Thought Partnership

A CRITICAL PEER FOR MIKVA CHALLENGE DC

Mikva Challenge DC’s mission is to empower youth to become active participants in democracy and civic life –and they had growth plans.  Before going public, they wanted a critical review. Onward was tapped to provide 20-hours of executive-level expertise and a fresh perspective. Leveraging expertise in strategy, growth, and program operations, Onward set out to assess and improve Mikva DC’s growth plan.

 Onward’s approach was all about precision:

• Conducting a rigorous critique of the existing growth plan.

• Identifying and highlighting gaps.

• Enhancing content flow and coherence.

• Drafting key sections to strengthen the overall strategy.

 A dynamic, strategic growth plan that positions them for greater success and influence. Onward helped Mikva DC:

• Improve the structure and organization of their Growth plan.

• Develop compelling content to engage and attract external audiences.

This collaboration was a testament to the transformative power of a thought partner.

CASE STUDY:  THOUGHT PARTNER: FIRST SHIFT JUSTICE PROJECT

First Shift Justice Project (FSJP), a nonprofit organization dedicated to defending the workplace rights of low-income workers, sought to enhance its operational effectiveness and expand its impact. At the onset, FSJP’s resources were limited to a single staff member, attorney Laura Brown, who was tirelessly managing both educational initiatives for employers and direct representation for workers. FSJP engaged Onward as a strategic thought partner to refine its mission, help clarify its goals, and distill the organization’s logic model.

Onward collaborated closely with FSJP through a combination of one-on-one sessions and written consultations. The engagement focused on several key areas: clearly articulating the problem FSJP aimed to solve, identifying and understanding their target audience, and refining the organization’s mission. Onward helped FSJP differentiate between program goals, strategic goals, and mission goals, and guided the creation of the organization’s first logic model. This structured approach enabled FSJP to present a coherent, metrics-driven narrative to potential funders, leading to its first major investment from the Meyer Foundation.

The strategic guidance from Onward proved transformative for FSJP. With a clearly defined mission and robust logic model, FSJP successfully secured initial funding, which catalyzed significant growth. Within a few years, FSJP expanded from a single-staff operation to a robust team of seven full-time employees, with plans to hire two additional staff members. This growth allowed FSJP to increase its outreach, train more employers, and represent a greater number of workers, substantially enhancing its impact in the community. The small investment in executive coaching and strategic thought partnership from Onward made a monumental difference, demonstrating the powerful potential of targeted consultancy for small nonprofits.

Organizational Design & Development

Case Study: Transforming First Shift Justice Project with Strategic Consultancy

First Shift Justice Project (FSJP), a nonprofit organization dedicated to defending the workplace rights of low-income workers, sought to enhance its operational effectiveness and expand its impact. At the onset, FSJP’s resources were limited to a single staff member, attorney Laura Brown, who was tirelessly managing both educational initiatives for employers and direct representation for workers. FSJP engaged Onward to refine its mission, clarify its goals, and help design the organization’s logic model comprising goals, activities, inputs, short- & long-term impacts, and metrics to track.

Onward collaborated closely with FSJP through a combination of one-on-one sessions and written consultations. The engagement focused on several key areas: clearly articulating the problem FSJP aimed to solve, identifying and understanding their target audience, and refining the organization’s mission. Onward helped FSJP differentiate between program goals, strategic goals, and mission goals, and guided the creation of the organization’s first logic model. This structured approach enabled FSJP to present a coherent, metrics-driven narrative to potential funders, leading to its first major investment from the Meyer Foundation.

The strategic guidance from Onward proved transformative for FSJP. With a clearly defined mission and robust logic model, FSJP successfully secured initial funding, which catalyzed significant growth. Within a few years, FSJP expanded from a single-staff operation to a robust team of seven full-time employees, with plans to hire two additional staff members. This growth allowed FSJP to increase its outreach, train more employers, and represent a greater number of workers, substantially enhancing its impact in the community. The small investment in executive coaching and strategic thought partnership from Onward made a monumental difference, demonstrating the powerful potential of targeted consultancy for small nonprofits.