I’ve created a straightforward, 3-step strategy that empowers you own your organization’s impact story and tell it to the world.

Our 20+ years of experience has resulted in a 3-step strategy that streamlines and simplifies everything that’s needed to tell powerful and actionable impact stories clearly, confidently, and convincingly.

Back in 2010, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation released the Guide to Actionable Measurement, elevating a conversation about data collection which specifically informs nonprofit decisions and action.

We all know that programming is most likely going to produce long-term benefits when it’s based in what’s already known to work.

We have join these ideas by moving away from traditional “program evaluation” towards resourcing nonprofits for telling masterful impact stories. Read about how program evaluation is not actually your job or watch this 15 minute video.

Click here for a 1-minute overview of the ImpactStory^™Strategy

Take the Self-Assessment

The result is our ImpactStory™ Strategy. Tell the story you know needs to be told. Build capacity in your organization to clearly, confidently, and convincingly tell your impact story to anyone, anytime. Leave overwhelm behind. This is within reach. It’s not harder than tracking your budget.

“Maryfrances is very adept at bringing individuals at various levels of understanding to a clearer view of the linkage of priorities and outcomes. The leadership Maryfrances provided was invaluable in our evolution of deciding how to invest our resources of dollars, advocacy, and volunteerism to address priorities. “

Cathy Smith Train, Past President, United Way of Greater Charlottesville

Step 1. Map Out Your Strategy

Be clear about what you do

A Solid Framework

Our Strategic Impact Map™ shows how your mission-driven work results in immediate impact and how that impact rolls up with what others are doing to create community-wide change.

Programming that Works

Be clear about telling the story behind why what you’re doing is supposed to work. Show your programming is rooted in what’s known to work with our customized Impact Statements.

See an example of an Impact Statement.

Step 2. Gather the Pieces

Be confident in understanding your impact

Smart Surveys

Smart, efficient surveys are created by asking the key questions that help you tell your story and empower your clients to give you feedback.

Learn about Surveys role in DEI.

Painless Data Analysis

You know where the real ability to understand your data is? Graphing: Mostly, bar charts and line graphs. Bonus! You only need a few Excel formulas.

Step 3. Tell Your Story

Tell your most convincing story

Powerful Data Viz

You need to know the basics of design to format the four types of impact stories: top highlights for social media, a visually rich one-pager for your Press Kits, a series of graphs for a grant, and an easy-to-read annual report.

Masterful Impact Stories

Human narrative pulls at our hearts and paints the picture. Combine this with the data and visualizations to help us believe it. This combination builds trust and credibility, and ultimately moves us to action.

Put to all together and you get
the ImpactStory™ Strategy

Download the Strategy

“Working with PSI was a great opportunity to identify why the work we do really matters. Sometimes it’s easy to get caught in the day-to-day details and make assumptions about our impact. We worked with them to create a story framework for truly identifying the impact of our efforts. Thank you!”

Heather Mott, Direct Marketing and Support Services Manager, Camp Holiday Trails

Ways to Work with Us

Join the Conversation

Join me on social media and subscribe to my blog. Contact me. Ask me questions. Having someone to talk to and connecting with each other is a great way to grow.

You’ve got a program-design-evaluation-data-analyst-grant-writer-storytelling consultant in your back pocket 24/7.

Explore Our Resources

Guess what?!? We’ve done the reading for you!

Check out our searchable database of curated and summarized articles, tools, and resources picked out especially for small- and medium-sized nonprofits.

Resource Library

ImpactStory™ Academy

We’ve taught 100’s of classes. But this is more than a class. This is an 8-week intensive in the ImpactStory™ Strategy.

Join us for six 90-minute classes full of examples, active practice, and discussion. Plus two sets of office hours to help you put it into action. Plus extra resources so you have everything you need in one place. Plus life-time access to the ImpactStory^™Network where you can find support, ask questions, and share resources.

We offer the Academy a couple of times a year.

Get on the waiting list

Custom ImpactStory™

Collecting data and telling convincing impact stories doesn’t require any higher level of expertise than managing your budget. But, impact story systems must be tailored for your organization and goals.

If your serious about owning your impact story and growing your organization, we can build out custom systems, provide capacity-building training for your staff, and provide just the right amount of ongoing coaching to ensure sustainability and success.

** We are only able to take 5 clients per year. **

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