Professional Services for Social Impact

T2 Technology Assessment and Consulting

We’re delighted to announce that Jeff Bundy has joined our T2 team. Jeff provides expert leadership in technology solutions by providing management technology consulting services to both private and public sector organizations. An accomplished management technology consulting professional, Jeff brings more than 25 years of technology expertise to the Triangle2 team.

Jeff’s consulting for Triangle2 starts with a Technology Assessment to provide clients with a snapshot of the current computing environment in their organizations. The assessment also provides a high-level perspective on an organization’s staff skills, budget, vendor relationships, procedures, and policies. Using the results of the Technology Assessment, Jeff then provides customized T2 Technology Consulting in the strategic use of technology and business systems. He teams with clients to create solutions for telecommunications, software, and hardware.

Jeff places a special emphasis on the human and cultural side of information technology with a special interest and expertise in the application of technology. He is experienced in all areas of emerging technological development and brings a special capability to project management, implementation, and business enhancement.

Jeff is no stranger to the non profit world. Most recently at the YMCA of Greater Houston, Jeff provided leadership in critical business systems such as new Member Relationship software as well as contemporary Financial Development software, both supporting integrated member/donor on-line participation.

At YUSA, Jeff provided expert leadership in technology solutions, for 900+ local YMCA Associations, the YMCA of the USA, and policy volunteers throughout the movement.

Prior to joining YMCA of the USA, Jeff served as the Chief Information Officer for the YMCA of San Francisco. There, he was responsible for developing and delivering a Board-approved, multi-year, multi-million dollar Technology Master Plan that is currently providing significant cost savings and conveniences to better serve members and communities.

For more informatiom, contact Jeff@triangle2.com or 312-446-9580.

YMCA Healthy Living Center Summit…

June 17 or August 19, 2010
8:30 am – 2:30 pm
Des Moines, Iowa
Many progressive YMCA leaders are seeking new, medically integrated models of delivering health and wellness programs and services to their communities. One successful model is the YMCA Healthy Living Center in Des Moines.
Triangle2 and Healthy Living Centers of America (a partnership of the YMCA of Des Moines, Mercy Medical Center, and Ladco Development) are inviting select YMCA leaders and their health partners to a special Summit to explore this new approach to health programming, facilities, funding, marketing, and partnerships.

The Summit will feature insights from the hospital CEO, the developer, physicians, participants, and the YMCA CEO. Summit participants will leave with an in-depth understanding of how the YMCA Healthy Living Center was developed, currently operates, and their forecasts for the future.

The Summit will be offered twice: June 17th and August 19th, both from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm at the YMCA Healthy Living Center in Des Moines. Participation is limited to 10 teams for each date. Participating teams must include the CEO or Senior Vice President from the YMCA and a hospital. Additional team members can include YMCA board members, a physician advocate, and funding partners.

The registration fee is $250 per team of 2. Additional team members are $150 per person. Lunch is included. Additional information on travel logistics will be provided.

To register for the Summit, email ginny@triangle2.com and provide the name of the YMCA, Summit date, and the number attending.

For more information on the Summit, contact Tom Massey at (501) 909-2993, Lori Swann at (615) 948-9622.

• Visit Site (Healthydm.com)

• Watch Video (YouTube.com)

March 2010 Newsletter

Check out the Triangle2  March Newsletter! We share the results of last month’s Next Decade Survey and invite you to take an Innovation Survey. You’ll also find current funding opportunities as well as Facilities and Research news.

The Next Decade Survey Results – Decidedly Mixed!

Last month we conducted a survey that asked our clients and friends to predict if the next ten years will be better or worse.  Here are the results:

9%    Much worse than the last 10 years
32%  Worse than the last 10 years
9%     About the same as the last 10 years
41%   Better than the last 10 years
9%   Much better than the last 10 years

These results mirrored precisely a recent survey we conducted with a Board of Directors of a YMCA as part of a strategic/vision planning session.  As always, the open ended comments provide some very interesting insights. 

Here’s an optimistic point of view:“As the last 10 years have been so bad, I think there’s a strong possibility the economy, the international environment, and the social conditions in our country will improve dramatically.”

Here’s a skeptical point of view:“Drawn out period of unemployment. Change in consumer mentality cause unsteady growth.  Our leaders refuse  to deal with fundamental issues and concerns – fiscal controls, social responsibility, and an angry and divided populous.  For the YMCA an opportunity to revisit our core strengths or drift in the wind and become just another commodity.”

On a much broader scale, USA Today recently conducted a comprehensive survey that indicated that Americans are downbeat about today, but upbeat about tomorrow.  With a new decade underway, Americans feel battered by hard times, record home foreclosures, stubbornly high unemployment rates, and war.  Even so, confidence that there will be better times ahead – and that the classic American dream endures – hasn’t been extinguished. 

So – is it foolish or wise to be optimistic?  There are some who think that always being positive is in fact a negative and that “reckless optimism” is the root of our recent economic calamities.    Some believe that a  cult of optimism makes it hard for people at work to express doubts or raise questions for fear as being seen as negative and counter-productive.  On the other hand, we’ve all been in situations where colleagues find it easier and safer to find reasons against doing something and make excuses not to make changes or be against new ideas.  Let’s face it, how many of us have walked away from a meeting thinking “that was great, but I wish it was less positive.”

The wise answer probably lies in the middle – which brings us back to the results of our survey which clearly lie in the middle.  Both optimistic and pessimistic viewpoints need to be aired to arrive at the best solutions.  The key is to seriously consider the potential downside of any challenge, but to not let fear and negativity crush our dreams and hopes.

Reid Thebault, the CEO of Metro Detroit YMCA, indicated that he really wanted to see another optional response in our survey to be “much, much different than the last ten years”.  Reid wrote, “For those who figure out what the difference is and means, the future will be better.  For those who don’t, it won’t matter because they won’t be here or they won’t matter.”

Your Brand and Your Facility

It’s tempting to think that “branding” is something only the marketing department has to worry about, but your facility plays a bigger role in defining your organization than almost anything else you can do.  Does your community know you’re a charity? Do members feel like they belong to an organization that’s greater than simply a place to work out?

Through some simple and inexpensive updates, your facility can promote your brand and your mission to the community. Consider the images you have around your building. Are your bulletin boards, signs, banners and artwork conveying a specific message? Or, are they simply a hodge-podge of outdated flyers, faded banners and incomplete signage?

Triangle2 can help you to update your facility, helping to promote your brand and improve your member experience. From a fresh coat of paint (in a fresh color!) to branded signage and artwork, we can help your community see your YMCA in a whole new way.

February 2010 Newsletter

Check out our February Newsletter!  We share the results of our “What Matters Most in 2010″ survey, announce three extraordinary new additions to our growing team of technical experts and consultants, invite you to take a survey, and more…

What Matters Most in 2010: The Results!

Last month we shared our thoughts about What Matters Most in 2010.  We then asked you to weigh in and 49 YMCA CEOs, board members and staff responded.  We asked you to select the top 5 out of a list of 15 priorities.  Here are the overall results:
#1 Member Engagement 78%
#2 Verifiable Social Impact 65%
#3 Collaborations 47%
#4 Long-Term Vision 45%
#5 Targeted Communications 45%

Here are a few observations:
1. No one can deny the importance of membership to the YMCA, but it’s surprising that CEOs rate it far lower than board members and staff.  Also, CEOs rate Board Engagement #1 tied with Verifiable Social Impact. Based on this limited sampling, this could be a reflection of what’s “top of mind” for CEOs.

2. Verifiable social impact is extremely important.  Impact trumps almost everything: activity, money, staff, and boards.  YMCAs need to be able to respond to the question, “So, what difference are you making in the lives of people?”

3. True community partnerships vs. casual collaborations could be the most significant trend in the next decade.  There is an African proverb which profoundly makes this point: “If you want to go fast, go alone.  If you want to go far, go together.”  Resources are too scarce and the social challenges in our country are too complex for the YMCA to go alone.

Announcing a Series of Webinars
As promised, we’re using the results of this survey to plan a series of webinars during 2010.   Included in this series will be webinars on social impact, membership engagement, targeted communications, and collaborations/partnerships.  We’ll be announcing the dates and registration process via e-mail, on our Facebook page, and on our web-site.

Announcing Jeff Bundy: T2 Technology Assessment and Consulting

We’re delighted to announce that Jeff Bundy has joined our T2 team.  Jeff provides expert leadership in technology solutions by providing management technology consulting services to both private and public sector organizations. An accomplished management technology consulting professional, Jeff brings more than 25 years of technology expertise to the Triangle2 team.

Jeff’s consulting for Triangle2 starts with a Technology Assessment to provide clients with a snapshot of the current computing environment in their organizations. The assessment also provides a high-level perspective on an organization’s staff skills, budget, vendor relationships, procedures, and policies.  Using the results of the Technology Assessment, Jeff then provides customized T2 Technology Consulting in the strategic use of technology and business systems. He teams with clients to create solutions for telecommunications, software, and hardware.

Jeff places a special emphasis on the human and cultural side of information technology with a special interest and expertise in the application of technology.  He is experienced in all areas of emerging technological development and brings a special capability to project management, implementation, and business enhancement.

Jeff is no stranger to the non profit world. Most recently at the YMCA of Greater Houston, Jeff provided leadership in critical business systems such as new Member Relationship software as well as contemporary Financial Development software, both supporting integrated member/donor on-line participation.

At YUSA, Jeff provided expert leadership in technology solutions, for 900+ local YMCA Associations, the YMCA of the USA, and policy volunteers throughout the movement.

Prior to joining YMCA of the USA, Jeff served as the Chief Information Officer for the YMCA of San Francisco. There, he was responsible for developing and delivering a Board-approved, multi-year, multi-million dollar Technology Master Plan that is currently providing significant cost savings and conveniences to better serve members and communities.

For more informatiom, contact Jeff@triangle2.com or 312-446-9580.

Announcing Michael Heilbronn: Fiscal Health and Sustainability

Triangle2 is pleased to announce that Michael Heilbronn has joined our team as yet another content expert we bring to our integrated and comprehensive approach to effectively serve our clients and increase social impact.

Triangle2 has been working with Mike on several projects and especially appreciate his holistic view of fiscal health and sustainability:

“What I think matters most to YMCAs in 2010 is to move toward the idea of an ever developing budget plan; one that puts less of an emphasis on that final ending date of the current fiscal year.  I feel too many great ideas die at the end of the fiscal year because the snapshot taken at the close of business on the final day has taken on a greater importance than the realistic progression of someone’s great idea.  This shouldn’t be a license to not create a solid budget plan, but should instead emphasize the setting of realistic benchmarks and operating ratios that are designed for the long haul. Making cuts sometimes is reality, but if it is done for the sake of a making a once a year snapshot look better then we all lose.  I’m convinced that the sum total of all well thought out idea’s fit very well into any annual operating statement.”

Mike has been a YMCA professional for 35 years.  In that time he has held positions from entry level program work to his current position as Sr. VP of Operations with the YMCA of Middle Tennessee.  Michael has worked in four different geographic regions as well.

In his current position, Mike supervises the 22 membership serving centers in the YMCA OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE network with a direct budget accountability of over $60,000,000.  Duties performed for the Association outside of the direct line supervision include setting budget targets, correction strategies, operating ratio comparisons and the management of the Income Based Membership Program, a program he developed 7 years ago.

Through his work, Mike maintains a library of data from all aspects of operations and constantly assesses best practices as it relates to past and future performance.  With this as a backdrop, Mike helps clients with the following services.

• Turning research into workable proformas
• Identifying realistic ramp up strategies for new YMCAs
• Assessing debt tolerance in an operation
• Using operating ratios as a roadmap to long term success.
• Allocation of square footage based on market demand.
• Designing recovery strategies for YMCAs in distress.
• Innovative staffing solutions.
• Effective pricing strategies.

For more information, contact Michael@triangle2.com or 615-259-9622.

What We Think Matters Most in 2010

Based on the extensive work that Triangle2 does with hundreds of YMCAs throughout the United States, we’ve gathered the collective thoughts and insights of all our partners and consultants in response to the question, “What Matters Most in 2010?”  Open up this link to find out what we think: What T2 Thinks Matters Most in 2010