Handjehelpen - developing a strategic direction without losing the core
Handjehelpen is a professional organisation for informal care, active in 18 municipalities, matching volunteers and interns with people who have a chronic illness, a disability or a more complex support need. I have been asked on several occasions to act as strategic advisor, process facilitator, lead author and sparring partner for the management team.
What I did
- First assignment: guiding the strategic multi-year policy plan, including sharpening the mission, vision and distinctive strengths.
- Asked back a few years later for the next strategic cycle.
- Follow-up assignment: revising volunteer and internship policy, translating the strategic direction into day-to-day organisational practice.
Core of the challenge
The balance between growth and professionalisation on the one hand, and preserving the strength of a volunteer organisation on the other - with the Presence Approach (Presentiebenadering) as an explicitly distinctive starting point.
Sources
- Handjehelpen - Over ons (About us): handjehelpen.nl/over-ons (opens in new window)
See also: Services - Social Domain & Neighbourhood-Based Working →