HANDS ON ATLANTA
“We now have a solid 3-5-year strategic plan to help drive our work for the next few years. I appreciate Amy and would value working with her again.”
The Challenge
34 Years And Going Strong: Hands-On Atlanta (HOA) boasts a deeply rooted and well-established presence in the city. It is a one-stop shop for bringing together Atlanta volunteers and nonprofits. It connects the Atlanta community with over 100 nonprofits and schools and has mobilized over 100,000 individuals, who have contributed nearly one million hours of service in the past five years.
Evolving Volunteer Landscape: Over its 34 years, Hands On Atlanta has witnessed significant shifts in the volunteer landscape. Volunteer rates have declined nationally, and the rise of volunteer matching technologies and apps has fragmented traditional, deep-rooted connections between Atlanta nonprofits and their dedicated volunteers.
Reevaluating a Legacy Brand: As HOA entered its 34th year, it realized the need to reassess its strategic direction—to clarify its unique value proposition to the city, determine areas of focus and non-focus, and develop strategies to grow its impact in a changing environment.
Many high-profile Atlantans are actively involved and invested in Hands on Atlanta, including Michelle Nunn, Stacey Abrams, Kyle Waide, and founder Elise Eplan. The organization maintains strong relationships with hundreds of Atlanta nonprofits and is supported by three dedicated boards of directors. Engaging all stakeholders was crucial to ensure they were aligned and committed to a refreshed strategic direction, paving the way for the next chapter in HOA's impactful journey.
WHAT DID IT TAKE?
Choices and Tradeoffs: Hands-on Atlanta made tough decisions that will serve them well in the future, including reframing their unique value, focus areas, and response to emerging technology aggregators. One fundamental choice facing HOA was volume vs. frequency. They needed to decide whether to scale their technology platform and strive for high-volume one-time volunteers or facilitate a community of loyal, committed civic leaders. They chose to deepen relationships with a core set of loyal volunteers rather than become a volunteer aggregator.
Another choice facing HOA was breadth vs. focus. They needed to choose whether to spread efforts across all Atlanta nonprofit needs or focus on the city's most pressing needs and deploy more effort to solve those challenges. They focused on Atlanta’s greatest needs: food insecurity and education.
How Did We Do It?
Our approach was unique and custom-made to Hands on Atlanta's needs. We engaged stakeholders at all levels through surveys, interviews, extensive workshops, and Board Offsites. We strongly believe in interviews and workshops to gather feedback, iterate, and ensure buy-in. Without alignment and buy-in, your strategy investment is at risk!
This effort included two full-day strategic planning offsites with 40 attendees, 25 stakeholder interviews, two surveys, six internal team workshops, and dozens of working sessions with leadership.
Where are they Now?
In June 2023, the Hands on Atlanta Board approved its Strategic Plan. The organization has already begun implementing initiatives. The future Hands on Atlanta will deepen efforts to build a community of frequent, committed volunteers and focus on deploying volunteers to address food insecurity and education needs in Atlanta.
Learn more about the Hands On Atlanta at handsonatlanta.org