|
"I've got a great idea for a new
program! Lets form a NonProfit, and then we can get grants!"
Sound familiar? Starting a new program is
exciting. But without doing your homework first, your program is much more
likely to fail.
We don't like to do the homework. We think it's
more exciting to just jump in and get to work. That's why this article will be
helpful for you. Because done correctly, performing a feasibility study IS
exciting.
Yes, exciting.
What Exactly is a Feasibility Study?
A feasibility study will provide you with a map of pitfalls and
opportunities likely to be encountered in creating your new program.
Feasibility study is the ounce of prevention that is worth far more than the
pound of cure.
Feasibility study lets you see potential
problems before they hit you between the eyes (the point when most of us first
notice problems!)
That Doesn't Sound Like Fun and
Excitement! You Promised Excitement!
The excitement comes from
talking to dozens of knowledgeable people, from your congressman to high school
kids. Finding new ways of thinking about your program. Considering all sides of
the subject, so you don't have to learn from your mistakes. Gathering
information that will be critical when it comes time to look for funding.
Talking to folks who are likely to become supporters of your efforts.
Looking at Feasibility Study in this light, it's
hard to understand why someone would choose NOT to do it!
|
Getting Started:
The
root of feasibility study is asking questions. There are three sets of
questions that will help you determine if the project makes sense:
What do we want this program to accomplish
for our community?
Is this project really needed?
If it is needed, what will it take
internally to make this program a reality?
The answers to these questions will tell
you whether the project will do what you want it to do, and it will tell you
how.
Who to Ask:
We have
written entire books about 'who to ask' and how to engage those individuals.
The best advice as you start out is to list everyone you can think of, whose
advice might be helpful in answering the questions below. Don't worry about
whether you know those individuals or not - just list who you would love to get
advice from. Potential clients? Potential supporters? Potential partners?
People who might refer clients? People who are already in the trenches?
Then next to all those names, note the
ones you already know. For the ones you do NOT know, your job is twofold.
First, list people who may know them, who can provide an introduction. Second,
make sure every time you meet with someone, you ask if they know anyone who
knows the individuals you want to get to know.
Remember, because this is fact-finding and
not asking for money, people will be far more willing to connect you to people
they know.
And in the end, there is always the direct
approach - pick up the phone and call those people directly, with no
introduction. Again, because you do not want money (and you may need to be very
clear about that - we are all so used to being hit on for money!), you have a
far better chance of their agreeing to share their wisdom!
For additional information on how to
engage these individuals and where to find them, see the links at the bottom of
this article. |
Question
#1:
What will this program
accomplish?
Most people think of "feasible" as a
combination of
a) Is there a need for
it?
and
b) What will it cost? / Can
we afford to do it?
Those business-oriented
questions are indeed important. But they don't get at the heart of why
NonProfits create new programs - to create change.
And so, the first question
for creating a new program must be:
What change do we want
this program to accomplish for our community?
Whether you are starting a
whole new organization or creating a new program for an existing organization,
focus on your vision for improving your community.
Other questions to spark your
thinking:
• What do we want the
end result of this program to be?
• Why is this program
important?
These will be your first
questions, and they will also be your last. Because at the end of all the
research and interviews, you will be able to look back at these questions and
answer:
Will the program
accomplish what we wanted it to accomplish?
Question #2:
Is The Project
Needed?
The second set of questions helps decide if the
program is needed:
- Is there substantial
demand for this program?
- Will this program in any
way duplicate or otherwise compete for funds and/or clients with programs doing
similar work in the community?
- Are the obstacles to
developing this program insurmountable?
- Does the development of
this program provide synergy or other benefit for our own programs and/or other
programs in the community?
The Exciting Part:
Finding the Answers to Those Questions
There is no magical way to
find the answers to these questions. The power (and the fun) come in the asking
- in talking to as many people as possible, from as many different perspectives
as possible
Philanthropists and other
NonProfits. City Council offices and program recipients. Volunteers. United
Way. Ask the CEO, but also ask the janitor. Imagine how strong your program
will be when its genesis is the input of all these knowledgeable and involved
souls!
You will find that most
people are anxious to help you. People like to be thought of as experts, and
they like to share their opinions and thoughts. You will be asking folks to do
what they enjoy doing. Treat them to breakfast, and ask away!
Demand and
Competition:
Is there unmet demand for this program? Or is there
already something like this around your community?
To learn what's going on in
your community, talk to folks from as many walks of life as possible. Survey
potential recipients of the service. Talk with local government officials, with
Information and Referral services, or other organizations that are often the
first stop in a person's search for help. Talk with funders - foundations,
individual philanthropists, United Way representatives, etc.
What are their biggest
gripes about existing programs? What do they think of your idea? What are their
suggestions? What approaches are they thinking of that you haven't
considered?
Obstacles
Obstacles are those things that could stand in the
way of a successful program, and that MUST be overcome for the program to
accomplish its goals.
What may stand in your way?
And how can you overcome those obstacles?
Money and staff are always
the first items on the obstacles hit-parade, so you might as well put them on
there right now.
• Then
think of internal obstacles: Limited physical space for a new program? Limited
past board support for this type of effort? Etc.
• Add
external obstacles: Is the economy so healthy that the public has forgotten the
poor? Does your community have a disdain for public art? What external
obstacles will threaten your program?
Ask your contacts about these
potential obstacles. Have them add others to the list. And then, item by item,
with the help of the folks you are interviewing, determine if and how those
obstacles can be overcome.
Synergy
Synergy can be internally or externally
focused as well. The new program may be a catalyst for other changes within
your organization, or it could be a catalyst for changes in the community,
bringing a number of agencies together to do something that hasn't been done
before. Again, talking to lots of different folks is the key. If
the creation of this program will make the whole bigger than the current sum of
parts, then that will be a big plus in determining its feasibility.
Wrapping It All
Up
The benefits from this questioning come from the actual answers
you receive, as well as the simple process of asking and talking to people.
First, you will gain
invaluable information, from perspectives that might never have occurred to
you. It is exhilarating to have all this advice, from experts in so many
fields, free for the asking.
Equally as important, though,
is that you will be out in the community, making the project known, gaining
support. Follow up these visits with a personal note of thanks for their time,
and promise to keep them posted on your progress. Then keep your word and do
keep them informed.
Question
#3:
"What Will it Take to Run The
Program?"
Just because a project is
needed doesn't make it practical.
The following set of
questions will eventually become your program/business plan, leading right up
to the creation of a program budget. They describe the practical side of your
plan.
Chances are you know many of
the answers to these questions and won't need a great deal of outside input.
However, if you are in doubt, don't guess - ask. The more accurate your
information, the more accurate your eventual cost projections will
be.
The following seven functions
are the basis of any NonProfit program, regardless of the type of program. The
first 2 items, Product and Operations, will define the program and lay the
groundwork for all the other functions.
For the purpose of this
example, lets use the following program:
The
Creation of a Counseling Program
Product:
As
specifically as possible, define the program. If the program is short-term
counseling for at-risk teens, what will be the focus of the counseling? How
specifically can you define your clients? What types of problems will the
program focus on? Etc.
Operations:
As
succinctly as possible, define how the program will function. From where are
you anticipating the teens will be referred? What will be the process once they
arrive? How many sessions will they get? How long will a session be? What will
the intake process be? Etc.
Direct Service Personnel:
From your
definition of the program and its functional operations, what types of
positions and how many direct service (non-administrative) staff hours do you
anticipate the program will require?
Administration:
What types of
administrative support will the program require? Will the program require its
own full-time receptionist or can that position be shared? What kinds of
paperwork will be required? How much planning time will be required?
Administration is the area that is most frequently overlooked and is guaranteed
to eat up a larger-than-expected chunk of staff time. Be as specific as you can
in planning for this function.
Equipment and
Facilities:
Estimate all the equipment and facilities
needs for starting AND maintaining the program. This will include physical
space as well as everything from desks and chairs to computers. Can some of
this function be provided in-kind or collaboratively?
Community
Engagement:
Do you have a plan for engaging community
members in what you want to accomplish? This will include engaging individuals
in referring your service, to bring in clients - which may include engaging
schools or the courts or whomever. It will include engaging individuals who may
be able to provide things you need - resources such as space or volunteers or
cash resources or advice about how to do the work you are doing (or answers to
all the questions in this article!). How will you ensure the community is
deeply engaged in your work?
A Fluid Process:
You can see that this process isn't cast in stone. The answer to one
question may change the answers to a whole set of previous questions.
• Looking
into the equipment needs of your program may bring up numerous obstacles that
hadn't been considered. After reviewing those new obstacles with some of your
contacts, you may find that the project doesn't make as much sense as it did
before you had all the facts.
• Or you
may find, while researching the personnel needs of your program, that there are
2 similar programs in your community, that no one in your highly knowledgeable
group of advisors even knew about, offering the opportunity for
collaboration.
Be prepared to adjust and
tweak as you continue to learn.
Will the Program Accomplish What We
Wanted It To Accomplish?
We circle back to the question
that matters most: Will this program help us make our vision for our
community's future into a reality?
Once the planning group is
satisfied that the whole package makes sense - that there is a definable need
for the program; that obstacles are all addressed with a plan for overcoming
them; that funding is possible; that there is no potential duplication of
effort; etc. - then you will be able to answer that big picture question:
"Will this program accomplish what we wanted it to accomplish?
What Comes Next?
Calendaring, assigning and budgeting. Who will do what, when? How much will
it cost and how quickly can we realistically budget it in?
Then start your engines, and
you're off! You will be on the road to providing that new service, reaching
towards the long-term possibilities you had envisioned for your
community.
And you will have gained
support and had a good deal of fun along the way! |
Home
What
do we want this program to accomplish for our community?
CLICK HERE