3 Questions to ask before scaling a nonprofit program into a new community

GreenLight Fund was founded in 2004 to address two challenges in the nonprofit sector: 1) It’s difficult for effective nonprofits to scale to where they’re needed; and 2) communities know what they need but aren’t often consulted as solutions are developed. In each of our 15 sites, we facilitate a community-driven process to match unmet local needs to organizations with track records of successfully advancing economic mobility elsewhere. We invest in the nonprofit programs with the best local fit to scale where they’re needed.  

After more than two decades scaling what works, we believe there are three questions nonprofits should ask to determine if they’re ready to replicate their program in a new community: What does the community need? Are local relationships in place? Is the organization ready?

1. How do local stakeholders define the problem?

At GreenLight Fund, we start by listening. Engaging with residents, cross-sector leaders, and individuals closest to the barriers to economic mobility to understand and prioritize gaps that, if filled, could make a significant impact. Deep local engagement, paired with research, helps us determine how to proceed.

Local voices define the gap: In Cincinnati, we heard repeatedly the critical need for youth mental health support and, at the same time, learned the demand for clinical social workers far outweighed the supply. Rather than overburdening that system, GreenLight Cincinnati brought in Fathers’ UpLift to empower fathers to overcome barriers that prevent them from being actively involved in their children’s lives. Research shows that a family approach to mental health can yield positive youth mental health outcomes, as nurturing relationships with parents builds resilience, self-esteem, and social-emotional skills.

Fathers’ UpLift is also filling another gap: strengthening the local pipeline of diverse mental health professionals through a fellowship for BIPOC social work students, helping them complete their education and enter the field equipped to serve the community.

Local champions prepare the ground: Because of the inclusive process, Fathers’ UpLift was pulled into the community: People were ready to use the program, partners were receptive, and doors opened for additional funding. Expanding any program to Cincinnati without understanding local context and community input could have complicated an already overburdened system, limiting impact.

How to engage community input: When scaling a nonprofit program, engaging stakeholders, especially those who are often excluded from decisions that impact their lives, is essential. Use interviews, focus groups, surveys, and community meetings to gather insights from diverse perspectives, including program participants, nonprofit leaders, public-sector leaders, intermediaries, and funders. Understanding unique challenges and assets and applying those learnings to your program implementation helps build trust and rapport with local stakeholders, essential for identifying needs, roadblocks, and opportunities, as well as ensuring you’re aware of the local nuances that you’ll need to adapt to as you expand.

2. Do you have the right local partners?

Successful expansion requires understanding the existing ecosystem and identifying referral and implementation partners, building local funder relationships, and clarifying where your organization complements existing services.

Partner with a trusted local nonprofit: In Kansas City, GreenLight Fund learned from community members that a lack of affordable, reliable child care was forcing parents to leave the job market. Data confirmed more than 200 child care businesses had closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To expand access to this vital form of early childhood education, we identified All Our Kin as the best model to address this gap. To ensure success, they partnered with local nonprofit Future’s First (formerly The Family Conservancy).

The educators who provide home-based child care do the crucial work of building young brains while operating on razor-thin margins; they need training and resources to strengthen their businesses. And these educators already trusted Future’s First.

The partnership had immediate impacts: sustainable small businesses, parents able to work, and quality child care that helps children thrive. Building that kind of trust from scratch would have taken All Our Kin considerable time and would have limited the program’s impact.

3. Does your organization have the capacity to expand?

Beyond the right community conditions, your nonprofit needs the capacity and building blocks to replicate. At GreenLight Fund, deciding where to invest involves due diligence to confirm an organization can hit the ground running in a new community, deliver strong results, and remain sustainable. We meet with management teams, boards, and participants and carefully review financials and rollout plans.

Readiness to scale: Expanding to a new community requires several components:

• a track record of measurable results and a clear understanding of what makes the program effective;
• strong finances that can support another location;
• an engaged board involved in shaping strategy;
• a home site that can continue running well during expansion;
• a clear plan for legal structure and which decisions sit locally and which at the home site;
• dedicated staff and board time; and
• a way to measure and track performance.

Readiness to scale a nonprofit program isn’t a single metric and it can take time for an organization to develop the capacities needed. It’s a combination of understanding local context and demand, building trust through strong local partnerships, and ensuring your organization has the infrastructure and capacity to expand. You’re creating the conditions for proven solutions to deliver maximum impact.

Photo credit: All Our Kin