DoSomething.org partnered with Orr Group to develop a strategic plan and fundraising strategy that not only addressed immediate obstacles but also positioned the organization for a 19% revenue growth rate over four years, while also enhancing its impact on empowering young people for social change.
Founded in 1993, DoSomething aimed to make volunteering as cool as sports and has grown into the largest nonprofit exclusively for young people and social change, with millions of members spanning every U.S. area code and 131 countries. DoSomething’s digital platform engages young people aged 13 to 25 in campaigns addressing a wide range of causes, from poverty to environmental issues.
DoSomething faced a series of challenges after completing its 2017-2020 strategic vision. Externally, the organization grappled with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the growing demand for racial justice. Internally, DoSomething encountered shifts in staffing, new executive leadership appointments, a budget deficit, difficulties in executing their strategic plan, and organizational misalignment. These circumstances prompted DoSomething to reflect on its history and reevaluate its vision for the future.
To address these challenges and ensure long-term sustainability, DoSomething partnered with Orr Group to embark on a strategic planning process that would chart a bold new course as the organization entered its third decade. Orr Group initiated a multi-phased approach, beginning with a comprehensive discovery phase encompassing document review, landscape assessment, peer organization research, stakeholder interviews, and surveys of staff and volunteer members. Based on the findings, Orr Group crafted a new three-year strategic plan, defining a fresh mission and vision and establishing strategic priorities centered on empowering young people to harness their power for change. With these priorities in place, Orr Group facilitated the alignment of activities and workflows across departments, emphasizing measurable outcomes.
In parallel, Orr Group’s Talent team provided hiring support for DoSomething, assisting in filling 1-6 roles at a time, moving candidates through the pipeline, and enhancing overall hiring processes. This collaboration has resulted in the recruitment of 17 out of 30 current employees to date.
With the new strategic direction in place and alignment achieved between the staff and the board, DoSomething tasked Orr Group with creating an actionable fundraising plan aimed at ensuring long-term sustainability and greater impact. Orr Group conducted both qualitative and quantitative analyses, identifying various short- and long-term opportunities that, when leveraged, would lead to increased and diversified revenue streams.
The development planning report resulted in several key recommendations around case for support development, board and fundraising expansion, resource allocation and development department restructuring.
Additionally, our findings determined that DoSomething was positioned to achieve a revenue growth rate of 19% over four years. This comprehensive effort, along with the recommended strategies, positioned DoSomething for continued growth and impact into its third decade.