How Do You Help... Really?

Who Do You Help... How Do You Know?

A lot of clients come to me with the same question "how do I get grant funding?"

That question quickly turns into a different discussion that typically goes like this:

"Who do you serve?"

Response: (insert a lot of words)

Me: "Ok... how do you serve them?"

Response: (insert a lot of silence.... then insert a lot of words)

This happens because people who are passionate about helping others often have big ideas about how to do that. It might include serving multiple populations with multiple strategies and lots of programs.

That's great... if it's all organized and planned for execution. Funders love that stuff!

BUT... most likely it's not planned and ready to go implement.

That's because the ideas in one's brain don't come out in a linear fashion. Ideas don't come out in project management timelines or deliverables with outcomes.

Ideas fueled by passion come out looking like a jumbled mess... kinda like my spaghetti funding stream drawings.

Ideas -> Action: The Magic of Serving Others

Transposing ideas into actionable plans takes some skill and practice. It took me years to perfect my method of how to transpose the cool things in your brain into real world programs and services that help others.

I teach my clients this method because it's the same process I use for grant planning/writing, creating new programs/services, and even developing new business or nonprofit organizations.

That process starts with Mind Mapping.

I ask clients to create a mind map that has all their ideas in one place with them at the core of the mind map. That's because as an individual we only have so much time and energy to dedicate to our passions and ideas.

After that... the secret is translating the mind map into an actual plan you can follow with goals, objectives, and deliverables. (All the things grantors ask for in grant proposals).

Mind Mapping Who You Serve

This might sound weird but stick with me a minute...

Have you tried to mind map the person or group you serve? Most people don't use mind mapping for their ideal client/customer/donor planning.

I invite you to try this technique.

Mind Mapping Who You Serve

Put your ideal client, customer, or donor at the center of a mind map and create branches with all the info you have about this person or group of people. Some of this information will be data that you can gather through a needs assessment.

Other information might be anecdotal or information you gathered through interactions with this person/group of people.

Once you mind map things like demographics, characteristics, needs/desires, and challenges you can begin tailoring your approach to this specific person or group.

Putting all the information out where you can see it with your eyes and reconsider what is in your head changes how you approach problem solving.

Suddenly, your "answer" may seem too "small" or not sufficient to serve your person. Or your answer might seem too big and doesn't match the person's needs.

The reason this approach works is because it helps you map your idea/solution to the person who you are trying to serve. I've even done this with a group of partners planning multi-million-dollar projects that take up to 5-10 years.

Mind Mapping How You Help

Remember that mind map you created with you at the center as the founder or organization?

Dig back into that content for a second and see what solutions you created when you transposed the ideas in your head onto "paper".

Sometimes we need to do a second mind map of "solutions" so we can clarify the ideas we have that match the needs of our population of focus (your ideal client).

With this mind map, only include the strategies from the first mind map that get to your outcome and match the needs of your population of focus.

By matching your mind maps together you can avoid making errors in who you serve or how you serve them.

I go over this concept in depth in this blog post, I invite you to read more about how to make sure you're getting to the impact you desire.

Mapping Your Solutions to the Needs & Resources You See Right Now

The only way to know if you are meeting the right needs that your population of focus has or if you are meeting the need you intend to meet is for you to first know what the needs are and then measure your work.?

Funders will usually ask you about the needs of the population you serve and expect you to quantify them. You might use data in your application or have to complete a needs assessment in the early funding stages.?

This is a common practice because it requires you to stop and take stock of what you’re trying to do and what actually needs to be done. A well-done needs assessment can save you time, money, and effort that you might otherwise waste.?

Taking the time to understand the unique needs of those you serve and the context in which you work will help you be successful and sustainable.

Understanding how you serve people and how to consistently get the favorable outcomes is they key to making a big impact. That's why mismatch in this area can be a detrimental mistake for social entrepreneurs and organizations trying to build a sustainable legacy.

What’s the Biggest Mistake a Social Impact Organization Can Make?

Excellent question! It’s kinda like asking ‘what else can go wrong?”?

There are already loads of things that can stop a founder from creating a sustainable organization.?

When your goal is to do good work and help create a better (world/society/life, etc)… you want to make sure you’re being as efficient and effective as possible.?

That means, the biggest mistake you can make is one that will limit both your efficiency and effectiveness.?

Sometimes there can be a mismatch between the population that you want to help and what they actually need. Sometimes you are helping people, but they’re not the people you intended to help.?

Navigating this tricky water takes a strong plan for implementation and that all starts with a mind map.

When you know who and how you serve, what the need is, and what impact you're already making you can level up your efforts to the legacy level.

If you want to learn more about my process for creating social impact programs and organizations, check out my Level Up Accelerator where I teach you the entire process.

Want to Know More?

This post is an excerpt from my blog-Own Your Errors: Two Dangerous Mistakes to Avoid When Serving Others

You can?watch the video?about how to to use Airtable for a needs assessment or read this blog post if you want to know more: Super secret Data Points That You Didn’t Know You Needed to Do a Needs Assessment

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