Management Consulting Services - Supporting Leaders - Networking Nonprofits - Transforming Communities

How to Rate Program Effectiveness

Jan Beaven — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 18:26:43 -0500

Are our programs having the Impact we want? Do program Finances justify a program’s viability? How can we identify strengths and weaknesses?

Executive Directors are striving to cope with shrinking budgets. If programs must be cut or curtailed, what approach helps with decision making? Management Consulting Services (MCS) has developed a process and tools for program analysis. Executive Directors, and their Boards, have found the MCS approach to be helpful.

Step 1. Develop Program Assessment Criteria

The process begins with definition of the criteria to be used in evaluating programs. Recently, an MCS client agreed to the following criteria for its programs:

How the Economic Crisis Will and Maybe Should Change the Nonprofit Sector

Stephen Rockwell — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 10:29:08 -0500

"Most prefer the security of known misery to the misery of unfamiliar security." Sheldon Kopp

There is no doubt that a great wave of fear has fallen over the nonprofit sector and indeed the nation. The constant barrage of bad news, while tempered by the jubilation surrounding the historic inauguration in Washington, affects our psyches as we approach each day a bit more unsure than the previous. Einstein said that problems can not be solved at the level of analysis that created them and yet we try. We are attempting to solve problems in which the allusive answers seem to create their own host of other problems. Downsizing may temporarily help our organization, but how then will we continue to provide essential services? We attempt to expand our individual donor base, but if all nonprofits make the same attempt how effective will we be? The conversation about the generational shift in leadership change has shifted to a fear that the sector will lose its young and entrepreneurial talent to layoffs. In most cases there are no good answers, only better solutions.

White paper released by MCS: A snapshot of the effect of economic downturn on nonprofits

Gayathri Tirthapura — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 18:12:58 -0500

As a provider of strategic planning, strategic technology, and other technical assistance services to nonprofit organizations throughout the Greater Boston area, those of us at Management Consulting Services (MCS) readily see the impact of the worsening economic crisis on the sector. We recently conducted a survey of nonprofits in Massachusetts to gauge the impact of the economic crisis on the nonprofit sector in order for us to talk about the effects using some data rather than anecdotes. This report presents the findings from this survey.Following were some of the major findings from this survey:a. While organizations of all budget sizes anticipate the economic downturn impacting their organization, organizations with smaller budgets indicate that the impact will be greater compared to organizations with larger budgets.

Economic Crisis Services

mcsadmin — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 14:02:55 -0500

We are currently experiencing unparalleled economic conditions that will present serious challenges to our nonprofit community. These times demand that organizations become significantly more efficient in how they operate, and develop creative and innovative ways of looking at their programming, infrastructure and fundraising.

Efficiency Audit - determine the most effective changes that your organization will need
to make to maintain your core mission and yet sustain yourself with
reduced levels of revenue. The audit looks at program sustainability, environmental sustainability and administrative expenses all with an eye towards immediate cost reductions.
Efficiency Audit Seminar - The workshop provides an overview of the tools and techniques of the efficiency audit.
Cloud Computing - Save costs on IT by moving your infrastructure (email, calendaring, groupware, word processing) to the cloud including Four Part Training, and IT management services. We also provide salesforce.com customization and training. Stop worrying about and paying for IT support.

As part of our ongoing work, MCS also provides the following services. Please contact us if interested.

MCS Services

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 13:06:18 -0400

MCS provides consulting services to nonprofit organizations. We deliver consulting services through ongoing consulting engagements or sector based initiatives:
Consulting Services - Learn about how we can assist your organization.
Collaborative Learning - Participate in peer learning and organizational development.
The Networked Nonprofit - Learn about how the latest technologies can save money and greatly improve service delivery.