New Publication Available on Assessing Startup Organizations Our latest publication — Tool for Assessing Startup Nonprofits: A due dilligence supplement for grantmakers — has just been released by Grantmakers for Effective Organizations! The tool is designed for use by funders assessing a grant application from a startup nonprofit. It includes suggested interview questions and worksheets to supplement funders' regular due diligence of startup organizations. click here to download in PDF format

Foundations are uniquely positioned to identify sector-wide needs for research, development, and dissemination of new ideas, and to provide resources and support to the sector in meeting these needs. While foundations themselves may not be directly involved in the development and implementation of the methodology to meet these needs, they are essential to providing the impetus and support to these field-building efforts. La Piana Associates has in-depth experience in identifying field-wide issues and needs, and in working with foundations in field-building efforts.

Strategy Formation: Beyond Strategic Planning, a two-year research and development project, is supported by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and is conducted in partnership with the Hawai’i Community Foundation. It is designed to develop ways nonprofits can form effective strategies using a process that is less time-and resource-consuming than the typical strategic planning process now prevalent in the sector. To date, we have interviewed business leaders to learn their thoughts about strategy formation. We also interviewed nonprofit leaders to learn what processes they use for forming strategies. Next, we will develop tools that show promise of being effective alternatives to strategic planning. We will test and refine these tools, and then disseminate them broadly throughout the sector. This briefing paper describes the project and our preliminary findings in more detail.

The Strategic Solutions project: A prime example of our work in this area is Strategic Solutions, a five-year field-building project funded by the James Irvine Foundation, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. The objective of this project is to develop and disseminate tools, resources, and training programs in the area of strategic restructuring (i.e., nonprofit partnerships including merger, joint venture, joint programming, and administrative consolidation). The project has directly served more than 5,000 nonprofit leaders, 600 foundation staff, and 400 consultants. These individuals have participated in Strategic Solutions’ training programs and/or attended its many presentations and workshops. More than 4,000 individuals now visit the Strategic Solutions website (www.lapiana.org/ss/) each month. Its quarterly e-newsletter is delivered to approximately 1,000 individuals and organizations. Additionally, the project has conducted landmark research studies. It has published two books and numerous reports, monographs, and other materials to inform the sector on the appropriate use of strategic restructuring as a tool for improving organizational effectiveness.