The Need for Needs Assessment

In our work-to-date, our focus has been on the "Awaken the Warrior" side of character building - or, in secular settings the same basic content presented under the title, "Iron-Clad Principles," with the delivery vehicle and style individualized to the audience to which it's being presented.

Thus, we've utilized Philip's skill in Medieval (heavy armored) Martial Combat and have built our presentations around 'the look' of that set of armor. Utilizing his accreditation as Fencing Instructor will be new to our work together, although he fences competitively and has taught it for years.

But since fencing is new to me, I've had to educate myself as to its application to our work - both as a martial art form and how, what can be an expensive hobby, can be utilized to meet the kind of needs typically addressed by the non-profit sector. With that in mind, I'm researching the work of other NPO's in the Metro Atlanta area, and am studying the community foundations that support them.

This post will look at the market research aspect - the next post will address the intentional networking that must follow it. In the world of non-profit, 'market research' frequently goes by different definitive term:

Needs Assessment

With our target population being 'at risk kids' with an emphasis on 'children of incarcerated parents' I've been studying the demographics of specific sectors of the city and its surrounding area. Finding 'at risk kids' isn't all that difficult - but narrowing the focus to sub-groups of those particularly at 'high risk' can be challenging. Since children don't generally introduce themselves as "Hi, I'm Jenny and I'm in foster care," or "My name is Bobby and my mom is in prison," sometimes only their caregivers know what their true situation is.

Yet a report from the US Senate indicates that 70% of the children of inmates will become inmates themselves - most of them beginning with juvenile offenses before escalating to major crimes. Other studies point toward startling statistics revealing that as many as 85% of children of incarcerated mothers are either in group homes or foster care. When considering that on any given day 1.5 million of our nations children have at least one incarcerated parent...well, now you know why we (and many other concerned citizen-groups) consider this particular population as 'high-risk' within the overall sector of 'at-risk' youth.

Then there's another issue. There are confidentiality issues that surround juvenile records. This makes the sharing of information between public services agencies difficult at best, and almost impossible - with levels of difficulty varying from state to state, county to county, and region to region. If these agencies could utilize a singular data base, they could provide the full range of services needed by any individual 'at risk kid'.

The McKinney-Vento Act, which was adapted to become part of the No Child Left Behind legislation, has eased the way for inter-agency exchange of information - but the wheels of progress are made of stone and turn slowly, very slowly. And the progress that has been made is still more readily passed between governmental agencies than it is accessible to Non-Governmental Organizations (or NGO's into which category most NPOs - including ours - fall.) Thus, needs assessment research is vital for any NPO who would develop a specific program designed to meet a specific need in a specific population.

Since Accolade International Ministries' new program will require providing a location easily accessible to a population that generally falls within a definition of economic hardship, my needs assessment project began with locating the areas most likely to be called home by our target population, then choosing one of those areas in which to focus our initial efforts.

Having background knowledge about the target population is imperative. Gratefully, my work with M2 over the past 18 years has uncovered tools, insider knowledge about how to use them, and has given me opportunities to develop relationships with key people who allow me to ask questions whenever I get stuck. Quite frankly, had we begun this project when I first began to dream about it, we would not have been equipped to complete it.

Using the tools available, I've identified one particular section of the Greater-Atlanta area where there is likely to be a centralized pocket of our target population - and I've identified one Community Foundation whose work in that area is stellar. Once I'm actually there I'll need to confirm my research before settling our focus on that particular locale.

...and the journey continues...

Developing on the Fly...is that really a good idea?

I ended my last blog entry with this statement:

"Our first order of business will be to craft our mission statement, create our bylaws, recruit our board of directors, handle our incorporation process, and develop our funding streams...but we'll have to do those things 'on the fly' as we already have 15 kids signed up and ready to begin."

Now I'm sure some question the wisdom of doing things that way.

There are a couple schools of thought about how to begin any new venture:

1. Lay the ground work first - before you open the doors for business (and)
2. Just Do IT - and learn as you go

Based on my first post, you've probably figured out the thought-school of which I'm a student. (And, if you know me personally you've learned that multi-tasking is my middle name.)

Yes, I'm a proponent of strategic planning: setting goals, charting the plan to reach them, developing business plans (inclusive of marketing strategies,) and writing comprehensive program proposals. But I believe the best way to do that is while you're taking action - doing 'something' to bring the final result into being.

Let me explain.

When I took the reins as Executive Director of the non-profit organization I'd been part of for 15 years, I had personal support and mentoring from the last four Executive Directors who had preceded me - and one of them gave me three pieces of advice (up-front) that proved invaluable as I felt-my-way through the learning curve of my new responsibilities - much as a blind person would in an unfamiliar room.

He said:

1. "Your biggest handicap will be that 'you don't know what you don't know.'"
2. "Here's a box of historical files. If you're really smart, you will study everything in here until it becomes part of who you are."
3. "You will find that 'those who have all the answers, have no clue what the questions are.'"

Prior to sitting in the executive directors' chair - I thought I knew our organization and its program inside out. After all, within the scope of 15 years I

1. had hands-on experience in every job description within the organization
2. had created two positions the organization needed but did not have
   
3. was intimately familiar with the contractual obligations we had with the state agencies we served
4. had played a significant role in organizational budget development
   
5. had written winning grant proposals (to private foundations)
   
6. participated in developing responses to State and Federal RFPs (Request for Proposals) and IFBs (Invitation for Bids) and could explain the differences between the two
7. had edited multi-authored segments into 'single-voice' documents (and)
   
8. had ghost-written fund raising letters and staff communications for the last two E.D.s

In my mind, I knew what it would take to continue the work we were doing and grow it to the next level. And, for the first year in my new assignment everything ran smoothly - ah, life was good. Then the first crisis hit and I discovered something that I hadn't known that I didn't know. My instinct for 'on the job training' took over at that point. I had to scramble for information as I needed it...and I needed it the day before yesterday.

That's when I took my mentor's advice, dug deeply into the box he'd handed me - and proved the truth of his words: If I had really been smart I would have already known about the crack in our organizations foundation that we had just fallen into: we had three sets of bylaws, each with vastly different parameters, none of which were dated - I had no clue what the prevailing 'rule of thumb' was for the situation I faced. But the situation had to be handled immediately - there was no time to wait until the bylaws could be sorted out. And, besides all that, none of the bylaws versions directly addressed the situation although each of them hinted at the possibility that such an issue could arise.

It sounds like I just made the case for attending the first school of thought, doesn't it?

But there's another lens through which to view it:

Had I faced the need to fix the bylaws without knowing 'the question,' any set of bylaws I would have created still would not have contained 'the answer' - because the issue was a situation that I would never have seriously anticipated having to address.

Ultimately, I drew on information gleaned from a Restorative Justice course (I'd completed) that could be applied 'outside the box' and resolved the situation. Then I took the bylaws issue before my board of directors for revision, consolidation, and certification (by date) of its authority as 'the' ruling document - now they include the pattern I'd set for handling the issue that had presented itself (and won me major points with the board for how I'd resolved it.)

To apply that lesson learned to the venture Philip Sacco and I are now embarking upon, we have a general umbrella under which to operate (in Accolade International Ministries) that allows us to begin the work with the students at hand - and as we learn 'what the questions are' to which we will need answers, we can develop the tools that will become the new NPO's ruling documents, simultaneous to doing the work itself.

I'm sure that we'll hit many questions that will send us scrambling to find answers - but that's just part of the challenge that allows us to call this our latest Adventure!

Philip's motto is: "To Live the Ordinary Life in an Extra-Ordinary Way."

Stay tuned - we're off to a good start!

Introduction - who we are and what we're doing

In the beginning we had a dream.

Two dreams, really, because we each had our own version - or perhaps one could say that each of us had half-a-dream; we only thought it was whole.

My name is Victoria Walters.

My visionary partner is Philip Paul Sacco
Author of "Awaken the Warrior"

Prior to our first live-and in-person meeting in 2005, we had no idea that our two dreams shared a common theme and would one day grow into a singular vision - a vision we've decided to pursue with all the fire that burns within us.

Welcome to Our Blog

The purpose of our blog is to chart the journey we are preparing to embark upon - the pursuit of our dream: the establishment of a new non-profit organization that offers empowerment to and equips 'at-risk' kids to meet the challenge of awakening to the call of a purpose greater than themselves; to become dynamic faith-filled leaders in their generation through character development wrapped around physical training in the martial art of fencing - fencing being a popular sport that is far less accessible to 'at-risk' kids than it is to those from more affluent backgrounds.

Philip and I are both 'dreamers', but he is the hands on 'do-er', while I am the administrative 'director'. Each of us has worked independently toward our separate dreams with a good degree of success - but put us to work in the same place at the same time and together we have synergy.

Our connection began in 2004 when I encountered Philip and his book on line, and read it. "Awaken the Warrior" is the most complete study of The Armor of God that I've ever encountered. While most of the material readily available regarding spiritual armor begins, ends, and centers around the summary written by The Apostle Paul in the Epistle to the Ephesians chapter 6 verses 10-17, "Awaken the Warrior" charts the usage of armor and its accompanying weaponry as a thread of teaching that weaves its way through Scripture from Genesis to Revelation in a way that reveals the purpose of each piece, how it was forged, and how it is designed to perform in our daily lives through personal character traits we must work at developing.

After reading it, I contacted him with some clarifying questions, and then began using it to teach a book-driven Bible Study for a Women's Ministry Group I was leading at the time. Having direct contact with the book's author was of great benefit as I taught the course in my hometown in Central California while drawing heavily upon Philip's beyond-what-he-had-written-expertise, and willingness to coach me through the process from his home in Georgia. It was an experience of teaching while I was still learning.

For almost six months we worked together - team teaching - from opposite sides of the country. We come from vastly different backgrounds with very few life experiences in common. But from our point of connecting on line, communicating through several weeks of e-mail before speaking by phone, working together long distance, and then finally meeting in May of 2005 for our first joint venture, (which covered eleven days and consisted of fifteen separate events); we knew that we shared a mission. Exactly what it was, was yet to unfold.

At that time I had been newly appointed as Executive Director of a state-wide prison ministry - a non-profit organization that I had worked in since 1990. Philip had made some progress in taking the Awaken Message outside Georgia and was still looking for venues in which to further expand.

We each recognized the value of the others' ability to contribute to our own work: Philip's background in live theater and 25+ years of experience in medieval martial arts, (specializing in heavy armored combat) combine into dynamic, interactive stage presentations that hold the rapt attention of young and old alike; while I enjoyed a sphere of influence where I could bring his work into state prisons and youth correctional facilities, as well as getting him into public and private schools, churches, conferences, and other community based venues.

Although we lived on opposite sides of the country, we created opportunities to work together in six states to the benefit of both our ministries.

Now, we've decided to take a giant step of faith and pour our concerted efforts into building our two dreams that have merged into one.

Over the last 15 years the dream has burned in my heart. I've called it "Restoration Lodge," - a place where worn and battle-weary Missionaries can debrief between assignments, while offering a school-of-ministry to young people preparing for their first entry into the work-of-the-ministry.

Over the same time frame, Philip has called it a "Warrior Training Center," - a place where classroom instruction alongside one-to-one mentoring can help squires become Knights, and handmaidens become Dames.

With our terminology so vastly different, it took many sessions of pouring out our dreams to each other to realize that we were both envisioning the same thing but each was seeing it through our individualistic lens of life-experience.

We each see the final goal as being a Retreat Center from which to teach the Awaken Message utilizing multiple means of delivery tailored to specific audiences, but our work will begin with a modest start-up in a Decatur, GA dance studio where we have the capacity to work with as many as 60 students each week.

In 18 short days from today, I will begin my cross country move to Atlanta, GA - and we will begin building the organizational structure from the ground up.

Our first order of business will be to craft our mission statement, create our bylaws, recruit our board of directors, handle our incorporation process, and develop our funding streams...but we'll have to do those things 'on the fly' as we already have 15 kids signed up and ready to begin.

Stay tuned - the adventure is under-way.