Documenting Your Nonprofit Program With Program Descriptions

I get it. As nonprofit leaders, you are in the trenches.? You are constantly thinking of new ways of meeting the needs of those you serve, developing innovative solutions, and demonstrating impact.? But there may be one thing you are not doing that - although you have taken two steps forward, will put you three steps back.

Not documenting your programming can set your organization back or bring your attempts to increase your funding to a screeching halt.? Why?? Well….

1. It’s important to infuse consistency in how you talk about your programming to potential partners and other members of your organization.? Everyone needs to be on the same page on what you do, how you do it, who you are impacting, and why.? Every staff member and board member should understand your programming inside and out.
2. When it comes to writing grants, funders want to know the who, what, where, why, and how of your programming.? In order to respond comprehensively and address goals and outcomes adequately, it is important to take the time to fully flesh out all details of your programming and create project descriptions.? This will save you from reinventing the wheel each time and (again) infuse consistency and help you avoid overlooking small details.? It also takes collaboration and the input of many people and stakeholders to gain different perspectives to really develop a meaningful program.
3. Documenting your programming helps with onboarding new team members.? What happens when your Program Director, who has all of the programming details in their head, leaves?? Well, all those grainy details, everyone relied on this person for leaves too.? Documenting your program in the form of a program description will help new team members get up to speed quickly.

Luckily at Think and Ink Grants, we believe in logic model-based program design and development.? To read more about logic models, check out the following article: Five Steps to Creating A Winning Logic Model.? For us, it’s the start of creating fully developed project descriptions.?

We also come across some organizations that heavily invest in concept notes.? These are great as quick documents to pitch a program to a funder to see if there is interest. At some point, using a concept note as a start to fully develop a program description will be in order.? Also, know that developing program descriptions is not a one-time event.? Program descriptions should be updated frequently as different areas of your programming change.

What are your thoughts on documenting your programming???

-Shavonn

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About Shavonn Richardson, MBA, GPC

Shavonn is Founder and CEO of Think and Ink Grant Consulting. As a former nonprofit leader and grantmaker, Shavonn has over 20 years of experience delivering practical, real-world advice to nonprofit leaders across the country.??Shavonn also serves on the Board of Directors of the Grant Professionals Association and is a Sustainer member of the Junior League of Atlanta.

Shavonn earned the GPC (Grant Professional Certified) credential from the Grant Professionals Certification Institute in 2020 and is a Grant Professionals Association Approved Trainer.?Shavonn earned a BBA from Howard University in Washington, DC, and an MBA from Emory University in Atlanta, GA.

Learn more by visiting our website: www.thinkandinkgrants.com