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A Do It Yourself Guide
So you want to start an El Sistema-inspired program? ............................................................ 3
What is ‘Need’? ............................................................................................................................. 3
Community .................................................................................................................................... 4
Defining community ................................................................................................................................ 4
Which community/communities will you serve? .................................................................................. 4
Community Mapping and Engagement ................................................................................................ 5
Creating The Framework ............................................................................................................. 5
As a program of a larger organization .................................................................................................. 5
Finding an incubator ............................................................................................................................... 6
MOUs and Expectations ....................................................................................................................... 6
Fiscal Sponsorship ................................................................................................................................... 6
Founding your own 501(c)3 .................................................................................................................... 7
Launching Your First Program Site ........................................................................................... 7
Population ................................................................................................................................................ 7
Partnership ............................................................................................................................................... 7
· Schools ............................................................................................................................................ 7
· Churches ......................................................................................................................................... 8
· Department of Parks and Recreation ............................................................................................. 8
· Your Local Library ......................................................................................................................... 8
· Social Service Organizations .......................................................................................................... 8
Spaces ....................................................................................................................................................... 8
· Rehearsal ........................................................................................................................................ 8
· Performance .................................................................................................................................... 8
· Storage ............................................................................................................................................ 9
· Office ............................................................................................................................................... 9
Location and Transportation ................................................................................................................. 9
Continuum ............................................................................................................................................... 9
Access ........................................................................................................................................................ 9
Administration ....................................................................................................................................... 10
Contribution/Assistance/Fundraising .................................................................................................. 10
Program Design ........................................................................................................................... 10
Ensemble ................................................................................................................................................ 11
· Full Orchestra ............................................................................................................................... 11
· Choir ............................................................................................................................................. 11
· String Orchestra ........................................................................................................................... 12
· Bucket Band .................................................................................................................................. 12
· Chamber Music ............................................................................................................................. 12
· Violin Ensemble .......................................................................................................................... 12

Teaching Artists ..................................................................................................................................... 13
· Compensation ............................................................................................................................... 13
· Training ........................................................................................................................................ 13
· Retention ....................................................................................................................................... 13
· Social vs Musical .......................................................................................................................... 14
· Administration ................................................................................................................................. 14
· Nucleo Directors ........................................................................................................................... 14
Development ................................................................................................................................ 15
Marketing ............................................................................................................................................... 15
Individuals .............................................................................................................................................. 15
Foundations ............................................................................................................................................ 15
Government ........................................................................................................................................... 15
Corporations .......................................................................................................................................... 16
Sustainability and Growth ......................................................................................................... 16
Program Assessment ............................................................................................................................. 16
Social Impact Assessment ..................................................................................................................... 16
Bigger vs. Better .................................................................................................................................... 16
Other Resources .......................................................................................................................... 17

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A Do It Yourself Guide
Excellent! You are not alone. As you explore this website, you’ll see that you’re part of a national and global network of people who also strongly believe in music for social change.
Driven by the hard work and passion of unique individuals, every program finds its own path to existence, and is tied and tailored to the needs of its specific community. Before beginning this journey, be sure you are ready to spend the time and energy creating a sustainable initiative. In most instances, starting this work in a community, and then letting the program fail, does more harm than good.
This “Do-It-Yourself” compilation is meant to serve as a general resource, and not to be taken as a strict, unbendable set of step-by-step instructions. You will find at almost every step, however, that there will be more questions than answers. As you will see, the very nature of inquiry will be an essential skill when trying to align with the many unique challenges each community has.
We encourage readers to explore these questions as they envision, shape, and gather support to bring their program into existence. If you have something to add, or a suggestion on how to improve this guide, please send an email to info@elsistemausa.org
.
In the context of building a Sistema-inspired program, a need is an absence of something essential in a community, or a specific social issue or ill. As a program that is both social and musical in nature, you will require both social and musical needs in order to launch a program that will last. When choosing a community to launch in, the primary search for need should be social. However, you also must find a community that needs an intensive music program. Does the community already have a surfeit of after-school activities? Do they have a thriving in-school music program? If so, perhaps they do not have space in their culture for an intensive El Sistemainspired program.
When considering “need”, often times many more questions need to be asked to construct a compelling case. This “Case for Need” will enable you to sustain the program, securing funding and support as you build your program.
Questions:
What is the compelling problem your program is addressing?
Who is the target population (specifically)? (Income levels, race, ethnicity, citizenship, family structures, etc….)
What defines “at risk” youth?

What are they at risk for?
What is your theory of change? (see Other Resources )
What is the specific impact you expect the program to have?
How will you measure it? (More on this in the ‘ Error! Reference source not found.
’ section)
What does '”community” mean, really? Is it proximity – the people in your neighborhood? Is it religious – members of your church? Is it ethnic – all the people who look like you? Is it based on income – all the people who can (or can't) afford the same as you? How about interests – your baseball team or your debate club? Isn't “community” each of these things? How do you pick which of these many, many ways to define “community” you will use to assess a need in that
“community” and begin to build towards addressing it?
Questions:
How do you define community?
How do you focus in on the need of multidimensional communities?
When thinking about which community to build a program in, it might be difficult to choose because there will seem to be lots of incentives to begin in one place or another. In one area, there may be excellent partners and eager funders. These elements increase the initial chance of creating a strong, well-resourced program. Perhaps then, in another area, there is the highest rate of gang involvement, high school drop-outs, or violent crime. These elements increase the “Case for Need” and will help the program achieve sustainability over time.
This continuum of initial conditions in prospective communities span from those with the most social needs to those with the most resources to help make the program a reality. Most El
Sistema-inspired programs are launched somewhere in the middle of the spectrum, but it’s important to think about what is drawing you to a certain community, and what resources there will help you launch, and what “Case for Need” will help you sustain your program.
Questions:
What draws you to begin a program in certain communities?
Specifically, why this community?
Why not other communities?
What is your plan for engaging parents and community organizations?
How do you plan to overcome the logistical/economic/cultural hurdles inherent in reaching “at risk” youth?
Who is helping you with this?
What resources are they committing?
Why do they want to help?

Before you can truly begin designing a Sistema-inspired program to serve a community, you have to know the ecosystem that already exists in that community. Understanding what a community already has to be thankful for is an essential initial step in the process. The goal should be to strive to discover what preexisting programs are already doing work in the community, and to ascertain which programs' outcomes could be enhanced through support, collaboration, and connection. In other words, to achieve the best possible impact, you need to truly grasp the assets of a community as you attempt to address the need.
Great people to talk with to understand the assets of a community, as well as the need, include religious leaders, school principals, community foundations, social service organizations, and anyone else who is in touch with the fabric of that community. This should include many nonmusical folk. Everyone you talk with will have three more people for you to contact. Dedicate enough time, and soon you will know everyone in the community. If you’re asking for advice and for their vision for the community, it is likely that they will become a part of your network working to bring an El Sistema-inspired program to life. Be sure to keep a list of everyone you talk with and how to contact them – you will need it. And remember to keep in touch!
Questions:
What can be gained through the knowledge of the assets in a community?
How are conversations with individuals different than with leaders of organizations?
What is valuable from each?
There are those in the El Sistema-inspired world who believe the best way to launch a program is to find some kids and to start making music with them, immediately. This is absolutely an option, and the other pieces will fall into place eventually. In fact, having kids playing music as quickly as possible is significant in terms of community support and funding. However, having the right organizational framework in place will help your work become sustainable.
If you are reading this as a pre-existing organization thinking of starting an El Sistema-inspired program, find a passionate individual to lead the initiative, and do it! Typically, an organization begins an El Sistema-inspired program to demonstrate investment in their community, visible public value, and to access different areas of funding. In this way, starting an El Sistema-inspired program can be quite beneficial for a pre-existing organization. It can also be quite costly. As mentioned previously, before beginning this journey, be sure you are ready to spend the time and energy creating a sustainable initiative. Again, starting this work in a community, and then letting the program fail, does more harm than good.
If you are a passionate individual thinking of starting an El Sistema-inspired program, it could be

a sustainable option to connect with a pre-existing organization and work with them to found a program. This approach has worked well with many Symphony Orchestras around the USA. The benefits of having a pre-existing organization cannot be overstated, not the least of which is that you might begin with a desk and not have to struggle to meet payroll every month. However; there are challenges there too, and you’ll want to approach any beginning of this sort with a clearly shared vision, and an understanding that the goal is institutional AND programmatic sustainability. That means building the program so that it can survive without you.
Questions:
Is your vision something you are happy to share, and let others bring it to fruition?
Do you want to be your own boss?
Do you work well within an organization?
Being incubated is similar to becoming a program of a larger organization (see above), except that you retain an independent nature, and it is understood from the beginning that your goal is to spin-off into an independent organization once you are able. This delays having to do some of the other heavy-lifting, such as founding your own 501(c)3, but it also means that you must work hard to have clearly set agreements between all parties in regards to the terms of your incubation.
If forming a new nonprofit organization eventually presents more benefits and less challenges than working closely with a fiscal intermediary, it will make sense to apply for a new tax-exempt number, and to form your own 501(c)3.
Questions:
What is your timeline?
Does the hosting organization have the same timeline?
What if the hosting organization wants to start a program separate from yours?
• MOUs and Expectations
It is helpful in any partnership situation to draw up a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which clearly defines the expectations, roles, and responsibilities of all parties involved. This kind of document can also be known as a Joint Venture Agreement, among other names. http://www.laphil.com/sites/default/files/media/pdfs/shared/education/yola/join_venture_agreem ent.pdf
If you are excited about founding an independent organization, but aren’t able to secure a taxexempt number in a timely fashion, or aren’t interested in pursing 501(c)3 status, you’ll need to identify a fiscal sponsor to receive tax-deductible donations. Fiscal sponsorship means that another organization with 501(c)3 status will accept donations on your behalf, passing along the donations to you, often for a fee of some sort. Options for fiscal sponsorship include other El
Sistema-inspired organizations, local music organizations, local social service organizations, or

programs such as Fractured Atlas. Fractured Atlas is an organization whose mission is providing fiscal sponsorship to worthy organizations. http://www.fracturedatlas.org
More information on this can be found in this section of the website: Non-Profit Operations
In Venezuela, an El Sistema program site is referred to as a Nucleo. In the United States, some have chosen to adopt this term, some haven’t. What you call your program site is completely up to you. Whatever you choose to call it, your first program site will probably be built around some core relationships, resources, and environments.
The  population  you  serve  will  be  a  foundational  ingredient  in  your  program  design.  Be  sure   that  they  “Need”  your  program.  Re-­‐read  the   What  is  “Need”  for  additional  perspective.
Questions:
Who are you serving?
Why this population and not another one?
How will this impact your musical programming?
How will this impact your social goals?
How do you plan to engage them (the students) before programming starts?
As far as starting a site, unless you already own a building that is appropriate to run a program, you’ll need to form a partnership with an organization or government entity to get access to space, population to serve (kids), and other resources. Below, there are a number of potential partners listed, with many more possibilities out there. If you are partnered with a type of organization that isn’t listed, please send an email to info@elsistemausa.org
.
•
Schools
There are many different models for school partnerships, whether the program takes place out-of-school time (before or after school), or during the school day, or some combination of both. El Sistema-inspired programs in the USA have worked with public, parochial, and charter schools. By far, partnerships with schools are the most common form of programmatic partnership for El Sistema-inspired program in the USA.
• Invitation From Music Educators

El Sistema-inspired programs are dedicated to supporting and enhancing the tireless and wonderful work of music educators around the world. One of the basic philosophies of El
Sistema is that music education can change the lives of children, families, and communities. If you are thinking of partnership at a school with a pre-existing music education program, however minimal, it is essential to receive an invitation from the school’s music educators. Hopefully, you’ll be able to build a beautiful program together.
• Churches
Some El Sistema-inspired programs have found homes in churches. http://www.ckyo.org/orchestras/north-limestone-musicworks/
• Department of Parks and Recreation
Public Parks and Community Centers have made excellent partners for some programs. http://www.laphil.com/education/yola/expo
• Your Local Library
Some programs have flourished at public libraries. http://www.nucleocorona.org/Corona_Youth_Music_Project/Home.html
•
Social Service Organizations
Other programs have found the synergy of missions with Social Service Organizations appealing. http://www.mycincinnatiorchestra.org
The quality and quantity of spaces available to you at a given site will affect your type of programming, how your program expands, and how comfortable your staff and students are.
There are many different types of space to consider, and to talk over carefully with your potential partners. Often, the large number of spaces needed surprises partners. Typically, a nucleo is not just kids in a single room playing music.
•
Rehearsal
Your rehearsal space needs will be determined by your choice of ensemble (or vice versa). When breaking into sectionals, how many discrete portions of the ensemble are there? 3? 7? If you want to be able to provide private instruction in addition to ensemble instruction, this should be taken into consideration. Many programs in Venezuela and the
USA utilize non-standard rehearsal spaces, such as hallways or sidewalks.
• Performance

You’ll want a performance space available to you, at least large enough to fit all the families of the students in your program. Whether this is an auditorium or a big room is up to you and the size of your program.
• Storage
You’ll quickly acquire stuff, and stuff needs to be stored. The first inventory you’ll probably acquire will be made up of instruments, so at least some of your storage space should probably be climate controlled.
• Office
Some folk are very comfortable working from home or from a coffee shop everyday. For those who aren’t, it’ll be important to identify office space for all administrators of the program. For Nucleo Directors (Site Directors) it should probably be at their Nucleo; otherwise, office space could be provided by another partner, such as the local symphony.
Determined heavily by population and partnership, where you decide to launch your Nucleo will be a significant choice. If your partner site isn’t a school, it’s likely that you have to be concerned with how students get to you. Even if your site is a school, you should still be thinking about how students get home.
Questions:
How are they going to get to your site?
How are they going to get home?
Is the area safe?
What protections will you provide to keep your students safe?
When looking for potential partners, think about your program with a multi-year perspective.
How will the program grow? Where will those students come from? If you place a preference on schools with a large age range, you’ll be able to smoothly establish a multi-year continuum. For instance, perhaps a K-8 school would be preferable to a K-5. However, if there are schools with multiple grades in close proximity, this becomes less of a concern.
It is important to seek out a partner who understands the mission to provide access to those who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford the impact of music education. Be sure to have a conversation with your potential partner about fiscal barriers to access. Also, If you are striving for a K-12 continuum at a school, it is inevitable that students not enrolled in that school would eventually come to participate. It will be important to have a conversation regarding inviting community and alumni into the school building, even if they aren’t current students at that school. If you choose to follow the Venezuelan model of building the orchestra as a community

center, then it should be a place where anyone from the community can come to thrive in music.
Questions:
What other barriers might your community might have to access the program?
What background check procedures are in place?
If you are considering bringing your program to a school, church, or any other organization with an administrative structure, a supportive Principal/Pastor/Manager will make all the difference as the program gets off the ground. Have many conversations with them, and consider constructing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) together.
When approaching potential sites, it’s worth asking if the site has any funds/instruments to help support the program. Most potential sites will probably not be able to contribute to the program fiscally; however, being willing to assist in fundraising efforts and being welcoming to potential donors/other visitors will be significant.
I know this is all fun, but now comes the really fun part: envisioning what your program will look like day to day.
Questions:
What ensemble will be at the program’s core?
How many hours a week will you rehearse?
How many days a week?
Will music be the only program element?
Will there be other program elements, such as tutoring or a meal?
What is your weekly schedule?
What is your year-long calendar?
How will you attract/train/retain teaching artists?
How will you recruit/retain students?
What will the culture of discipline be in your Nucleo?
What is the cost-effectiveness equation of your model?
Why would a dollar invested in you be better than a dollar invested in the Boys and Girls Clubs or the YMCA?
What makes your approach different and better from other traditional classical music training programs, many of which have failed to engage low-income students.
Why should your program “catch on” more than other classical music programs?

If you think of El Sistema-inspired programs as social initiatives where a large part of the learning is how to interact with others, then the key ingredient of the program becomes the ensemble. The ensemble becomes a student’s new school of social life, where they begin to understand the value in improving oneself in order to contribute to the community and the incredible joy of achieving with others. Below are some ensembles and links to programs that utilize said ensemble.
• Full Orchestra
Much of the success of El Sistema in Venezuela can be attributed to the exposure and sheer brilliance of its youth orchestras. The full orchestra has traditionally served as the flagship ensemble for many nucleos around the world. Being mindful of resources, here are some things to consider: instruments and staff for all sections
(strings/winds/brass/percussion), large enough rehearsal space, socially-driven conductor, etc…
The People’s Music School: www.peoplesmusicschool.org
Play On, Philly!: www.playonphilly.org
Soundscapes: http://www.soundscapeshr.org
Kalamazoo Kids in Tune: http://www.kalamazoosymphony.com/page.php?menu_id=106
Conservatory Lab Charter School: http://conservatorylab.org
YOSAL: Youth Orchestra Salinas: http://www.youthorchestrasalinas.org
Miami Music Project: http://miamimusicproject.org/academy.php
Tune Up Philly http://tuneupphilly.wordpress.com
• Choir
Many Nucleos in Venezuela choose to begin with a choir, which requires few Teaching
Artists, and only access to a piano or synthesizer for accompaniment. This could be one of the cheapest and quickest ways to begin making music together, along with Bucket
Band.
Atlanta Music Project: http://www.atlantamusicproject.org

Sister Cities Girls Choir: http://sistercitiesgirlchoir.org
ComMUSICation: http://commusicationmn.org
• String Orchestra
Cheaper than a full orchestra, partially because student string instruments are cheaper than most wind and brass instruments. Also, fewer staff are needed to instruct a string orchestra than a full orchestra.
MYCincinnati: http://www.mycincinnatiorchestra.org
Youth Orchestra San Antonio: Music After School http://www.yosa.org/programs/yosa-mas/
Sistema Somerville http://www.sistemasomerville.org
•
Bucket Band
Bucket Band, like choir, provides instant access to ensemble music making, and is relatively cheap to run. In fact, if you approach your local Home Depot, they will likely donate the buckets, making your only expense for this ensemble the drumsticks and the
Teaching Artists.
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra: OrchKids http://www.bsomusic.org/main.taf?p=11,1
• Chamber Music
Chamber Music is yet another cost effective way to engage students in an intimate musicmaking setting. One of the many perks of Chamber Music is mobility. Students can travel lightly, and perform in much smaller venues. Though, it will be important to consider how many staff members will be required to effectively supervise the artistic development of each ensemble.
Community Music Works http://www.communitymusicworks.org
• Violin Ensemble
Similar to Bucket Band, quick entry into mass music making can also be attained through
Violin Ensemble. One of the trademark features of the Violin Ensemble is the use of
“paper violins” which the students build themselves. This is a cost efficient way to introduce musicianship, posture, and ensemble etiquette before putting a real violin in their hands.

JAMM: Juneau Music Matters http://juneaumusicmatters.blogspot.com
Bridge Boston http://bridgebostoncs.org/
Teaching Artist is a term for the music instructors you’ll have in your program. These individuals come to the work with diverse backgrounds, for diverse reasons. Many teachers in El
Sistema-inspired programs come from a performance background as artists, and are now teaching in the program, therefore the term Teaching Artist.
•
Compensation
Programs have been started with purely volunteer teaching staff, and programs have been started with staff making either an hourly wage or a salary. How/what you choose to pay your staff is up to you, but be sure it is attractive in the context of the community you’re in. If you’re in a rural community, you might need to pay some travel subsidies to attract musicians from further away. When you are working with beginning students, volunteer college students are appropriate teachers, but as your students progress, you’ll need to attract more experienced instructors.
Questions:
What is the average cost of a private lesson in your area?
What other employment opportunities are there for potential teachers?
Is there a college nearby that might be able to provide instructors?
How much work will teachers need to do outside of program time?
•
Training
Many teachers in El Sistema-inspired programs are performers who have been moved by the mission of El Sistema. These teachers come into programs with a lot of technical skill, but very little teaching experience. These instructors value training in classroom management, as well as a broad overview of youth development practices. It is always a good thing to have a few full-staff discussions around El Sistema philosophy, and why everyone is there.
Questions:
Have they ever been exposed to any form of ethical awareness or training?
Have they worked for underserved youth before? How long? Results?
What about professional development: classroom skills for performers?
• Retention
Some programs rely on the mission and employment branding to retain teachers: Work for us, you’ll change lives, and have fun doing it! Others rely on high compensation to retain instructors. However you choose to retain teachers, it will always be helpful to be

sure that there is a positive work environment, that communication is constant, and that continued professional development opportunities are made available often.
Questions:
Why have you stayed in certain jobs?
How clear are you with expectations with teachers from the very beginning?
How will you follow through with promises made to teachers?
•
Social vs Musical
There are definite social and musical impacts from having consistent instructors, mentors, role-models in a program. Depending on budgetary constraints, the choice might come down to whether to hire an experienced freelancer 1 day a week, or a college student 5 days a week. What you choose is up to you, but it’s important to consider the social and musical repercussions of who you hire, and how you structure their consistency.
Questions:
Does your teacher relate, in any way, to the community being served?
If the teachers are college students, how will they be trained?
If you are founding an organization, you might be the only administrator for a while, wearing many hats. As the program grows, you might need to hire additional Nucleo
Directors to manage the day-to-day operation of each site.
Questions:
What kind of person has qualities that can compliment your strengths?
• Nucleo Directors
A good Nucleo Director (site director) is flexible and thrives in chaos, but strives to create order and consistency for their staff and students. Diplomatic and well spoken,
Nucleo Directors often are the representative for the organization in their communities.
Many Nucleo Directors start doing double-duty as musical instructors as well as administrators. As a site grows, it might be wise to consider whether teaching is the best use of a Nucleo Director’s time. For many, that is what sustains them in the work. As a site continues to grow, particularly if the Nucleo Director is teaching, additional administrative staff is helpful to spread the workload.
Questions:
What factors will you consider when deciding to hire additional administrative staff?

Development includes fundraising and marketing, though some organizations prefer to split the two, particularly as the organization grows larger. There are resources in abundance online and elsewhere to assist you with fundraising. A few helpful links include www.foundationcenter.org
and www.guidestar.org
. It might also be helpful to visit the resources listed in the Non-Profit
Operations portion of this website.
As a non-profit, you are typically not looking for someone to buy your product. However, in many ways you are – it’s just that the product is your program, and the consumer is a philanthropist looking to buy your program’s impact. With that in mind, how you present yourself through a website, printed materials, etc. is significant and deserves some forethought.
Questions:
What is your marketing plan?
For the community you serve?
For the community at large?
Raising money from individuals will be the fastest way to raise money. However, though you might not raise much from any one individual, the total can be significant if you have a large number of people funding you. There are various platforms that are helpful in the initial push to raise money from individuals, such as www.indiegogo.com
and www.KickStarter.com
. With some persistence, eventually there will be someone who is moved by your mission, and your impact, to give a substantial gift. Maestro Abreu, the Founder of El Sistema, will only ask an individual for money after they’ve seen the children of El Sistema play. This might be a good habit to keep.
Tip #1: Collect the information of everyone you talk to, keep them up to date on your progress, and never be afraid to ask for support.
Tip #2: If you don’t ask for support, the answer will always be no.
Questions:
Who do you already know who will give to support your dreams? Friends? Family?
Grant-funding takes a little longer, but you get more of a payout for your time. Typically, organizations only receive 10% of the grants they apply for, so plan for that level of return when planning which grants you want to apply for.
Your local government will eventually become a funding source at many levels, from the local
Alderman’s office, to the Mayor, to the State. However, this will only become available over

time, as you slowly prove your impact on specific needs that those layers of government feel are important. It is not a bad idea to ask for help in identifying the need in the community; that way, when you work to address it, they are already invested.
Corporations give to non-profits typically to sell their brand to lots of people, or to improve their brand’s image. Some corporations will have Corporate Responsibility Officers, whose job it is to make grants on the company’s behalf. You might also have luck approaching their advertising department for money, if you’re sure you can put their brand in front of many people.
Corporations will care about how many people you are connected with online and how many people come to concerts – it’ll be helpful to have that data when you meet with them.
As the program grows, you’ll have to maintain a level of funding to continue the orchestra.
Funders are always much more interested in beginning something new rather than keeping something going, so sustaining funding will take some ingenuity. One example of this is cost sharing, as exemplified by three programs in the Bay Area who have shared the cost and time of a single Program Director.
Program Assessment is both a mirror and a megaphone. A mirror for you to ascertain how well your program is running, and to make adjustments based on the feedback you collect. A megaphone, as you trumpet your successes to funders and the community as a whole. It is helpful to solicit staff often for their feedback regarding the structure and operation of the program – just be sure to actually act on that feedback, and your program can only improve.
If your mission is social change, it is imperative that you know how you will measure the success of your program in relation to the mission. We as musicians are very good at measuring musical progress, but what about social development? Impact on the lives of children, families, and communities? There are resources on this website to help you. You should also reach out to anyone local to you in the field of Community Psychology. If you are close to a university, the
Community Psychologists will be the people who have the know-how and the drive to help you assess your social impact.
One of the biggest mistakes new businesses and nonprofits make is premature growth. Programs that achieve early outcome success are often approached by funders and clients to expand to new sites—the opportunity to access the new funding that comes with growth is often too tempting to

ignore, and organizations can expand before their programs are mature enough to be replicated or enlarged.
In order to attempt to avoid this common pitfall, the program’s growth plan should be to evaluate every opportunity to grow—any large grant or gift—to determine whether the smartest decision will be to become “bigger or better.” For example, an operating budget of less than $500,000 makes day-to-day operation and survival the largest tasks for any nonprofit director. Such a small budget virtually guarantees a limited level of differentiated expertise within an organization, and therefore makes building an organizational infrastructure highly difficult.
Before an organization like this can grow, it needs to strengthen itself centrally in order to become sustainable.
Although your program might eventually hope to serve as many children as possible, it should only seek to grow when there is an opportunity to become both bigger and better. Expansion projects that also allow for program growth and organizational growth, such as opening a new site with a partner who could provide new tools for evaluation, can support the nonprofit double bottom-line.
YOL9W Business Plan by the 3 rd Class of Sistema Fellows http://elsistemasymposium.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/New-Orleans-Strategic-Plan-
Final.pdf
El Sistema For Dummies Blog http://nicolenegrete.blogspot.com/2013/11/el-sistema-for-dummies.html
Eric Booth http://ericbooth.net
Say Yes to Assess – An Exploration of El Sistema-Inspired Assessment Practice http://sistemafellows.typepad.com/files/sayyestoassess.pdf
Leap of Reason by Mario Morino http://leapofreason.org/get-the-books/leap-of-reason/get-leap-of-reason/
Managing the Non-Profit Organization by Peter Drucker http://www.amazon.com/Managing-Nonprofit-Organization-Peter-
Drucker/dp/0060851147/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1385941843&sr=8-
8&keywords=peter+drucker
The Power of Theories of Change by Paul Brest http://www.kipp.org/news/stanford-social-innovation-review-the-power-of-theories-of-change-

th
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