Strategy Counts Initiative

Strategy Counts is an initiative of the Alliance for Children and Families.

The initiative is designed to encourage Alliance members to elevate the role of strategy in their work.

The Alliance believes that a greater focus on strategy increases the probability of a stronger, more sustainable organization. In turn, a higher performing organization is capable of sustaining more effective services and achieving greater community impact.

Strategy Counts is funded by a $5.375 million, multiyear grant from The Kresge Foundation. The grant is the largest the Alliance has ever received.

2012 Pilot Sites

Five additional Alliance member organizations were named as pilot sites on Dec. 11, 2012. The pilot sites will receive financial support to conduct transformational strategic projects. This brings the total number of pilot sites to 20.

Opportunities to Develop Strategic Capacity

Strategy Counts continues to design avenues for strategy leaders from all Alliance member organizations to convene and actively explore strategic development and its effective deployment.

In addition to infusing content into existing Alliance offerings, beginning in January 2013, Strategy Counts will launch a series of webinars, publish written case studies, continue to blog, and share additional video interviews. It seeks to engage more members to accelerate the building of best practices on this area.

Role of the Pilot Sites

Twenty Alliance members have received grants to implement and evaluate various strategy models, such as the hiring of a chief strategy officer or the executive of a transformational project.

The goal of funding these pilot sites is to identify best practices that will allow other Alliance members and external nonprofit human service organizations ratchet up organizational commitment to strategy.

The initiative is focused on identifying best practices within these pilot sites. Through a cohort learning group, the project will accelerate the development of transferrable models and expand knowledge related to strategy within the Alliance membership and for the external human services industry.

View the full list of pilot sites.

Initiative History

Preparation for Strategy Counts began in 2010, when the Alliance received a planning grant from The Kresge Foundation. The planning process involved a comprehensive literature review and interviews with Alliance members.

For more information, contact Strategy Counts staff.