Welcome to the spring e-newsletter developed by Foundation Innovation, LLC. We hope you will find this information useful to you as one who is involved and/or supportive of education foundations that support school systems. 

Have you ever had one of those moments where everything seemed so chaotic and disorganized that you just needed to stop EVERYTHING and assess the situation? Here at Foundation Innovation, we call those "Everybody Out of the Pool" moments. Education Foundations can have these moments too, and that is when we recommend an Organizational Capacity Assessment. 

What exactly is organizational assessment? For many organizations it is a periodic or yearly evaluation of the current state of their foundation. Sometimes, however, it is the result of an "Everybody out of the pool" moment in which evaluation is necessary to create a plan of action. In either case, the purpose of the organizational assessment is to stop and evaluate the organizational status by identifying strengths, weakness and immediate critical issues through measurable data and discussion.

So, how can we asses our education foundation?

Take a scan of your environment to gather actual data. Surveys can be very useful to gather this data from your board, stakeholders, teachers, administrators, etc. Ask questions about your programs, the perceived awareness the community has of your foundation, ask your board members about their governance practices, and ask for suggestions. You can use the data gathered to address key areas identified. 

Look at the following key components of your organization closely:

1. Infrastructure: Is our organizational set up effective to accomplish our mission?
2. Board of Directors: Do we have a diverse board that can bring diverse resources to the table? Do we have the appropriate people in leadership positions?
3. Image: Do we have a consistent image that is recognizable to the community?
4. Programs: Do the programs we fund fit the goals of our organization and benefit the school district?
5. Development: Do we have a fundraising board? Have we reached out to potential donors? Do we contact our stakeholders to say thank you and reach out to them outside of solicitation?

Every foundation is unique and serves a community and school district with unique characteristics. However, organizational assessment is a tool that can serve all education foundations. Does your foundation need an "everybody out of the pool" break?

If you need help conducting an Organizational Capacity Assessment, let us know. We would be happy to point you in the right direction.

Sincerely,