Urban League of Nebraska

The challenge

When our engagement with Urban League of Nebraska began, the organization’s new CEO faced tremendous challenges. Countless studies show just how underfunded Black-led organizations are relative to their white counterparts. Nationally, funding to organizations serving Black communities accounts for a tiny fraction—just 1%—of all community foundation funding, and the unrestricted net assets of Black-led nonprofits are 76% smaller than those of white-led nonprofits.

The solution

We worked with Urban League’s new CEO and program leaders to build a proposal for scaling up existing programs with evidence-based frameworks, such as life coaching and restorative justice, along with best practices in program evaluation. That proposal, our first for the Urban League, brought in the largest single grants the organization had ever received.  

Later that year, when ULN secured a major grant from Mackenzie Scott, Bureau for Good stepped in to facilitate partnerships, help articulate new program plans, connect staff to training opportunities, and package critical messages for funders—all while effectively stewarding ULN’s nearly $2 million revenue portfolio. Additionally, we guided moves management and educated program staff on fundraising fundamentals.

The pitch

After helping UNL clarify its new vision, we helped the organization’s leadership foster internal consensus by workshopping staff-facing messaging and facilitating internal discussion. Next, we helped UNL secure buy-in and excitement among core funders via narratives that expressed the new vision in bold and ambitious terms. Finally, we articulated these internal and external messages visually by designing presentation decks, and coached leaders on pitching and funder cultivation.