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Authenticity Consulting
Nonprofit Business Development Services
for enhanced impact and financial sustainability
Nonprofit
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Contents of This Page
Our Approach - What We Help You
Do
Our priority is to help you to carry out the following key
steps in developing your mission-related earned income opportunities
and do so in a fashion that is timely, yet highly practical and
cost-effective for your organization. We provide the guidance,
training and materials to help you to:
- Recognize that your organization's
vision, mission and strategic goals represent the purpose and
context for your business development.
- Gain a better understanding of the motivations and support
for doing business development, both within your organization
and in your community.
- Identify the major assets and capabilities that your organization
has to invest in its business development.
- Identify your best mission-related earned income opportunities.
- Research each of your opportunities for feasibility and select
the most appropriate ones to develop.
- Develop realistic business plans for each of your selected
opportunities.
- Implement your business plans, including adjusting them as
necessary.
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Our Approach - What Makes Us Unique
We recognize and address certain realities:
- Most nonprofits are very small and have very limited time
and money available for business development.
- Many nonprofits are already in financial trouble when they
are beginning to consider business development (that's why these
nonprofits are considering it in the first place). While not
ideal, this is reality.
- Nonprofits, like all organizations, are systems. You can't
just focus on one function (business development) without giving
attention to the rest (eg, board development, strategic planning,
management development, employee performance management, etc.).
A comprehensive, integrated approach is far more effective and
can actually save money for the nonprofit in the long run.
- The world of for-profits has focused on business development
for 100s of years! There is a wealth of resources and learning
that, when properly adapted, can be very useful for nonprofits
seeking to develop their own business opportunities.
Our experience:
- We have extensive knowledge and experience in entrepreneurship
and nonprofit organization development.
- We have many years of management experience in both the for-profit
and nonprofit sector, and know how to take the best of both worlds
to help your organization succeed.
- We have direct experience in program development and management.
- We've experienced the joys and frustrations of leading large-scale
organizational change efforts.
- Read more
about us.
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Presentations and Short Workshops
We can deliver a range presentations and workshops that will
provide participants with:
- A strong, practical understanding of the fundamentals,
- Tools and techniques that they can use for their own organizations,
and
- (In our workshops) An opportunity to practice using the tools
and techniques we provide.
Session topics include:
- An Introduction
to Social Entrepreneurship
- Exploring the Climate for Business Development
- Taking Stock of Your Business Development Assets
- Identifying Your Best Business Opportunities
- Researching Your Opportunities for Feasibility
- Business Plans and Planning
- Other Topics Upon Request
Sessions can be as short as 30 minutes (for presentations)
and as long as two days (for workshops). We always tailor our
topics and format to meet the needs and expectations of our clients,
and are happy to develop new and customized sessions.
Want to learn more about our presentations
and workshops? Email
us
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Business Development Consulting
While guiding your nonprofit through the
steps listed above,
- We work according to certain values and beliefs about nonprofit
organization development. See our values
and beliefs.
- We start with a quick and practical assessment of all aspects
of the entire organization, results of which are reported to
the board and key staff. (To do a quick self-assessment right
now, complete this Checklist
of Organizational Indicators.)
- We interview key members of your board and staff to further
understand the needs and nature of the organization.
- We work with you to customize a practical and realistic consultation
plan suited the needs and nature of your organization. We recognize
that there is no perfect, "cookie cutter" approach
to business development.
- We ensure that the consultation plan includes specific deliverables
at key points in the consultation process in order to ensure
continued communications and accountability.
- We conduct frequent, quick and practical evaluations to ensure
that goals of the consulting contract are being met.
- We work with you to produce a business plan for each service
under consideration in the project. The business plan includes
specific steps about the service's marketing, management and
finances.
- These business plans can be "rolled up" into organization-wide
plans, including organizational marketing, board and management,
operations, finances and fundraising.
- We can provide one-on-one coaching sessions with key members
of your board and staff to ensure ongoing focus, accountability
and support to implement the plans.
- We can also help the client to organize internal peer coaching
group sessions in which members support and coach each other
to implement their portions of the plans. (We use the nationally
known Leaders Circles(SM) model, which we researched and designed.)
- We recognize when changes are needed to the consultation
plan and make those changes in a planned and orderly fashion.
Want to learn more about our consulting?
Email
us
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Business Development Coaching
For clients seeking a more self-directed approach to their
business development, we provide a phone-based coaching service.
With this option, you would get coached regularly by Authenticity
Consulting to help you:
- Review your business development progress,
- Identify challenges and opportunities,
- Set realistic but motivating goals, and
- Decide what actions you will take to reach your goals.
This can also be a great follow-up to our workshops and consulting
projects.
Want to learn more about our business
development coaching? Email
us
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Business Development Coaching
Groups
In a Business Development Coaching Group, we bring together
representatives from five to seven non-competing organizations
to help each other develop their business opportunities. The
meetings are typically three hours long, and groups meet monthly
for at least six months. Each member is guaranteed a block of
time to present their challenge, get coached by the other members,
and to figure out what they'll do by the next meeting. Each session
is managed by an Authenticity Consulting facilitator who ensures
that members maximize their time.
Our Business Development Coaching Groups help you to do things
your way, but with the strong support of a trusted group of peers.
Membership has four primary benefits:
- Expand Your Network - You will regularly share practical
advice, contacts, and materials.
- Learn New Skills - You will learn by applying tools and techniques
gained from the other members and the facilitator.
- Solve Problems - You will tackle and solve complex business
development challenges.
- Be Supported - You will move forward with the ongoing support
of and accountability to a trusted group of peers who are committed
to your success.
(Our Business Development Coaching Groups
are based upon the nationally known Leaders Circles(SM) model, which we researched and designed.)
Want to learn more about our Business
Development Coaching Groups? Email
us
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Management Service Providers -
We Can Help You Provide Business Development Services to Your
Clients
We provide a highly effective, yet low-cost, program in which
nonprofit service providers can establish nonprofit business
development services for their clients. This program is useful
to nonprofit consultants, management support organizations, associations
and training centers. We'll show service providers everything
they need to know and will provide them all the resources they
need.
To read an overview of the program, you will need a copy of
the free Adobe Acrobat Software. To download this free software,
click here.
After you've downloaded the software, click here
to view a description of the program.
Be sure to read the program description before you review
the following questions and answers. Click here to review some
questions and answers posed by various
readers of the program description.
Want to learn more about our program
develoment services? Email
us
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Our Other Services, Grounded in
Principles of Nonprofit Organization Development and Change
In addition to the services described on this page, we provide
guidance, facilitation, training and materials in a comprehensive,
integrated fashion to help you with your:
- Board Development
- Strategic Planning
- Staff Management and Leadership Development
- Program Development and Evaluation
For details, go to our main Nonprofit
Capacity Building page.
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Feedback about this page? Email
us.
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