As we bid farewell to 2023, Impact Now proudly marks the conclusion of our second year of operation. This milestone serves as a testament to our commitment to positive change and continuous growth. Here is an overview of our achievements of this past year, lessons learned, and exciting plans for the future:
Serving Our Clients
Since we began in November 2021, we have served our clients through individual and team coaching.
We served two teams of female leaders through coaching in 2023. Adapting to feedback, we’re refining our approach for a stronger impact. We are going deeper with those teams, and continuing to support them through coaching.
We had planned to serve ten individuals through one-on-one coaching in 2023. We were pleased to have supported six clients, each of whom was committed to do the work necessary to grow in their leadership.
If you haven’t read their interviews or watched the videos, check out what two of our clients—Sifa Jolie Amisi and Adria Mahinduzi— have to say about their coaching experiences.
Two new coaches joined our coaching cadre this year. Deb Skarda and Suzanne Bandy bring experience that enhances the areas of focus we can offer our coaching clients.
We added workshops and Roundtables to our offerings in 2023. Workshops were designed to be offered across two sessions. We hosted two workshops rather than the three we had initially planned. Each of the ten Roundtables was a one-hour, facilitated conversation on a specific topic that addressed an expressed interest of clients.
Workshops and Roundtables were facilitated by members of our board, coaching cadre, and other professionals. More than half of our Roundtable participants joined in two or more sessions, suggesting that they found the discussions valuable.
Of particular note is that across our four services, the majority of our clients live and/or work in the Great Lakes region of Africa (specifically DRCongo, Burundi, Uganda, and Kenya).
Organizational Achievements
As far as our organizational achievements this year, we’ve implemented new policies and procedures in alignment with good business practices. We have earned our GuideStar Silver Star Seal of Transparency and will very soon have our Gold Star Seal.
This past year, 2023, was the first year we conducted fundraising campaigns. While our financial goals for our March and Giving Tuesday campaigns were modest, we were excited to have exceeded each donation goal. In the process we gained 20 new donors, strengthening our community support.
Our graphic designer and social media assistant played an important role in helping us grow our audience. In the span of the twelve months of 2023, Impact Now reached 11,106 Facebook accounts, cumulatively. Our Instagram reach increased by 140%.
Partnerships
We explored two partnerships this past year. One of those is already flourishing. That partnership is with the Leadership Faculty at the Université Chrétienne Bilingu du Congo/UCBC, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We are collaborating with a team at the university to meet the leadership development needs of professional women in the immediate area around the university. We anticipate that this exciting work, which we call the Women’s Leadership Project, will expand beyond our first initiative.
Necessary Shifts
Like any organization in its formative stage, Impact Now has flexed through growing pains, unearthed lessons, and made strategic shifts to better align with our mission. We discovered the power of personal, direct outreach fundraising initiatives targets and will leverage that in our future fundraising campaigns. We will continue to seek input from our clients so that we can better serve them.
Most significantly, after evaluating impact and engagement patterns, we are strategically shifting our program focus. In 2024, the Women’s Leadership Project will take center stage, returning us to the intention of our original funder.
Embracing the Future
As we stand at the threshold of a new year, Impact Now embraces the growth that comes from acknowledging challenges, learning from experiences, and making necessary shifts. The next chapter holds exciting opportunities. Please join us on the journey toward impact and positive change. Please make a donation today!