Economic Strategy Center

“The Economic Strategy Center's work with our organization helped set the stage for our successful fundraiser. Their analysis of our results and impacts over the past eight years provided us with the critical return on investment we needed to ensure our success. ”
Dave McFadden
President
Yakima County Development Association

“As we started our second cycle of fundraising, we needed to demonstrate the partnership's value to our public and private sector investors. The ESC's Return On Investment work provided an objective validation of results that investors would appreciate.”
Gregory H. Wingfield
President
Greater Richmond Partnership, Inc.

The Economic Strategy Center, Inc. (ESC) provides value-added services to clients of National Community Development Services, Inc. (NCDS), and is an affiliate company of NCDS. ESC performs ROI studies in each client's region to identify economic trends, and advise clients on how a capital campaign will impact the community.

Are You Telling Your Story the Right Way?
The Economic Strategy Center (ESC) has the tools to produce relevant, realistic, results-oriented proof of your organization's or program's effectiveness. We'll help you produce specific measures that quantify your businesses' return on investment.

It's no secret that business investment is key to any nonprofit's success. The partnerships you build with local business investors are vital for strengthening both your organization and the community as a whole. But just because your organization is "a good thing" doesn't convince businesses that you are a good investment.

To attract businesses for your nonprofit, you've got to speak their language — to make a compelling case based on economic rationale. You need more than just run-of-the-mill generalizations or empty statistics. You must tell your story with meaningful, hard-hitting, unbiased evidence that clearly shows the bottom-line impact your organization will have on the community — and community business.

If You Can Measure It, You Can Prove It
Although anecdotal evidence can give a general idea of whether or not a program is working, it takes hard numbers to measure the true value of what you have created — numbers that speak to investors in terms that they understand and appreciate. ESC has developed several innovative approaches to show your organization's true value.

• ROI Benchmarking
  How does your program's Return on Investment (ROI) compare to similar organizations across the country? We'll help you compare your approach — and it's impact — to similar programs, budgets and organizations. Then we'll offer recommendations that will make a lasting difference.
• Defining "Success"
  Defining performance measures for nonprofits that supporters can understand and appreciate can be a difficult task. Plus, there always seem to be more causes served than dollars to support them. We'll help your organization design measures of success that fulfill your mission, serve your constituency, and satisfy your investors.
• What's In It For Me?
  Investor's want to know. We provide them with data the really hits "home" through customized presentations for specific industries or individual companies. We'll make sure your investors understand the direct benefits that can substantially increase their investment in your program. ESC can help ensure you achieve what you set out to accomplish, and share your success with your investors.

“Non-profit institutions tend not to give priority to performance and results. Yet performance and results are far more important — and far more difficult to measure and control — in the non-profit institution than in a business.”
Peter Drucker
Managing the Non-profit Organization

The Bottom Line
Business leaders know that nonprofits create value for their communities. But the nonprofits in which they invest are the ones they believe offer the greatest return on their philanthropic investments. make sure you know the bottom line. To show the kind of return on investment that keeps investors coming back for more, call the Economic Strategy Center today at 404-231-0730. It may just be the wisest investment you'll make!

Who Benefits From ESC's Services?
Any kind of nonprofit organization can benefit from business-based measures that prove your effectiveness beyond a doubt. ESC is pleased to work with many types of organizations, including:

• Economic Development Corporations
• Chambers of Commerce
• Regional Development Authorities
• Museums
• Educational Institutions
• Arts & Cultural Organizations
• Membership Organizations
• State Development Foundations
• Youth Services
• Libraries

The Economic Strategy Center, Inc. is an affiliate company of National Community Development Services, Inc. (NCDS), a pioneer in nonprofit, community-based fundraising. ESC combines the economic principles of the statistics, finance and investment fields to provide powerful, persuasive arguments for public and private sector investment in nonprofit programs and organizations.