Originally scheduled for March 2020, everything was set to move forward with our first Strategy Impact Day. Two weeks before the scheduled in-person event, the state shut down in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. We paused and pivoted. After allowing a grace period for everyone to get back on their feet, we sent out an assessment to see where the nonprofits were now at - priorities, operations, and organizational strategies had clearly shifted for the time being and for the indefinite future. With some organizations needing to step away, we still had a high interest rate in continuing so we rescheduled to late May and planned to deliver the event virtually. Once again, everything was set. And then the week of our event, George Floyd was murdered in our hometown of Minneapolis. Understandably and admirably, some volunteers and organizations decided to step away to respond to their community, to protest, or to lead volunteer clean-up efforts. But we still pressed forward, albeit timidly. And we’re glad we did. In kicking off the event, we acknowledged the heaviness of the morning, waking up to continued protests and riots, buildings on fire, and all of us still in mourning. It was the smallest participation we’ve had at any Impact Day event. But it was one of the most moving, as one volunteer reflected at the end:

Participants

Survey Results

4

Nonprofit organizations

100%

of participants - both nonprofits and pro bono volunteers - would recommend Impact Day

16

Pro bono volunteers

100%

of nonprofits had actionable next steps after attending

100%

88%

of nonprofits plan to utilize additional pro bono opportunities in the coming year

of volunteers said this was an opportunity to apply their professional skills in a new context

Deliverables Received

• “We received a refined logic model, a program evaluation tool, and new survey questions for optimal data analysis.”

• “We received many specific, concrete, and sustainable ideas we can implement right away for increased volunteer recruitment.”

• “As we undertake the development of a new program, we walked away with clear strategic questions that need to be answered prior to launch, a thought-out supply chain, and a timeline to begin testing the program’s achievements.”

• “We received concrete next steps in how to successfully expand our current programming from a hiring and operational perspective.”