Process Efficiency SWOT for a Research Nonprofit

The question. A research-driven nonprofit serving families and youth wanted to know why its communication and community engagement work kept stalling, even with a strong reputation and a modern tool stack.

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What I found. The organization had real strengths: trusted research, a loyal audience and software it was already paying for. But dissemination had no owner, handoffs between departments broke down, KPIs lived in scattered documents and critical workflows depended on a single staff member.

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What I recommended.

• Automate 9 of 12 recurring manual steps (75%) using tools already licensed, freeing about 6 staff hours per week

• Consolidate content from seven formats to three, cutting production effort by about 57% while still reaching roughly two-thirds of the audience

• Stand up a one-page KPI dashboard and a RACI matrix (who is responsible for what) for every new project

• Grow program revenue to reduce dependence on expiring grants

• Deliver a 45-day playbook of five actions, each scoped at two hours to one week

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Why it matters. The fixes needed no new budget. They needed clear ownership and better use of systems the organization already had.

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Outcome. Leadership presented the analysis to its board to shape the following year’s planning.