What shape
are you in?
The Balance Wheel
A community foundation
assessment tool
©
2005 Transatlantic Community Foundation Network (TCFN)/Bertelsmann Stiftung
About TCFN
TCFN provides a platform for the exchange of
experience and expertise among community
foundations on both sides of the Atlantic. TCFN is
organized by Bertelsmann Stiftung with support and
advice of the C.S. Mott Foundation.
The Balance Wheel was created by the TCFN
Organizational Development and Effectiveness
Working Group
©
2005 Transatlantic Community Foundation Network (TCFN)/Bertelsmann Stiftung
Advancing community foundation effectiveness
 How do we assess our own effectiveness?
 What questions should we ask?
 What will we do with the answers to the questions
we ask ourselves?
 Isn’t assessment and evaluation an expensive
and time-consuming exercise?
 What will we do if we don’t agree with the results?
©
2005 Transatlantic Community Foundation Network (TCFN)/Bertelsmann Stiftung
The Balance Wheel
Gauge perceptions about your community
foundation’s effectiveness in six key areas:
 Governance
 Management
 Community leadership
 Grants/programs/projects
 Visibility
 Fund development
Note: key areas can be translated into any language
©
2005 Transatlantic Community Foundation Network (TCFN)/Bertelsmann Stiftung
The Balance Wheel
A quick, easy and informative tool
 Interactive and intuitive
 Generates memorable visuals
 Includes discussion questions
 Links to resources about the six key areas
 Can be adapted to work in any culture on
any topic
©
2005 Transatlantic Community Foundation Network (TCFN)/Bertelsmann Stiftung
Getting started
1. Download the
Microsoft® Excel tool
2. Open the file
3. Follow the onscreen
instructions
Download file at www.tcfn.efc.be
©
2005 Transatlantic Community Foundation Network (TCFN)/Bertelsmann Stiftung
Gaining input
Distribute Rating Form
to key stakeholders:
 Board
 Staff
 Committees
 Others
©
2005 Transatlantic Community Foundation Network (TCFN)/Bertelsmann Stiftung
Consolidate and view results
 Enter data from Rating Forms
 View and print aggregate data
and visuals
Sample outputs
What shape are you in?
©
2005 Transatlantic Community Foundation Network (TCFN)/Bertelsmann Stiftung
The ideal shape
Effectiveness is a function of
progress in each of the
six areas and a balance of
effectiveness between
the six areas
©
2005 Transatlantic Community Foundation Network (TCFN)/Bertelsmann Stiftung
Discussing the results
Community Foundation A
Basic Chart
©
2005 Transatlantic Community Foundation Network (TCFN)/Bertelsmann Stiftung
Discussing the results
Community Foundation A
Detailed Chart
 Look at the overall graphic, and
consider the length of the spokes
as they move outward from the
center. What shape are we in?
 What does the overall shape of
the chart tell us? Any surprises?
 Consider the spokes of the chart.
Which spoke shall we start with?
 What criteria did we use to form
our perceptions (i.e., why did we
rate things as we did)?
 Why do we have discrepancies
in our ratings?
Average
Lowest
Highest
©
2005 Transatlantic Community Foundation Network (TCFN)/Bertelsmann Stiftung
Discussing the results (continued)
Community Foundation A
Detailed Chart
 What do we have to do to move
to a “5” in an area?
 What are the indicators of success
(achieved a “5” in each area)?
 Repeat the discussion for each
spoke.
 How will we prioritize the identified
actions?
 What are our next steps?
Average
Lowest
Highest
©
2005 Transatlantic Community Foundation Network (TCFN)/Bertelsmann Stiftung
Use tool annually to
assess progress and to
identify areas of focus.
Case study: The Winnipeg Foundation
Going Deeper
Using The Balance Wheel to
measure perceptions on areas of
the foundation’s strategic plan
©
2005 Transatlantic Community Foundation Network (TCFN)/Bertelsmann Stiftung
Case study: The Winnipeg Foundation
Areas of Study
 Community Leadership
 Supporting Community Needs
 Decision Making Processes
 Endowment Building
 Financial Oversight
 Strategic Positioning
©
2005 Transatlantic Community Foundation Network (TCFN)/Bertelsmann Stiftung
Case study: The Winnipeg Foundation
Areas of Study
Overall Ratings of Key Organizational Activities
Community Leadership
5.0
3.7
4.0
3.0
Strategic Positioning
Supporting Community Needs
4.1
4.0
2.0
Key
5 = Totally Satisfied
1 = Not Satisfied
1.0
Mission
0.0
Average
Lowest
Highest
4.1
Financial Oversight
Decision Making Processes
4.3
3.3
Endowment Building
©
2005 Transatlantic Community Foundation Network (TCFN)/Bertelsmann Stiftung
Organizational Assessment Tool
Product of the Transatlantic Community Foundation Network
Organizational Development & Effectiveness Workgroup
Case study: The Winnipeg Foundation
Measuring additional perceptions in each area
Example: Community Leadership
©
1.
Our grants effectively respond to and support community
led projects
2.
Projects initiated by the Foundation target the most critical
issues
3.
We educate our donors appropriately about philanthropic
opportunities
4.
We convene and collaborate around critical issues effectively
5.
Documenting our experience enables us to influence others
and public policy
6.
We incorporate diverse experience and perspectives into
our processes
2005 Transatlantic Community Foundation Network (TCFN)/Bertelsmann Stiftung
Case study: The Winnipeg Foundation
Measuring additional perceptions in each area
Example: Community Leadership
Detailed Rating of the Six Community Leadership Questions
Question One
5.0
4.1
4.0
3.0
Question Six
Question Two
3.4
2.0
4.0
Average
Lowest
Highest
1.0
Mission
0.0
3.6
Key
5 = Totally Satisfied
1 = Not Satisfied
3.7
Question Five
Question Three
3.4
Question Four
©
Organizational Assessment Tool
Product of the Transatlantic Community Foundation Network
Organizational Development & Effectiveness Workgroup
2005 Transatlantic Community Foundation Network (TCFN)/Bertelsmann Stiftung
Case study: The Winnipeg Foundation
Balance Wheel helped us get a snapshot of
“ The
how we are doing with our strategic plan. This
tool makes it so easy to gather perceptions that
our Board is going to use it annually to help
monitor our progress.
“
Rick Frost
CEO, The Winnipeg Foundation (Canada)
©
2005 Transatlantic Community Foundation Network (TCFN)/Bertelsmann Stiftung