The Sun Foundation is a not-for-profit. They run many programs including the Suzuki Violin School, Clean Water Celebration, Summer Camp and more.
The summer camp program lasts one week and is called ASIW—Arts and Science in the Woods. The goal is to bring young people into primary contact with Artists and Scientists in a non-competitive experience.
The problem is that as most non-for-profits have experienced they are trying to do more with less in a world of drastic cuts. They spend a great deal of time and money on the camp setup and needed a better solution.
I asked the coordinator to set up a working meeting that included board people, volunteers, and staff. I facilitated them through a series of activities to creatively problem solve there setup cost and time issue.
We developed an idea of having three teams—Green, Blue and Yellow—to work on different aspects of the setup. Each team had a dedicated leadership team and meet for the tree weeks before camp started. Volunteers could sign up for a specific team or just show up and be assigned a team.
The process saved the Sun Foundation a reported $40,000.