How We Assess Potential Advisees

Our Partners share a well-tested rubric for making decisions during the application and evaluation process leading up to acceptance as an Advisee or Investee. The questions our Partners are most concerned with in evaluating a potential Advisee:

Mission/Intended Impact
How clearly is your mission expressed? Good missions encapsulate why an organization exists, the values it holds, the purpose that drives it, and demonstrate an understanding of how the organization is uniquely positioned to help its community.

Implementation/Programming
How well defined are your programs and services and how well do they align to your mission? Offerings should be clearly linked to the organization’s overall strategy and synergies across programs should be built upon.

Commitment to Racial Equity
How intrinsic is racial equity to your organization? Impact organizations should have a demonstrated commitment to proactively and consciously pursuing racial equity. Teams should have gone through training and the organization should have a strategic, intentional approach to addressing equity.

Revenue Generation
How strong is your funding? Are other organizations trying to replicate your methods? Funding sources should be diverse with strong insulation from potential market instabilities or there should be sustainable, revenue-generating activities.

Metrics of Success
How clear are your measurements of progress? Every organization should know where it stands and how far it has to go. Well-developed, comprehensive, and integrated systems used for measuring performance and progress on a continuable basis should be in place. KPIs should be defined and social impact measures should be well-developed.

Board Involvement
How involved is your board? Board members should consistently provide strong direction, support, and accountability. Communication should reflect mutual respect, clearly defined responsibilities, and a shared commitment. Financial contributions from all board members should be consistent.

Increasing Capacity/Scaling
How efficiently and effectively can your organization grow? Even if your organization is in its early stages, there should be a clear plan to grow your programming in place. Fit with SVP
How big a difference can we make? SVP Dallas must be uniquely suited to help your organization scale and increase its impact.