Featuring Alabaster Jar
“If only there was more time.” At SVP, our teams of consulting Partners hear this all the time from nonprofit leaders. And, while we cannot wave a magic wand to make time move more slowly for the staff and volunteers working for social change in our community, we can bring business practices to play. Such practices, coupled with nonprofit passion and expertise, create greater efficiency and effectiveness for critical programs that support our most vulnerable neighbors. It’s almost as good as stopping time.
At Alabaster Jar Project, survivors of human trafficking and sexual exploitation can regain their lives. The nonprofit provides long-term housing, a drop-in resource center, and peer support groups to individuals wanting to achieve physical, emotional, and financial independence. Yet with a small team facing an endless need, the nonprofit knew its model to provide its critical services was not sustainable, both operationally and financially. They needed more time (and money).
SVP Lead Partner C’Anne Vaughn and Partner Tom Watlington worked with AJP’s Executive Director Susan Johnson to help the nonprofit leader discover her “alabaster jar” or most precious gift for the greater good. Together, they assessed the organization’s workload distribution and employee capacity. The team developed new revised job descriptions and used transition planning to redistribute staff workload. Johnson found her “alabaster jar” with more time to devote to strategic and fundraising activities as the nonprofit’s programs ran more efficiently.
“SVP Partners were encouraging, knowledgeable, and insightful. Their advice and recommendations resulted in positive changes to streamline our operations, which resulted in impacts to our efficiency.” - Susan Johnson, Executive Director
While SVP Partners cannot create more time in which to get things done, they can help put systems in place so that nonprofits like Alabaster Jar Project get things done in less time. It’s our business perspective coupled with insatiable nonprofit passion.
What could you do with a bit more time?