I like to work with non-profits because I get to meet so many talented people and give back to my San Luis Obispo County community or a national cause I’m passionate about at the same time. I recently took on a project for a local non-profit association that helps small-to-midsized businesses (SMBs) get established and grow.
On the surface, the project seemed simple enough; perform an audience analysis to identify the cause of low attendance to their free workshops and seminars. But upon further inspection, the problem became more about motivation for performance improvement and change management than a mere analysis. The full report was provided to the client at an in-person meeting to discuss my findings and suggestions for performance improvement. The following are excepts from the 48-page report.
Surface Problem:
Low attendance to workshops for SMB (small-to-midsized business) owners and entrepreneurs.
Issue 1: Overuse of the email list.
Issue 2: Reaching the wrong type of new people.
Issue 3: Is the organization being viewed as a reputable source?
Target Audience Analysis
In the full report, more information is covered about the current audience, motivation, objectives, perceived gaps in knowledge, anxiety/stress, and perceived value of instruction. It concludes with actionable insight, ideas for solutions, tasks, and milestones to track future progress. The overall prognosis was that local SMB owners want someone to “do it with me” and hold their hand through the process of starting or growing a business.
