The Community Investment TriangleTargeting Our Resources

Part 2: Targeting Future Investments

The Community Investment Triangle -- Part 2: Targeting Future Investments 2

by investing in:

Prevention & development services

Basic human-needs & crisis services

attitudes, networks, neighbor-hoods, organizations, systems

Efforts to influence community

Breakthrough opportunities

Fo

cus

on

com

mu

nity

imp

act

The Community Investment Triangle -- Part 2: Targeting Future Investments 3

The Community Investment TriangleTargeting Our Resources

Part 1: Mapping Current Investments

Part 2: Targeting Future Investments

Part 3: Aligning Around Strategies for Impact

The Community Investment Triangle -- Part 2: Targeting Future Investments 4

Selecting specific direct-service and community-change strategies in which to invest resources in the future

Setting 3- to 5-year targets for resource investments to support the selected strategies

Part 2 – Topics

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First choiceFocus AreaNext choice

(e.g., vision statement)

Next choice (e.g., target issues)

Next choice(e.g., objectives)

Next choiceSpecific direct-service and/or community change strategies

for improving lives

Selecting Specific Strategies . . .

. . .requires a series of choices to focus efforts

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Focus Area: Healthy Children

Getting Focused

e.g.

Vision: Our community’s children are physically and mentally healthy

Specific Strategies:• ???

Target issue: Dental health of preschool children

Objectives:• Ensure that children establish good dental health

habits early• Promote regular dental check-ups and needed

treatment beginning at age 1

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Considerations in Selecting Specific Strategies Include:

Focus of target issues, objectives, etc.

Underlying causes of priority issues

Sound theory of change for addressing underlying causes

Evidence of strategy’s effectiveness in this community or in parallel situations

Community partners, other resources available to collaborate in implementing strategies

Practical organizational considerations – timing, capacity, relationships, resources, etc.

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Focus Area: Healthy Children

Getting Focused

e.g.

Vision: Our community’s children are physically and mentally healthy

Specific Strategies:• ???

Target issue: Dental health of preschool children

Objectives:• Ensure that children establish good dental

health habits early• Promote regular dental check-ups and needed

treatment beginning at age 1

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Specific Direct-service and Community- change Strategies

• Incorporate information on children’s dental health care in parenting programs

• Promote dental health education activities in child care centers

Prevention & development

services that:

• Increase parents’ knowledge of child dental health• Amend state Medicaid guidelines to cover

children’s dental care

Efforts to influence

community changes that:

• Influence a media campaign on children’s issues to spotlight child dental health

Breakthrough

opportunities to advance

community change efforts

• Provide evaluation and referrals for emergency dental care for children in homeless shelters

Basic human-needs &

crisis services that:

e.g.

The Community Investment Triangle -- Part 2: Targeting Future Investments 10

Specific Strategies Mapped on Community Investment Triangle

• Provide evaluations and referrals for emergency dental care for children in homeless shelters

• Incorporate child dental health care infor-mation in parenting programs

• Promote dental health ed in child care centers

• Increaseparents’

knowledge of child dental health

• Influence media campaign

• Amend state Medicaid guidelines to cover children’s dental care

e.g.

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Selecting specific direct-service and community-change strategies in which to invest resources in the future

Setting 3- to 5-year targets for resource investments to support the selected strategies

Part 2 – Topics

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Setting Investment Targets for Selected Strategies

1. Decide the amount of your organization’s money and staff time that you will invest in each strategy for improving lives

2. Decide how to deal with current financial investments that are not necessary for your selected strategies

3. Make explicit decisions about how you will use materials, events, other organizational resources to support your selected strategies

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Considerations include:

• Amounts of money and staff time invested in current efforts that are necessary to the strategy

• Additional money and staff time needed to maximize the impact of those current efforts

• Amounts of money and staff time required to maximize the impact of new efforts

• Money and staff time required for other strategies in this focus area, and for other focus areas

• Money and staff time available and projected

1. Decide Amounts of Money andStaff Time to Invest in Each Strategy

The Community Investment Triangle -- Part 2: Targeting Future Investments 14

2008 targeted

$XXXX

$XXX

$XX

$X

Vital Neighborhoods

e.g. 2005 actual

$0

$XXX

$XXX

$XX

Financial Targets for a Focus Area Mapped on Community Investment Triangle

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2. Deal with Current Financial Investments Not Necessary for Selected Strategies

Options include:

• If appropriate, explore re-focusing of recipient’s efforts to support a selected strategy

• Discontinue investment at end of current commitment

• Implement planned phase-out of investment

• If appropriate, help locate alternative support

• Make an exception, based on explicit criteria established in advance (e.g., it supports a vital organizational priority; ending the investment would irreparably damage a vital relationship)

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3. Decide How to Use Materials, Events, etc. to Support Selected Strategies

Materials e.g.: Events e.g.:

Annual report Day of Caring

Newsletters/e-newsletters Campaign kick-off

Fact sheets, brochures Campaign celebration

Website Recognition dinner

Ads & PSAs Leadership breakfasts

Volunteer talking points Board meetings

Pledge cards Partner meetings

Investment thank-you’s Volunteer trainings etc. etc.

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In Deciding How to Use These Resources, Think About:

What do you want to be known for?

For what specific strategies are you seeking to mobilize resources? What kinds of resources?

What shifts are you making between direct-service and community-change strategies?

What pressing community issue can you show progress in addressing? What population or community conditions have changed?

What breakthrough opportunities have you taken advantage of?

What do your target audiences care most about?

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e.g.

Targets for Use of Materials Mapped on Community Investment Triangle

Emphasis ondirect-service strategies

Emphasis on community-change strategies

65%

35%

Targeted

20%

80%

Current

Materials for Major Investors

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Communicating United Way’s New Strategies in Materials, Events, etc.

Do materials and events emphasize: Raising money, or improving lives? Donating to United Way, or investing in specific strategies for

improving lives? Success in raising money, or success in changing community

conditions? Only money, or also investments of expertise, leadership, etc? United Way’s thermometer, or dollars and other resources

leveraged for the community? Which organizations receive dollars, or how lives are improved

as a result? Mostly support for direct services, or also investments in lasting

community change? Only United Way actions, or also roles of diverse partners?

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The Community Investment TriangleTargeting Our Resources

Part 2: Targeting Future Investments

Selecting specific direct-service and community-change strategies in which to invest resources in the future

Setting 3- to 5-year targets for resource investments to support those strategies

The Community Investment Triangle -- Part 2: Targeting Future Investments 21

Related Resources on United Way Online

• Connecting Program Outcome Measurement to Community Impact (keyword: POM-CI)

• Getting Focused to Make Tough Choices (keyword: GetFocused)

• Hometown Literacy Partnership Experience (keyword: Hometown)

• Making the Most of Your Community Impact Initiatives (keyword: UsingInitiatives)

• Redefining Agency Relationships for Community Impact (keyword: RedefineAgency)

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