CWV New and Noteworthy
Client Highlights
ACCION International -
Center for Financial Inclusion
Community Wealth Ventures congratulates
ACCION International on the
public launch of its Center for Financial Inclusion during a spectacular
event held in Washington, DC on September 23, 2008. The Center for
Financial Inclusion pursues the proposition that low-income people
deserve high-quality financial services and that these services can be
provided best through commercial models that incorporate social
purpose. The Center works on behalf of the microfinance industry as a
whole, serving as a bridge to leverage private sector interest in
microfinance. In collaboration with others, the Center works to bring
the best minds and expertise to bear on industry problems.
ACCION engaged CWV to analyze the market opportunity and collaboratively
develop a business plan that would guide ACCION in the Center's design
and implementation. For more information about the exciting work of the
Center please click
here.
Pictured above: Top - Beth Rhyne, Managing Director. Bottom - Members of
the Center for Financial Inclusion team.
Photos by Jacques-Jean Tiziou
for ACCION International
Easter Seals
Work Resource Center
Congratulations to
Easter Seals Work Resource Center, a
current participant in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky
Community Wealth Collaborative, for being the 2008 winner in the
Performance Category for the ONE Award. ONE is an acronym for
“Organizations of Noteworthy Excellence.” The ONE Award recognizes
outstanding local nonprofit organizations that operate using strong
business strategies and processes. Honorees are examples of
organizations excelling in one or more of the key focus areas of:
people, process, principles and performance.
Everybody Rides Metro
We would
like to congratulate
Everybody Rides Metro, a current
participant in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Community Wealth
Collaborative, for being honored as the 2008 recipient of the American
Public Transit Association (APTA) Innovation Award for being the first
foundation of its kind. ERM’s mission is to provide reliable
transportation to the economically disadvantaged of Cincinnati, assuring
access to employment, education, health care and other vital services as
they work towards self-sufficiency.
Community Wealth Ventures' Latest
Publication
Streams of Hope
Social Franchising: A New Path to Wealth for Nonprofits
Streams of Hope
examines the groundbreaking concept of social franchising and its
potential to offer nonprofit organizations an unrestricted flow of
funding to support mission activities. Authored and compiled by
Community Wealth Ventures, this publication is a must-read for nonprofit
organizations seeking new, more reliable funding sources. It serves as
both an introduction to social franchising and a handbook for navigating
this exciting new income stream.
Features:
-
Case studies
of seven nonprofits who've done it right
-
How to decide if
social franchising is a "go or no go" for your organization
-
Funding a social
franchise
-
Is it legal?
-
Interview with a
franchisor
-
Resources for
finding franchises, consultants, and financial or legal assistance
…and much more!
Download your free copy of
Streams of Hope today!
Escuela Bolivia
Escuela
Bolivia has engaged CWV to conduct an assessment of its
organizational and cost structure for its Saturday School Program which
provides Spanish language and heritage classes to community members. The
recommendations will inform a new pricing strategy that will maximize
revenue and mission objectives, and to ensure that the program is
operating with maximum efficiency.
Leadership
Learning Community
CWV was hired to support the
Leadership Learning Community, a nonprofit dedicated to
developing leadership that can address a range of significant social
issues. The engagement will involve coaching the client to develop a
business plan for the organization, which will include an assessment of
the feasibility of growing a consulting business.
Maryland SPCA
The
MD SPCA
has engaged CWV to conduct a feasibility assessment of two earned income
opportunities: a pet boarding facility and a veterinary hospital. Each
venture's services will be targeted to customers with the ability to pay
market rates. The earned income venture will not only allow the MD SPCA
to decrease reliance on their endowment, but also continue to meet the
needs of the pet-owning community, as well as to support their work in
fostering the humane relationship between animals and people.
National Business
Coalition on Health
In October
2008, CWV completed a feasibility assessment of social enterprise
business opportunities for
NBCH, a national, nonprofit, membership
organization of employer-based health care coalitions dedicated to
purchasing health care services through the collective action of public
and private purchasers. The study helped NBCH's leadership to prioritize
social enterprise opportunities, and ultimately to decide on how to
invest in the growth of their organization to achieve greater mission
impact.
Northern Virginia
Family Services
CWV recently
concluded an engagement with
Northern Virginia Family Services during
which CWV developed a business plan for a Geriatric Care Management
business. The venture appears to be an excellent opportunity that
builds on the organization's strong reputation and connections in the
local community.
Social Enterprise Field
Survey
CWV is
working in partnership with the
Social Enterprise Alliance and the
Center for
the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship to conduct a
Social Enterprise Field Study. It is the first of its kind - both in
scope and breadth. The survey closed recently and we exceeded our
expectations with over 1,000 people responding from all missions and
venture types. Thanks to many of our clients and friends for answering
the survey! We plan to jointly release the results in early 2009; stay
tuned for information. CWV is also working with the Social Enterprise
Alliance on an organizational Strategic Plan.
Social Enterprise Performance Diagnostic Tool
Would you like to enhance the performance of your social enterprise?
With the support of the
Alcoa Foundation, CWV has
created the Social Enterprise Performance Diagnostic Tool for existing
social enterprises to assess, as compared to their peers, the level of
performance of their earned income ventures on several
dimensions: social performance strategy, human resources/leadership,
marketing/sales, financial management, financial performance and
operations. The Diagnostic will be available in January of 2009 in
online and customized consulting formats.
United Way of America
The
United Way
has engaged CWV to conduct benchmarking with several global non-profit
organizations by examining various financial models, revenue channels,
expense areas, and core assumptions. The United Way will use the
information as they plan for the creation of a new integrated global
entity, United Way Worldwide.
Foundation Services
Sample of Recent and Current Programs
Cleveland Community
Wealth Collaborative: Year #3
The third
Cleveland Collaborative is now more
than half way done. At this point, most participants have drafted half
of their business plans and are working to finish primary market
research.
Participants in the Collaborative are:
·
Cleveland
Botanical Garden
·
Cleveland
Rape Crisis Center
·
Saint
Martin de Porres High School
·
The
Gathering Place
·
Volunteers of America of Greater Ohio
·
Young
Audiences of Northeast Ohio
Greater
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Collaborative
We kicked
off the
Collaborative in September 2008 with an
outstanding group of organizations. They include:
-
Beech
Acres Parenting Center
-
Children Inc.
-
Clermont Counseling
Center/Family Service
-
Easter Seals Work
Resource Center
-
Everybody Rides
Metro
-
Health Improvement
Collaborative
-
HealthSource of
Ohio
New Orleans Workshop
Series
We are
pleased to have started the
Workshop Series in September 2008. We
have seven amazing venture teams with a broad range of venture ideas
from the following organizations:
-
Contemporary Arts
Center
-
Good Work Network
-
Louisiana
Children's Museum
-
Louisiana SPCA
-
New Orleans Video
Access Center
-
Operation REACH
-
Project Lazarus
North Central
Massachusetts Workshop Series
The
North Central Massachusetts Community
Wealth Workshop Series concluded on September 17, 2008. After a six
month process to develop their business plans, the organizations made
presentations to a panel of local business and finance experts who
provided constructive feedback and ideas. There was an air of
excitement in the room, with all teams eager to move forward with
implementation of their plans!
Participants in the Workshop Series were:
-
Cornerstone
Performing Arts Center
-
House of Peace and
Education, Inc.
-
Multi-Service
Center, Inc.
-
The Bridge of
Central Massachusetts, Inc.
-
Young Entrepreneurs
Society, Inc.
North Texas
Collaborative Year #1
CWV
completed the first North Texas Community Wealth Collaborative on
September 25, 2008. All eight participating nonprofit organizations
successfully completed the Collaborative, producing comprehensive and
realistic business plans. Six organizations have already launched their
ventures and the other two are planning to launch their ventures in the
next year. Congratulations to the first North Texas Collaborative
participants:
·
Autism
Treatment Center
·
Big
Thought
·
Catholic
Charities Diocese of Fort Worth
·
ChildCareGroup
·
Dallas
Children's Advocacy Center
·
Metroport
Meals on Wheels
·
SafeHaven
of Tarrant County
·
The
Senior Source
CWV is launching a
second Collaborative in North Texas in 2009. For more information on the
North Texas Community Wealth Collaborative, click
here.
Mahoning Valley Community Wealth Workshop Series
Community Wealth Ventures has just launched the
Mahoning Valley Community Wealth
Workshop Series for nonprofit organizations in and around the
Warren and Youngstown, Ohio areas. Beginning in January 2009, the
Workshop Series will guide selected nonprofit organizations through
CWV's business planning curriculum.
State of Louisiana
CWV is
working with the Louisiana Office of Lieutenant Governor,
Office of Social Entrepreneurship in
the creation and implementation of the Business Planning for Social
Innovators Workshop Series. We are in the process of customizing our
curriculum to meet the needs of the Office. The Workshop Series is
planned to be implemented in the spring.
Social Franchise
Ventures Sample of Recent and Current Clients
CMARC
In July, SFV
client CMARC
launched a Money Mailer direct mail franchise in the Greater Boston
area. This venture is expected to generate significant unrestricted
revenue for CMARC in the coming years, as well as increase CMARC's
visibility in the local consumer and business communities.
Recent Speaking
Events
Nicole Hanrahan and Christina Ng led a two day workshop titled
"Generating Revenue for Long Term Sustainability" as part of the
NeighborWorks Training Institute in Washington, DC on December 8-9,
2008. Approximately thirty community development organizations
participated in the training to learn how to develop and plan for social
enterprises.
Stephanie Norwell and Nicole Hanrahan co-lead a community workshop in
Cleveland, Ohio on November 6, 2008. The title of the workshop was
"Demystifying Market Research and Marketing Planning."
Stephanie Norwell and Heather Peeler co-lead a session with Jennifer
Bishop of the law firm Gray, Plant, Mooty at the BoardSource Leadership
Forum on October 30, 2008. The conference was held at the Grand Hyatt
Washington of Washington, DC. The title of the session was "Reinventing
Ourselves Through Community Wealth: Opportunities in Social Enterprise."
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