program expansion in action: evaluating readiness and avoiding pitfalls

Our mission:

• Matching human and financial capital with proven social innovation to change our world.

Who we are:

• Two-year old social venture philanthropy 501(c)(3)

• Business professionals with skills to leverage on behalf of chosen non-profits

• Coach/catalyst/cheerleader• Funding advisor

Who we are NOT:

• Traditional funding source

What we look for:

• Non-profits with following traits:– Established, not a start-up– Solving huge social issue innovatively– Potential for growth regionally/nationally– Proven results– Entrepreneurial leadership

What we do:

• Help non-profits build capacity as they scale their programs– Invest human/financial capital over 3 – 5 years– Assist with organizational capacity assessment to

understand ‘gaps’– Assist with refining growth plan– Connect with necessary resources

• Human• Financial

• Provide small, strategic grants to help catalyze growth

How we choose investees:

• Competitive application process:– Multi-step– Open to any 501(c)(3) that meets our criteria– Annual selection cycle: November – April– Investment Selection Committee, comprised of

Partners (investors), performs due diligence

Why Emancipet?

• Earned-revenue business model• Innovative idea• Reaching inflection point in replication plan• Entrepreneurial leadership

• Mission: Make spay/neuter and preventive vet care affordable and accessible to everyone

• History: Founded in 1999 as a mobile, added stationary clinic in 2005, second mobile in 2011

• Impact: performed over 160,000 surgeries in Central Texas

• Approach: Building relationships with pet owners, social change, neighborhood based outreach

• Claim to fame: Part of the team of organizations that made Austin a no-kill City

Who We Are

• Euthanasia in shelters is the number one cause of preventable death of dogs and cats in the U.S. (4 million per year)

• The primary reason for animals in shelters is accidental litters

• The vast majority of pet owners want to spay their pets but cannot afford market rates

• Low cost spay/neuter, made accessible, can end the unnecessary euthanasia of homeless pets.

Our Theory of Change (in a nutshell)

So, what’s your expansion strategy?

• Branch structure for clinic replication• Central Office in Austin – sharing services to

reduce costs, increase quality• Branches have earned revenue from

spay/neuter and fees for service – at scale, they earn enough to pay their “fair share” for the shared services at the central office

• Need to learn: time to scale, impact of population size on revenues

Expansion Strategy

• Some unrestricted cash in reserve• A sustainable funding model• Professional staff ready to grow• Board in “start up” mode• Stable programs at home• A trusted funder for the first

expansion site

Assessing our own Readiness: What we Wanted

• Staffing up: Added a COO, CAO, Accountant

• Changed staffing structure and roles• Solidified processes and procedures • Secured funding for first clinic• Invested in Brand Re-fresh• Invested in new Web Site, phone system

The Last 12 Months

• Transition board structure to ensure adequate volunteer leadership

• Open a new clinic in Bell County • Launch new fundraising plan to support

new structure and secure growth capital • Determine location for next new clinic• Launch training & mentoring program

The Next 12 Months

What’s been the best and worst

things about the process so far?

• Realizing you are going to be able to help

• Growing gives you unexpected influence to make other changes

• Validation for your cause – makes you feel like the universe is on your side!

• Getting new team members that are fired up about the growth

The Joys

• The balance between energized and terrified• Knowing where to invest and when• Giving up some control• Keeping all the stakeholders engaged, and

finding ways to include everyone’s input along the way- feels like building the plane in mid-air

• Personally, understanding what my role is, and how to stay in the right place to do it

The Challenges

Questions?

Amy Mills, CEO Emancipet@AMstation

Amy.mills@emancipet.org

Contact Info: