Download - The Community Investment Triangle Targeting Our Resources Part 2: Targeting Future Investments
The Community Investment TriangleTargeting Our Resources
Part 2: Targeting Future Investments
The Community Investment Triangle -- Part 2: Targeting Future Investments 2
by investing in:
Prevention & development services
Basic human-needs & crisis services
attitudes, networks, neighbor-hoods, organizations, systems
Efforts to influence community
Breakthrough opportunities
Fo
cus
on
com
mu
nity
imp
act
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The Community Investment TriangleTargeting Our Resources
Part 1: Mapping Current Investments
Part 2: Targeting Future Investments
Part 3: Aligning Around Strategies for Impact
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Selecting specific direct-service and community-change strategies in which to invest resources in the future
Setting 3- to 5-year targets for resource investments to support the selected strategies
Part 2 – Topics
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First choiceFocus AreaNext choice
(e.g., vision statement)
Next choice (e.g., target issues)
Next choice(e.g., objectives)
Next choiceSpecific direct-service and/or community change strategies
for improving lives
Selecting Specific Strategies . . .
. . .requires a series of choices to focus efforts
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Focus Area: Healthy Children
Getting Focused
e.g.
Vision: Our community’s children are physically and mentally healthy
Specific Strategies:• ???
Target issue: Dental health of preschool children
Objectives:• Ensure that children establish good dental health
habits early• Promote regular dental check-ups and needed
treatment beginning at age 1
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Considerations in Selecting Specific Strategies Include:
Focus of target issues, objectives, etc.
Underlying causes of priority issues
Sound theory of change for addressing underlying causes
Evidence of strategy’s effectiveness in this community or in parallel situations
Community partners, other resources available to collaborate in implementing strategies
Practical organizational considerations – timing, capacity, relationships, resources, etc.
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Focus Area: Healthy Children
Getting Focused
e.g.
Vision: Our community’s children are physically and mentally healthy
Specific Strategies:• ???
Target issue: Dental health of preschool children
Objectives:• Ensure that children establish good dental
health habits early• Promote regular dental check-ups and needed
treatment beginning at age 1
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Specific Direct-service and Community- change Strategies
• Incorporate information on children’s dental health care in parenting programs
• Promote dental health education activities in child care centers
Prevention & development
services that:
• Increase parents’ knowledge of child dental health• Amend state Medicaid guidelines to cover
children’s dental care
Efforts to influence
community changes that:
• Influence a media campaign on children’s issues to spotlight child dental health
Breakthrough
opportunities to advance
community change efforts
• Provide evaluation and referrals for emergency dental care for children in homeless shelters
Basic human-needs &
crisis services that:
e.g.
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Specific Strategies Mapped on Community Investment Triangle
• Provide evaluations and referrals for emergency dental care for children in homeless shelters
• Incorporate child dental health care infor-mation in parenting programs
• Promote dental health ed in child care centers
• Increaseparents’
knowledge of child dental health
• Influence media campaign
• Amend state Medicaid guidelines to cover children’s dental care
e.g.
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Selecting specific direct-service and community-change strategies in which to invest resources in the future
Setting 3- to 5-year targets for resource investments to support the selected strategies
Part 2 – Topics
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Setting Investment Targets for Selected Strategies
1. Decide the amount of your organization’s money and staff time that you will invest in each strategy for improving lives
2. Decide how to deal with current financial investments that are not necessary for your selected strategies
3. Make explicit decisions about how you will use materials, events, other organizational resources to support your selected strategies
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Considerations include:
• Amounts of money and staff time invested in current efforts that are necessary to the strategy
• Additional money and staff time needed to maximize the impact of those current efforts
• Amounts of money and staff time required to maximize the impact of new efforts
• Money and staff time required for other strategies in this focus area, and for other focus areas
• Money and staff time available and projected
1. Decide Amounts of Money andStaff Time to Invest in Each Strategy
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2008 targeted
$XXXX
$XXX
$XX
$X
Vital Neighborhoods
e.g. 2005 actual
$0
$XXX
$XXX
$XX
Financial Targets for a Focus Area Mapped on Community Investment Triangle
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2. Deal with Current Financial Investments Not Necessary for Selected Strategies
Options include:
• If appropriate, explore re-focusing of recipient’s efforts to support a selected strategy
• Discontinue investment at end of current commitment
• Implement planned phase-out of investment
• If appropriate, help locate alternative support
• Make an exception, based on explicit criteria established in advance (e.g., it supports a vital organizational priority; ending the investment would irreparably damage a vital relationship)
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3. Decide How to Use Materials, Events, etc. to Support Selected Strategies
Materials e.g.: Events e.g.:
Annual report Day of Caring
Newsletters/e-newsletters Campaign kick-off
Fact sheets, brochures Campaign celebration
Website Recognition dinner
Ads & PSAs Leadership breakfasts
Volunteer talking points Board meetings
Pledge cards Partner meetings
Investment thank-you’s Volunteer trainings etc. etc.
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In Deciding How to Use These Resources, Think About:
What do you want to be known for?
For what specific strategies are you seeking to mobilize resources? What kinds of resources?
What shifts are you making between direct-service and community-change strategies?
What pressing community issue can you show progress in addressing? What population or community conditions have changed?
What breakthrough opportunities have you taken advantage of?
What do your target audiences care most about?
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e.g.
Targets for Use of Materials Mapped on Community Investment Triangle
Emphasis ondirect-service strategies
Emphasis on community-change strategies
65%
35%
Targeted
20%
80%
Current
Materials for Major Investors
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Communicating United Way’s New Strategies in Materials, Events, etc.
Do materials and events emphasize: Raising money, or improving lives? Donating to United Way, or investing in specific strategies for
improving lives? Success in raising money, or success in changing community
conditions? Only money, or also investments of expertise, leadership, etc? United Way’s thermometer, or dollars and other resources
leveraged for the community? Which organizations receive dollars, or how lives are improved
as a result? Mostly support for direct services, or also investments in lasting
community change? Only United Way actions, or also roles of diverse partners?
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The Community Investment TriangleTargeting Our Resources
Part 2: Targeting Future Investments
Selecting specific direct-service and community-change strategies in which to invest resources in the future
Setting 3- to 5-year targets for resource investments to support those strategies
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Related Resources on United Way Online
• Connecting Program Outcome Measurement to Community Impact (keyword: POM-CI)
• Getting Focused to Make Tough Choices (keyword: GetFocused)
• Hometown Literacy Partnership Experience (keyword: Hometown)
• Making the Most of Your Community Impact Initiatives (keyword: UsingInitiatives)
• Redefining Agency Relationships for Community Impact (keyword: RedefineAgency)
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