West Side Community Organization

West Side Community Organization

Joining a nonprofit as a new executive director can be daunting, especially when both the ED and the organization have bold, ambitious vision. This was the case at West Side Community Organization (WSCO), where AmplifyDMC provided organizational development support for the new executive director as she strove to gain her footing as a leader, fundraiser, budget manager, and much more—while also staying true to the organization’s essential program work.

The partnership included one-on-one coaching to help the new executive director navigate nonprofit operations from board management to finance to human resources. This was a truly collaborative effort, with Amplify both asking and answering key questions and working with the ED to identify how various functions affected one another, such as finance and human resources.

Together, we problem-solved across all areas of WSCO’s organization, including board engagement and budget development, with Amplify also recommending outside consultants to handle functions like payroll so that the executive director could focus on steering WSCO’s mission and vision.

Building the Case

The AmplifyDMC team also helped WSCO’s new executive director isolate the organization’s work streams that needed funding—and were the most fundable. We then used our grant prospecting software to identify a list of promising potential funders that matched WSCO’s key areas of work. From this list, we built a schedule for drafting and submitting applications and coached WSCO on reaching out to funders so the executive director could build relationships before applying.

From there, we worked together to tease out the nuances of “asks”—how to present WSCO’s work and programs in grant proposals so that they resonate with each funder’s priorities and guidelines. Meanwhile, we launched a plan for individual giving, helping WSCO run Give to the Max Day and year-end fundraising campaigns. These campaigns were designed to act as templates for individual giving appeals in years to come.

Ultimately, our partnership led to a strategic sustainability plan that identified both WSCO’s strengths and weaknesses and laid the groundwork for future fundraising success, long-term.