Recently I was able to participate in a conference that was focused on Strategy and Innovation. While Little Friends is an agency that provides services to individuals dealing with intellectual/developmental disabilities and autism, despite our nonprofit status we must operate as a business. In stating this, those in the social services world have some of the same challenges as those in the for-profit sector.
Attending a conference like this causes one to pause and try to think about the future. We are asked to question whether what we have done in the past will get us to where we need to be in the future. We need to wonder if our plans should be aimed at continuing business as usual (which normally equates to trying to be the last one standing) or consider transformational change based upon the needs of the individuals and families of those we serve. Maybe even something in between should be considered? More often, the answer lies in this area of thought.
Having spent the time to think about the future of the organization, one thing we elected to do was solicit input from those families and organizations we serve. Some of those reading this article will have received a brief survey soliciting input on how well we serve your needs, and more importantly, if there is something we can improve upon or add, to read about it and use this as guidance for our future. For those who have received a survey and take the time to return your feedback, thank you! We truly appreciate and value the input you have provided us.
As I look at the future of Little Friends, we have made some significant investments to assure the organization serves our community for years to come. Our new school and clinic for the Center for Autism reflects this investment. However, gathering input helps us determine how to fine tune existing services and provide new ones when necessary. The feedback we will receive is invaluable and greatly appreciated.
Looking forward, we are facing some opportunities to change with full intentions to continuously improve.
Theodore Roosevelt once said, “In the moment of decision the best thing to do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing.”
With the proper feedback, we will work to make sure we do the right things for those we serve and their families.
