CNM Helps Make Serve Denton’s Impact Even Greater (with data you can actually track)
Continuous improvement. That’s the motto we live by at Serve Denton. If something can be made better, more efficient, more effective, we will find a way to make it so.
It’s one thing to have an idea of how effective we are in accomplishing our mission anecdotally, it’s another thing to know by having the data to show it. That’s what we set out to find in 2020 through our partnership with CNM.
CNM is a company that focuses on one word: results.
Anyone who has ever been a part of a community, let alone served alongside a nonprofit, knows that a community’s needs are ever rising.
CNM focuses on equipping various nonprofits with the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the growing demands of the community. They don’t just concentrate on the nonprofit, but all the stakeholders involved so that all issues are addressed in a meaningful way. Utilizing every component, they help nonprofits maximize their impact.
When it comes to results, they provide more than just data, numbers, and return on investments. Through their strategic planning, consulting services, and leading-edge technology, they advance measurable outcomes that promote thriving communities.
At the beginning of 2020, Serve Denton hired CNM to help make their impact even greater. With Serve Denton’s dedication and vision to fully utilize every penny of the dollar as efficiently as possible, utilizing CNM’s data expertise and innovative approach was a no-brainer.
What has CNM done for Serve Denton?
CNM sat down with the Serve Denton’s team to get an overview of how we implement and utilize our mission statement, and how our success is measured. After hours of data-driven questions, a strategic plan was put in place.
Like any good strategy, they began with the end in mind: impact.
But what does Serve Denton’s impact actually look like?
With a mission to provide a place for many nonprofits to come under one roof so people in need can find the help they are looking for in one convenient location, Serve Denton provides a solution to an ever-growing need.
When nonprofits are officing out of one building, partners save on overhead costs, increase collaboration and communication, which helps those in need get back on their feet.
Since 2011, thousands of families have been impacted by Serve Denton.
But the question remains: How many more families could be served by Serve Denton fine-tuning their process and protocols?
The only way to know that is through tracking consistent and reliable data. Because although people talk, numbers talk louder.
CNM led Serve Denton through a variety of activities and outputs to hone in on our strengths, and bring to light areas for growth. After collecting data from nonprofit partners, social media platforms, previous surveys, and data metrics, a strategic plan was implemented.
CNM first began by creating surveys for focus groups from Serve Denton’s various nonprofit partners. All sorts of questions were asked regarding their partner experience, general feedback, and assumptions pertaining to their partnership, all for the purpose of further understanding how Serve Denton met the specific needs of each agency.
In other words–how well Serve Denton was meeting the needs of their partners.
Once the first round of feedback was collected and adjustments made, the survey was then sent out to a pilot group for actual data collection.
In no time, the foundation for data-driven evidence was laid. By this time next year, Serve Denton will have the black and white data that supports what the community, partners, and neighbors have been saying for years.
Data shows that because of Serve Denton:
Partners have more financial resources to support their mission
Partners have an increased sense of trust, value, and capacity to serve their clients
Partners increase the quality of services delivered
Resources and services offered by partners are more efficiently managed
Partners increase resource sharing with fellow nonprofits
The public becomes more aware of quality resources available to them
A greater community impact is made:
The rungs of the ladder of self-sufficiency are being filled through partners addressing specific areas of need
Social services are more easily accessible to those in need within Denton County
Families are quicker to get back on their feet and escape poverty
So why is this important for you to know?
Sure, this all might sound like a bunch of staff meeting mambo jumbo, but it affects you more than you realize.
When an organization like Serve Denton, or any organization, can run as efficiently as a well-oiled machine, less time, resources, and money are wasted. When fat is trimmed and areas of stability are strengthened, more people find and receive the help they need and a community thrives.
That means:
Partners save money, create better products and services, and become more capable nonprofits
Neighbors in need receive holistic services at one location to quickly get back on their feet
Donors’ time, finances, and resources are fully and efficiently utilized without waste
The community continues to thrive even amidst growing demands
The bottom line is this: Through the collaboration with CNM, Serve Denton is more efficient, partners are better supported, and the community ultimately thrives.
The trust and credibility Serve Denton promotes between their partners and community is the foundation on which they stand.
Is it time for you to stand with them?