Raise Your Voice Blog | Nicole Clark Consulting

7 Aug, 2024

Ask Nicole: The Four Keys to Flexible Programs

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2024-08-07T12:51:39-04:00August 7th, 2024|Categories: Workshop, Program, & Curriculum Design|Tags: Ask Nicole, program design|0 Comments

Have a question you’d like to be featured? Let me know.

In the ever-changing landscape of community needs, having a solid yet adaptable framework is crucial for organizations aiming to make a significant impact.

What is a framework?

A framework is a strategic guide that outlines clear goals, structured plans, and collaborative efforts while leaving room for flexibility. This helps organizations remain focused and organized, ensuring that all activities align with their mission.

More importantly, a well-designed framework supports organizations’ ability to quickly adapt to emerging challenges and opportunities, fostering resilience and sustained community engagement.

There are four keys to building flexible programs:

Assess community needs and resources
Design adaptable program structures
Build robust community partnerships
Monitor, evaluate, and adapt for improvement

Let’s start with the first key:

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19 Jul, 2024

Try This: Narrow Your Partnership Focus

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2024-07-19T11:48:18-04:00July 19th, 2024|Categories: Strategic Planning & Sustainability|Tags: Community Partnerships, Stakeholders, Try This|0 Comments

Try this activity and let me know how it goes for you.

Inviting organizations to join a partnership requires strategizing on who to invite, articulating the partnership’s value add, each partner knowing their role, and being open to shifts in how partners participate over time.

While a partnership works in service of addressing an emerging community need, how and what gets addressed requires its own strategy. After establishing how to work together, you need something to work on.

This activity is ideal for:

Partnership members with experience in facilitating meetings
Partnership members with experience in engaging communities
Partnership members with experience in data collection and analysis

What you’ll need:

A method for taking notes

The steps:

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10 Jul, 2024

Are You a Convener, Catalyst, Conduit, or Funder?

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2024-07-10T12:07:40-04:00July 10th, 2024|Categories: Strategic Planning & Sustainability|Tags: Capacity Building, Community Partnerships, Partnerships, Sustainability|0 Comments

Saying yes to a partnership signals that you’ve assessed whether your organization should have a role in a partnership, and are ready to work with other organizations to address a community need.

What role does your organization typically play in a partnership?

Do you enjoy bringing together the right partners?

Are you good at building momentum?

Do you thrive in keeping everyone in the loop?

Or are you good at securing funding?

The role your organization plays should support the partnership in being well-organized, adequately resourced, and effectively managed.

Let’s break down the four roles commonly found in a partnership:

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3 Jul, 2024

Ask Nicole: Do We Need a MOU for Our Partnership?

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2024-07-02T22:13:07-04:00July 3rd, 2024|Categories: Strategic Planning & Sustainability|Tags: Ask Nicole, Community Partnerships|0 Comments

As your organization builds partnerships with other organizations, engaging the right partners is crucial to facilitating a process that’s mutually beneficial.

The success of these partnerships hinges not just on the shared vision but also on the clarity and structures.

One of the most effective ways to establish this foundation is through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

An MOU is more than just a formal agreement—it’s a strategic tool that delineates roles, fosters accountability, and enhances communication among partners.

Here are seven reasons why incorporating an MOU into your community partnerships can make a significant difference in ensuring their success and sustainability.

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7 Jun, 2024

Ask Nicole: Reflecting on 8 Years of Full Time Consulting

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2024-06-07T10:32:31-04:00June 7th, 2024|Categories: Consulting|Tags: Ask Nicole, consulting, Reflections|0 Comments

Once upon a time, I wanted to be a professional violinist. Then I wanted to start a nonprofit.

Today, I’m reflecting on the journey of being a consultant, 8 years after leaving my full time job.

Social workers aren’t taught about self-employment or being consultants (at least this was the case during my MSW school years). If we are, it’s usually related to starting and running a therapy practice.

After 8 years, the lessons I learned after my first year as a consultant are still present, and I also feel the same as I did at the five year mark.

During the five-year mark, I wanted better work-life balance. Now, I realize what I really want is work-life alignment.

There’s various definitions of work-life alignment, but what this means to me is my work and my life are in harmony with each other, with my work being positioned to support the life I want.

This has me thinking about not only where I see my business at the 10 year mark, but also at the 20 year mark and beyond.

It makes me think of legacy.

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Ask Nicole: The Four Keys to Flexible Programs

Try This: Narrow Your Partnership Focus

Are You a Convener, Catalyst, Conduit, or Funder?

Ask Nicole: Do We Need a MOU for Our Partnership?

Ask Nicole: Reflecting on 8 Years of Full Time Consulting

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