IBW Client Partner GateWay of Hope sums up its purpose simply: “We help women.” The Olathe, Kansas-based nonprofit provides mental health services, counseling, group therapy and support groups oriented to the unique experience of women. While not affiliated with a specific church or religious group, counselors at GateWay of Hope offer women the opportunity to integrate faith into their therapeutic journey if they wish to do so.
Throughout most of its existence, GateWay of Hope relied on support from grants, income generated through self-pay counseling clients, and small amounts of individual and corporate philanthropy to fund its programs. During and after COVID, when the demand for counseling services mushroomed, GateWay of Hope added new grants, served more clients, and created new programs to meet need. While the work they did made real differences in the lives of the women who walked through their doors, the organization never felt it was “getting ahead” financially. To better understand their financial position, leadership quantified the true cost of delivering one hour of counseling and compared it to the per session revenue generated through counseling fees and grant dollars. The analysis revealed financial trends that put the organization’s long-term sustainability at risk.
GateWay of Hope engaged IBW to work in partnership with the staff and board to develop a strategic plan built around establishing a sustainable business model to ensure the organization’s impact and success into the future. Planning discussions defined goals for solidifying and promoting GateWay of Hope’s unique brand and building the organization’s presence in the community; outlined tactics for increasing their internal fundraising capacity through training and new hires; established a commitment to building a counseling internship program; and began preparing GateWay of Hope for the future by setting timelines for the creation of succession plans for organizational leaders. While the strategic plan is technically slated to start in January 2023, the GateWay of Hope board and staff are already hard at work implementing a year-end fundraising campaign.
Congratulations GateWay of Hope on completing your 2023-2035 strategic plan and thank you for inspiring us with the work you do to help women from all walks of life find hope and healing.