Non-Profit Sector Transformation
The City of Madison, Wisconsin has long had a strong culture of community development, an authentic sense of civic duty, and a national profile as a progressive-thinking city.
Despite Madison’s civic-minded reputation, the city is facing some of the most divisive and challenging equity issues in the country, as recently highlighted in A Baseline Report on the State of Racial Disparities in Dane County, a report prepared by the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families.
Madison is home to a dense social infrastructure. Yet, despite Madison’s strong social infrastructure, the community’s major social problem with racial inequity continues to get worse, not better.
In response, the Mayor of Madison and his team approached Joiner Sandbrook with an ambitious question: How can we embed a systemic process in our social sector funding structure to ensure we keep up with the constantly shifting demographics and needs of our community?
Despite Madison’s civic-minded reputation, the city is facing some of the most divisive and challenging equity issues in the country, as recently highlighted in A Baseline Report on the State of Racial Disparities in Dane County, a report prepared by the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families.
Madison is home to a dense social infrastructure. Yet, despite Madison’s strong social infrastructure, the community’s major social problem with racial inequity continues to get worse, not better.
In response, the Mayor of Madison and his team approached Joiner Sandbrook with an ambitious question: How can we embed a systemic process in our social sector funding structure to ensure we keep up with the constantly shifting demographics and needs of our community?
Madison, Wisconsin
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The Project
Madison cares. It is a strong community. A resilient community. It is a progressive community with an authentic sense of civic duty, and a baseline of progressive-thinkers. It's half-a-million residents enjoy a quality of life and livability that remains the envy of many other cities across the U.S.
However, Madison is a city with challenges like any other. Arguably no issue is more challenging for Madison than racial equity, as recently highlighted in A Baseline Report on the State of Racial Disparities in Dane County, a report prepared by the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families.
Madison is home to a dense social infrastructure. Dane County is home to over 5,200 non-profit organizations and 250 private foundations, in addition to the local municipalities and area school district; the majority of which are based in the city of Madison. Yet, despite Madison’s strong social infrastructure, the community’s major social problem with racial inequity continues to get worse, not better.
With the City's authentic desire to continuously improve the lives of all it's residents, the Mayor of Madison and his team approached Joiner Sandbrook with an ambitious question: How can we embed a systemic process in our social sector funding structure to ensure we keep up with the constantly shifting demographics and needs of our community?
However, Madison is a city with challenges like any other. Arguably no issue is more challenging for Madison than racial equity, as recently highlighted in A Baseline Report on the State of Racial Disparities in Dane County, a report prepared by the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families.
Madison is home to a dense social infrastructure. Dane County is home to over 5,200 non-profit organizations and 250 private foundations, in addition to the local municipalities and area school district; the majority of which are based in the city of Madison. Yet, despite Madison’s strong social infrastructure, the community’s major social problem with racial inequity continues to get worse, not better.
With the City's authentic desire to continuously improve the lives of all it's residents, the Mayor of Madison and his team approached Joiner Sandbrook with an ambitious question: How can we embed a systemic process in our social sector funding structure to ensure we keep up with the constantly shifting demographics and needs of our community?
Deep Targeted Research & Analysis
With a mandate as broad and important to the Madison community as the Mayor's, real results come when you advocate the right message directly to those with the ability to influence and the inclination to act.
We started by identifying the individuals uniquely positioned to effect change on local social sector activities, including key city officials, major social sector organization leaders, funders, and cross sector advocates such as the Chamber of Commerce. For each individual or group we created an integrated map of their circle of influencers, identifying those with the deepest and most powerful connections across the sector. We overlaid a second map of those with the keenest motivation to act as change agents in the sector.
We then engaged our extensive network of deeply-rooted relationships to connect directly with local sector power players and influencers. We met with dozens of key policy makers, non-profit executives, program managers, funding agencies and advisors with the authority and direction to influence efforts in Madison's social sector.
We started by identifying the individuals uniquely positioned to effect change on local social sector activities, including key city officials, major social sector organization leaders, funders, and cross sector advocates such as the Chamber of Commerce. For each individual or group we created an integrated map of their circle of influencers, identifying those with the deepest and most powerful connections across the sector. We overlaid a second map of those with the keenest motivation to act as change agents in the sector.
We then engaged our extensive network of deeply-rooted relationships to connect directly with local sector power players and influencers. We met with dozens of key policy makers, non-profit executives, program managers, funding agencies and advisors with the authority and direction to influence efforts in Madison's social sector.
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An Integrated Framework
With a deep knowledge and influence of the sector landscape, and a growing coalition of committed partners, we then shaped the message. What do we want these change-agents to understand? What behaviors and choices are we looking to influence? Rhetoric and statistics are critical to drive credibility of the message, but it is often the story of collective potential impact on the community affected by your work that motivates action.
So, together with the Mayor, Joiner Sandbrook designed a blueprint for collaborative change across the sector, showing influencers the stark reality of the what was at stake, and what was possible.
Relying on our extensive experience in the private and social sectors, we carefully designed a series of recommendations that focused on transformation at several levels - internal processes at the City of Madison, collaborative projects/initiatives involving several players simultaneously, cross-sector thought leadership, and ongoing innovation. One critical component of our approach was the use of an integrated quality improvement framework, both to promote the overarching goals of transformation in the context of various discrete parts of the system, but also to systematically foster the continuous innovation processes necessary to ensure ongoing success.
So, together with the Mayor, Joiner Sandbrook designed a blueprint for collaborative change across the sector, showing influencers the stark reality of the what was at stake, and what was possible.
Relying on our extensive experience in the private and social sectors, we carefully designed a series of recommendations that focused on transformation at several levels - internal processes at the City of Madison, collaborative projects/initiatives involving several players simultaneously, cross-sector thought leadership, and ongoing innovation. One critical component of our approach was the use of an integrated quality improvement framework, both to promote the overarching goals of transformation in the context of various discrete parts of the system, but also to systematically foster the continuous innovation processes necessary to ensure ongoing success.
Relevance
Madison's social sector is a major contributor to the local community - both socially and economically. The sector is a critical service provider, a major employer, and a beacon for the city's positive image and reputation.
The Mayor recognized that the importance of the social sector reaches far beyond the direct influence of the City and its ongoing support for non-profits and social services. It is also an integrated part of the local community and economy that warrants adequate support for efforts toward sector improvement, including efficiency and productivity, service quality, and effectiveness. With this in mind, Joiner Sandbrook developed a roadmap for sector-wide engagement in the critical issues facing the sector, while equipping the Mayor with the information and tools necessary to play his vital role as a leader of these important conversations.
The Mayor recognized that the importance of the social sector reaches far beyond the direct influence of the City and its ongoing support for non-profits and social services. It is also an integrated part of the local community and economy that warrants adequate support for efforts toward sector improvement, including efficiency and productivity, service quality, and effectiveness. With this in mind, Joiner Sandbrook developed a roadmap for sector-wide engagement in the critical issues facing the sector, while equipping the Mayor with the information and tools necessary to play his vital role as a leader of these important conversations.
Measurable Impact
Together with the Mayor, our efforts created deeply meaningful and impactful experiences for policy makers, city councillors, non-profit funders and leaders, and key sector influencers alike.
More importantly, as a result of our significant work to date as a catalyst for real change, additional resources have been mobilized to implement recommended key change initiatives, and many sector influencers are now seeking to engage in their own change activities complementary to those being promoted by the City.
More importantly, as a result of our significant work to date as a catalyst for real change, additional resources have been mobilized to implement recommended key change initiatives, and many sector influencers are now seeking to engage in their own change activities complementary to those being promoted by the City.