The Community Investment Triangle Targeting Our Resources Part 3: Aligning Around Strategies for Impact

The Community Investment Triangle -- Part 3: Aligning Around Strategies for Impact 2 by investing in: Prevention & development services Basic human-needs & crisis services attitudes, networks, neighbor- hoods, organizations, systems Efforts to influence community Breakthrough opportunities Focus on community impact

The Community Investment Triangle -- Part 3: Aligning Around Strategies for Impact 3 The Community Investment Triangle: Targeting Our Resources Part 1: Mapping Current Investments Part 2: Targeting Future Investments Part 3: Aligning Around Strategies for Impact

The Community Investment Triangle -- Part 3: Aligning Around Strategies for Impact 4 Align Skills and Activities Across the Business to Make the Selected Strategies Successful Community investments Resource development Marketing and communications Agency relations Investor relations Business and labor relations Public policy Measurement Finance Technology etc. For example...

The Community Investment Triangle -- Part 3: Aligning Around Strategies for Impact 5 Understand and support the organization’s selected strategies for improving lives Help define resources needed to support those strategies and communicate needs to all staff and volunteers Provide highlights of strategies, progress, and results for use in targeted communications Assist volunteers in making funding decisions that align with the selected strategies Monitor and report the success of specific investments in meeting intended outcomes People involved in managing community investments...

The Community Investment Triangle -- Part 3: Aligning Around Strategies for Impact 6 Understand and support the organization’s selected strategies for improving lives Work to mobilize specific resources needed to support specific strategies Make “asks” that are targeted: –to specific sources –for specific strategies Pursue a diverse range of sources Mobilize not only money, but also people, relationships, networks, expertise, technology, etc. People involved in mobilizing resources...

The Community Investment Triangle -- Part 3: Aligning Around Strategies for Impact 7 People involved in marketing & communicating... Understand and support the organization’s selected strategies for improving lives Describe different strategies to different audiences, based on their demonstrated interests Explain the breadth and focus of the United Way’s strategies for improving lives to stakeholders Use the strategic mix of results-focused investments to differentiate the United Way from other philanthropies Communicate plans, progress and results in ways that demonstrate the United Way’s ability to deliver “what matters”

The Community Investment Triangle -- Part 3: Aligning Around Strategies for Impact 8 People involved in agency relations... Understand and support the organization’s selected strategies for improving lives Inform agencies and their supporters of the breadth and focus of the United Way’s strategies for improving lives Emphasize the organization’s ongoing commitment to direct services that relate to defined focus areas and strategies Encourage agencies to pursue involvement in multi- partner initiatives related to defined focus areas

The Community Investment Triangle -- Part 3: Aligning Around Strategies for Impact 9 People involved in investor relations... Understand and support the organization’s selected strategies for improving lives Emphasize the United Way’s focus on important community issues Present specific investment opportunities that enable investors to connect with their philanthropic priorities Offer investment options that match the investor’s stage of life and resources – including non-financial resources Report progress and results, showing that the United Way is accountable and delivers “what matters”

The Community Investment Triangle -- Part 3: Aligning Around Strategies for Impact 10 People involved in business and labor relations... Understand and support the organization’s selected strategies for improving lives Present opportunities for engagement related to businesses’ and labor organizations’ specific philanthropic priorities Look for opportunities to engage people, networks, expertise, technology, etc., as well as money Seek partnerships and build coalitions to pursue shared public policy objectives that advance the United Way’s strategies for improving lives

The Community Investment Triangle -- Part 3: Aligning Around Strategies for Impact 11 Understand and support the organization’s selected strategies for improving lives Identify opportunities to advance those strategies by influencing public policy Build coalitions with people and groups to advocate for policy change Engage public officials whose support is key to advancing policy priorities Partner with elected officials and other policy makers who are committed to federal, state or local causes that relate to the United Way’s priorities People involved in public policy...

The Community Investment Triangle -- Part 3: Aligning Around Strategies for Impact 12 People involved in measuring progress and results... Understand and support the organization’s selected strategies for improving lives Use different measures to monitor progress and results for different strategies Lasting changes in community conditions Direct services to individuals/families Population outcomes Condition changes Program outcomes

The Community Investment Triangle -- Part 3: Aligning Around Strategies for Impact 13 People involved with finances... Understand and support the organization’s selected strategies for improving lives Use the budgeting process as a way to support those strategies Adapt the organization’s financial management practices and policies to accommodate more diverse funding streams

The Community Investment Triangle -- Part 3: Aligning Around Strategies for Impact 14 Understand and support the organization’s selected strategies for improving lives Develop tools for tracking strategies’ progress and results Create options for keeping donors informed of progress on strategies of interest to them Free human resources for community impact work by finding more creative uses for technology People involved with technology...

The Community Investment Triangle -- Part 3: Aligning Around Strategies for Impact 15 The Community Investment Triangle Targeting Our Resources Part 3: Aligning Around Strategies for Impact  Aligning organizational skills and activities to make the selected strategies successful

The Community Investment Triangle -- Part 3: Aligning Around Strategies for Impact 16 Related Resources on United Way Online Aligning for Impact Series (keyword: Alignment) –What Is Alignment and Why Is It Important? –Why Is This So Tough? Identifying and Addressing Barriers –Internal Alignment: Staff Behaviors, Skills and Structures –Alignment: It’s Not About the Org Chart! –Aligning Around Strategies for Improving Lives Community Initiatives: Tracking Progress and Results (keyword: CITracking) Hometown Literacy Partnership Experience (keyword: Hometown) Making the Most of Your Community Impact Initiatives (keyword: UsingInitiatives)

The Community Investment Triangle -- Part 3: Aligning Around Strategies for Impact 17