The Client
YWCA USA is a nonprofit serving over two million women, girls, and their families. It is one of the oldest and largest women’s organizations in the USA.
The Need
In 2020, Sharity partnered with the YWCA, National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and more than 250 frontline domestic violence shelters across the Americas and the Caribbean to review fundraising processes and outcomes. This assessment was ultimately used to support fundraising efforts that secured US$3 million. The review also involved an analysis of the YWCA’s work, finding that YWCA’s metrics were 100 percent output-based. This revealed a need for an outcomes assessment at the YWCA.
The Project
Sharity is reviewing the YWCA’s domestic violence and early childhood work to develop outcome measures, and is developing an equitable, power dynamic-informed fundraising model. This project embeds intersectionality into its process and deliverables. It involves qualitative and quantitative data collection through a survey, focus groups, virtual workshops, stakeholder engagement, and white paper development.
The Result
The project’s first phase was a pilot aimed at recalibrating the traditional consultant-client relationship and ensuring all stakeholders’ voices were heard in the project process development. Instead of helicoptering in as an external expert to provide counsel and directives, Sharity worked with the YWCA as a collaborator and thought partner, and actively sought advice from team members about the project’s design and its execution. Today, Sharity is in an ongoing dialogue about each part of each phase. Sharity built-in reflective practices and feedback gathering that allow for input to be consolidated in real time on the process. This feedback will inform white papers on the project, which take stock of what was done, how it worked, and identify areas for improvement.
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