Most not-for-profit organisations are small-to-medium in size, and have limited resources to do the strategy and policy work they would like to. So simple and effective tools for the job are much sought after, and can be immensely valuable to the staff and volunteers who need them.
The DIY toolkit published by Nesta is therefore going to be warmly welcomed by most associations and charities, offering as it does, 30 effective social innovation tools addressing a range of strategy and policy needs. Its full title is Development Impact and You: Practical Tools to Trigger and Support Social Innovation and it’s available in nine languages (138 pages).
Nesta is a global innovation foundation based in the UK but with an extensive international profile, so the tools they have selected have wide application. The kit also includes case studies, illustrating ways in which the tools have benefited non-profit organisations in a range of settings.
Every non-profit is likely to discover at least one tool they will want to use which they hadn’t previously been aware of, and the following summary of the ways the tools can assist you indicates the high value of the collection. The sections in the toolkit are framed around the following need statements, beginning with “I want to …”
- look ahead (Innovation Flowchart, Evidence Planning)
- develop a clear plan (SWOT Analysis, Business Model Canvas, Building Partnerships Map, Learning Loop)
- clarify my priorities (Experience Tour, Problem Definition, Causes Diagram. Theory of Change)
- collect input from others (People Shadowing, Interview Guide, Question Ladder, Storyworld)
- know the people I’m working with (People and Connections Map, Target Group, Personas, Promises & Potential Map)
- generate new ideas (Creative Workshop, Fast Idea Generator, Thinking Hats, Value Mapping)
- test and improve (Improvement Triggers, Prototype Testing Plan, Experience Map, Blueprint)
- sustain and implement (Marketing Mix, Critical Tasks List, Business Plan, Scaling Plan)
