Getting Back to Basics

Summary: To date, DSH has focused its efforts on making schools function better, and on making the DSH model “work.” While this is, or course, the reason of the organization’s being, the tradeoff is that DSH has not expended much focused energy on the basics (e.g., marketing and fundraising).

True to the character of the co-founders, DSH has, to date, been operationally-focused. As a start-up nonprofit, DSH has been a very action-oriented organization, channeling its energy and limited resources into making sure we see impact in the schools we operate in.

DSH is a no-frills, get-your-hands-dirty, do-whatever-it-takes type of organization. On the one hand, this means we’re not afraid of experimenting with new initiatives if we think it’ll make a difference. We throw everything we have into making sure we’re helping students receive a better education. We sit on patio furniture so we can support one more school. We focus on the students, and we focus on making things work.

On the other hand, this also means that we haven’t invested time and energy into what some consider “the basics.” We focus so much on our target “client” population that we forget about “funders” and “supporters.” As an organization, one of our biggest weaknesses is lack of marketing and fundraising efforts. We have no logo, no tagline, no mission statement, no PR, and no one dedicated to outreach and/or fundraising. To the organization, such “frills” are seen as unwanted distractions.

As an outsider coming in, I think the basics are long overdue. Sure, they might be distractions, but they’re necessary evils. In many ways, it’s a catch-22. You need funders and outreach in order to achieve impact, but you need demonstrated impact before outreach efforts can be successful.

Of course, there are small “wins” here and there. Take, for example, the 2008 Tech Awards in Silicon Valley, or the recent article published in the Stanford Social Innovation Review. Though I was pleasantly surprised to discover these items, I’m also aware that they represent a largely ad hoc publicity “campaign.”

Though I’m trying to gradually introduce some basic elements of marketing into DSH, I find myself becoming acutely aware of the difficulties in developing a program that challenges the fiber of an up-and-running organization, especially if you yourself lack the skills and know-how to run it.

In other news, if you or anyone you know has experience with logo design and are willing to adopt DSH as a pro bono project, please let me know, as we sure could use some help!