nonprofits were challenged to think differently. Ten nonprofit organizations were selected to complete the business planning process. My work with the groups has focused on raising the startup funds needed to begin their social enterprise.
I’m pleased to share some information on this innovative program as published in their recent press release:
Social enterprise as a self-supporting approach to revenue generation is new to many nonprofits. In response, the NSP launched the Social Enterprise Accelerator, designed to help organizations expand beyond traditional grants and donations when looking for new sources of revenue.
In June, the Foundation announced a matching challenge. For every dollar of start-up capital raised by the ten organizations participating in the Social Enterprise Accelerator project, the Foundation will match dollar for dollar, up to 50% of the goal, not to exceed $40,000. The announcement followed individual “Fast Pitch” sessions, where each organization presented their business plans to current and potential donors and made a direct ask for financial support toward startup capital needs.
“The enthusiasm and effort that area nonprofit organizations have brought to the Social Enterprise Accelerator program has exceeded our expectations,” said Nonprofit Support Program Director Melanie Tavares.
Community Child Guidance Clinic operates a school in Manchester for children ages 3-15 years of age of varying academic levels, learning abilities, and behavioral and emotional issues that serves students for districts throughout the region. One of the challenges for districts, students, families and staff is the cost and administration of transportation to the school. Currently, referring districts contract with different transportation companies to get the students to and from school. Due to safety concerns and lack of vehicle driver training in behavioral de-escalation models, districts typically have to utilize as few as one van or bus per student.
Recognizing these challenges, Community Child Guidance Clinic Chief Executive Officer Jamie Bellenoit and her executive team came up with the idea of using the agency’s vans and teaching assistant staff to provide therapeutic transportation services to the districts they serve. By having trained staff who the students already know serve as drivers, more students can share vans, allowing for the need for fewer drivers, reducing expenses and also providing higher quality services to the districts, the students and their families.
“Participating in the Social Enterprise Accelerator program was a true example of synergy as we had an opportunity to work with our program partners, Hartford Foundation staff, and No Margin-No Mission to fully realize our vision,” said Bellenoit. “Being a part of the nonprofit clinical and special education world, we simply lacked the expertise to develop a cohesive business plan and launch it. With the generous support of the Foundation and the expertise of Larry Clark from No Margin, No Mission as well as Sara Leonard, we now have the resources necessary to begin implementing our therapeutic transportation services this fall.”
