Management: Going National! Best Practices for Organizational Growth and Expansion

Going National!
Best Practices for Organizational Growth and Expansion
Presented by:
Rachel Gwaltney
Chief of Programs-Higher Achievement National
Jose Oromi
Deputy Director- Horizons National

Agenda
Organizational History & Catalyst for Expansion
Planning for Expansion
Implementation and Lessons Learned
Best Practices

History & Catalyst for Expansion
Founded in 1975 to address the disparity of academic opportunities among young people in Washington, DC’s Ward 1 neighborhood
Reorganized in 1999 as a results-driven program
Opened 3 more Centers in Washington, DC
Three-phase strategic plan to prepare for expansion
Launched longitudinal research evaluation of the program

History & Catalyst for ExpansionHorizons National
Founded in 1964 at New Canaan Country School (NCCS) in CT to serve low income families of lower Fairfield County
Formal evaluation by Dr. Edward Zigler from Yale showedHorizons made a significant and unique contribution to the lives of the children it served. Dr. Zigler urged the expansion of Horizons.
1995 – program replication begins with a small grant for seed funding, and Horizons National was established.
2005 strategic planning efforts concluded the need to define a more cohesive and targeted approach to expansion, including strengthening the consistency of the Horizons model across affiliates.

Planning for Expansion
Higher Achievement
Horizons
1995-2005: Initial expansion was organic. Reactive growth model supported by a small private grant.
First 10 years of expansion resulted in 13 new programs, each with a high level of autonomy.
2005: Horizons National strategic planning results in changes to organization and business model.
2007: Began uniform evaluation across network of affiliates.
2004: Conducted organizational assessment to determine readiness for growth
Spent two years building internal capacity to prepare for growth
Launched longitudinal research evaluation of the program
2006: Opened pilot expansion site in Alexandria, VA

Transformed structure into a national organization with local programs
Chose to remain a single 501(c)3
Developed criteria for expansion cities
Ranked potential cities against criteria
Selected Baltimore for first new affiliate
18 months of due diligence
Hired Executive Director May 2008
Opened two Centers June 2009

Commitment to expansion needs to be well-defined and well-planned.
Nurturing the right local school partner for long-term success takes time and resources.
No Horizons program has ever closed.
New Horizons programs take 12-18 months of preparation.
Attracting national resourcesrequires strong evaluation, valid results, and participation in the national dialogue.
Organizational infrastructure, guidelines, procedures must remain flexible to allow for local identity.

Best Practices
Higher Achievement
Be realistic about internal capacity to support growth
Do your homework: build advance partnerships that will support success
Have a strong vision of what the expanded organization looks like, and how it fulfills your mission
Be thoughtful and thorough about staff training; provide resources for program replication
Develop a clear accountability process for maintaining fidelity to the model
Horizons
“The Slow Bake” (start small, develop buy-in and establish sustainability systems as you go)
Commitment to long-term expansion approach (local programs must have vision to be K-8)
Data-driven, evidence-based programs that maintain local identity and offer balance of academics and enrichment
Let your stakeholders be your best marketers (children, their families, teachers and the board)

Management: Going National! Best Practices for Organizational Growth and Expansion

by Marissa Lowman on Apr 12, 2010

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Management: Going National! Best Practices for Organizational Growth and Expansion — Presentation Transcript