Client Spotlight: Tourette Association of America

Donors and funders are increasingly asking for insight into an organization’s strategic direction and come into every funding relationship with expectations about measurable data to demonstrate the outcomes and impact an organization is achieving through programs and services. Those expectations mean a strategic plan with clearly defied Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) is essential to successful resource development efforts. IBW recently completed work with the Tourette Association of America, solidifying its strategic priorities, building out the operational tactics needed to its drive the day-to-day work, and defining measurable performance indicators they could use to provide evidence of their impact.

A referral from the Spina Bifida Association, a past IBW client, led to a strategic planning project with the Tourette Association of America (TAA). TAA is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2022 and wanted to use that milestone as the springboard for a major gifts campaign. To help them make the case for support to funders, TAA recognized they needed a clear road map laying out the association’s strategic direction and defining measurable performance indicators they could use to provide evidence of their progress and success.

Using an initial draft of a strategic plan written by one of TAA’s directors as a foundation, IBW worked with the TAA leadership team to review and refine their five-year strategic plan. During a series of six online planning sessions, we clarified plan structure and intent, added new content, and made sometimes tough decisions to delay or delete plan ideas. Defining timelines for implementation of plan tactics and actions required discussion and consensus building around organizational priorities. TAA’s CEO was especially committed to what she described as “operationalizing the plan,” understanding what additional, unbudgeted resources would be required (staff, dollars) to translate the ideas in the plan into action. The Resource Planning Calendar Summary IBW was able to provide, listing the resources needed to implement individual tactics and actions, was an integral piece of the final documentation of the plan.

Congratulations, TAA! IBW is proud to have helped bring your strategic plan to life, and we’re excited to watch your continued success.

TAA offers an incredible array of tools and services for children, teens, young adults, adults and families with Tourette Syndrome, Tic Disorders, and other associated conditions. They are a leading national resource for medical professionals, educators and law enforcement on the subjects of Tourette Syndrome and Tic Disorders and a major funder of research to advance scientific understanding, treatment options and care for those with Tourette Syndrome and Tic Disorders.