Recently, a client asked me to review a new grant proposal that they received from a current grantee. The proposal outlined a very interesting new project to address issues of interest to our client – a funder. As we discussed the proposal, I asked “Which of your priority outcomes does this grant help you to accomplish?”My client colleague said “Hmmm, I am not sure. This is a great partner, a good organization and work that seems really interesting, but as I look at our Impact Framework (an organized list of the funder’s priority outcomes that they aim to achieve), I am not clear about how this new project fits with the things that we have articulated as our priority outcomes.” ...

Great article below! Yesterday at the Kellogg School of Management class that I teach, I proclaimed “strategic planning” dead. Morbid, I know. But the point is that “old school” tools and consulting techniques– like strategic planning, board governance and program evaluation - are increasingly irrelevant in today’s world of social change. Instead these are being replaced by new more business-derived techniques like Benchmarking, Success Equations, even dare I say Logic Models. These new set of tools are practitioner-focused, easy-to-use, non-academic and tied directly to mission success. Anyway, the below is further to the point… ...