First Shift Justice Project (FSJP), a nonprofit championing the workplace rights of low-income workers, aimed to boost its operational efficiency and expand its reach. Initially, FSJP was a one-woman operation, with attorney Laura Brown handling both educational programs and direct legal representation. FSJP enlisted Onward to sharpen its mission, define clear goals, and design a comprehensive logic model with measurable impacts.

Onward partnered with FSJP through focused consultations, honing in on key areas: defining the core problem, understanding the target audience, and refining the mission. Onward helped FSJP distinguish between program, strategic, and mission goals, guiding the creation of a logic model that clearly communicated their strategy to potential funders. This approach resulted in FSJP securing its first significant investment.

With a clear mission and a solid logic model, FSJP secured funding that sparked rapid growth. In just a few years, FSJP expanded from one staff member to a team of seven, with plans for further expansion. This growth amplified FSJP’s  ability to train employers, represent workers, and significantly boost its community impact. Onward’s strategic consultancy proved to be a game-changer, demonstrating the immense value of targeted guidance for small nonprofits.

Not all strategic contracts start the same. When the Campaign for Youth Justice (CFYJ) approached Onward, the initial objective was to help articulate its logic model, focusing on policy, research, advocacy, and boots-on-the-ground campaign organizing. What began as a straightforward task evolved into a transformational engagement that reset CFYJ’s strategic direction.

CFYJ, a national initiative dedicated to ending the prosecution, sentencing, and incarceration of youth under 18 in the adult criminal justice system, needed a clear logic model to distill its impact and articulate measures of effect. CFYJ hired Onward LLC to develop a logic model to clarify its programs and ensure alignment with its mission and goals.

Onward commenced with a thorough review of CFYJ’s materials, including contracts, grants, evaluation rubrics, strategic documents, and communication collateral. This was complemented by interviews with key staff across various areas, including advocacy, policy, research, and communications.

Onward facilitated staff training sessions on logic models and conducted a two-day staff retreat to draft and prioritize elements of the logic model. This process surfaced a fundamental question: Is CFYJ an actual campaign, and thus time-bound, or has it evolved into an ongoing organization?

Next, Onward facilitated an inclusive board retreat designed to answer this pivotal question. Utilizing various tools to remove power dynamics and ensure equitable voice, it was determined that CFYJ was a campaign. Onward then helped operationalize this decision into a 3-4 year plan and individual workplans, clearly defining “the CFYJ win.”

Four years after that board retreat, the campaign ended achieving much:

• A 70% reduction in youth prosecuted as adults, from 250,000 annually to 76,000.
• A decrease from 10,000 to 3,500 youth residing in adult facilities.
• Legislative changes in 40 states and DC, resulting in over 100 laws making it harder to send children to adult court.
• Raising the age of criminal responsibility to 18 in 11 states, thereby permanently closing the door to the adult system for over 100,000 children annually.
• 22 states narrowed or ended automatic transfer laws, preventing children from being treated as adults.

Onward’s thoughtful and nimble approach was instrumental in CFYJ’s success. The process of developing a logic model not only clarified CFYJ’s mission but also highlighted incongruencies that led to a board-led transformation. This engagement required Onward adapt its contract to meet the evolving needs of its client, driving impactful change and achieving significant legislative victories for youth justice.

Not all strategic contracts start the same. When the Campaign for Youth Justice (CFYJ) approached Onward, the initial objective was to help articulate its logic model, focusing on policy, research, advocacy, and boots-on-the-ground campaign organizing. What began as a straightforward task evolved into a transformational engagement that reset CFYJ’s strategic direction.

CFYJ, a national initiative dedicated to ending the prosecution, sentencing, and incarceration of youth under 18 in the adult criminal justice system, needed a clear logic model to distill its impact and articulate measures of effect. CFYJ hired Onward LLC to develop a logic model to clarify its programs and ensure alignment with its mission and goals.

1. Meticulous Review:  CFYJ’s materials, including contracts, grants, evaluation rubrics, strategic documents, and communication collateral.
2. Stakeholder Interviews: Interviewed key staff across advocacy, policy, research, and communications.
3. Staff Training & Retreat: Led logic model training and a two-day staff retreat, which revealed a pivotal question: Is CFYJ a time-bound campaign or an ongoing organization?
4. Board Decision: Facilitated a board retreat, leading to the decision that CFYJ is a campaign.
5. Strategic Operationalization: Developed a 3-4 strategic plan with clear goals and workplans, defining the “CFYJ win.”

Four years after that board retreat, the campaign ended and CFYJ achieved their win:

• A 70% reduction in youth prosecuted as adults, from 250,000 annually to 76,000.
• A decrease from 10,000 to 3,500 youth residing in adult facilities.
• Legislative changes in 40 states and DC, resulting in over 100 laws making it harder to send children to adult court.
• Raising the age of criminal responsibility to 18 in 11 states, thereby permanently closing the door to the adult system for over 100,000 children annually.
• 22 states narrowed or ended automatic transfer laws, preventing children from being treated as adults.

Developing the logic model clarified CFYJ’s mission and exposed incongruencies. Addressing those incongruencies led to transformative legislative victories for youth justice.

Continuous improvement is vital for organizations of every size.  Onward’s P.E.A.K.®  Model is a simplified yet structured version of 6 Sigma DMAIC Methodology that is perfect for non-profits. 

The first stage of the P.E.A.K.®  model is meticulous planning. Organizations need to establish clear objectives, define key performance indicators (KPIs), and outline their implementation strategies. This phase emphasizes the importance of setting measurable goals and creating a coherent roadmap that aligns with the overall mission and vision of the organization.

With the plan in place, the next step is to execute the strategies outlined. Teams must mobilize resources, assign responsibilities, and implement their plan.  Effective communication and collaboration are vital to ensure all stakeholders are in alignment.  Execution emphasizes the need for agility and adaptability as organizations navigate change. 

The analysis phase enables organizations to gain insights into what worked well and what needs refinement. Teams must scrutinize KPIs & gather stakeholder feedback to assess their impact. This analytical process is integral for informed decision-making and lays the groundwork for continuous learning and improvement.

Based on the findings, organizations revise their strategies: Course Correction. Adjustments and refinements are made to optimize results, fostering a culture of agility and responsiveness. 

Onward’s P.E.A.K.®  process offers a simplified yet systematic data-driven framework for continuous improvement.  It promotes a cyclical and iterative approach that enables organizations to learn, adapt, and continuously evolve to better.