The power of a good process
Over the past few weeks, I’ve had several people ask me how we would select the recipient of the We Inspire Grant. Many have assumed that we would just pick a nonprofit organization based on personal preference or intuition.
Intuition is powerful; yet having a concrete plan is even more powerful. As creative marketing professionals, we use processes every day to produce effective design. This is what separates good-looking solutions from effective solutions that also look good. Form follows function.
As a team, we sat down last week to fine-tune our selection process. We divided our evaluation form into four sections, covered with check boxes, scales of one to five and blocks for comments.
The first part of our evaluation addresses the basic requirements of the Grant. Did the organization follow the instructions? Have they been serving their community for at least five years? Do they have an implementation budget?
The second part takes a close look at the five essay questions. Did they explain who would benefit from this program? Did they clearly define measurements for success? What is the scale of impact?
We will then evaluate their existing creative. Is it clear and consistent? Is it effective? Are there areas for improvement?
The last section is reserved for our gut reactions. Will the organization be a good fit for us? Can the relationship be mutual?
We will begin our selection process tomorrow at 12pm EST. Follow us for updates along the way!