MEMORANDUM

To: ksm@email.arizona.edu
From: hilarioochoa19@gmail.com
Date: February 14, 2017
Subject: NPLF Written Project Plan

Introduction
This report will outline our approach for our consulting work for the Nonprofit Loan Fund of
Tucson and Southern Arizona (NPLF). The many components involved in this plan will assist us
in evaluating our contribution to the NPLF. Our project plan will cover the challenges within the
project scope, our value proposition, situational variables that affect the NPLF, and our required
research and strategy. Following the report, you will find Appendix A which includes a timeline
we will use ensure our final deliverable is completed within the clients deadline.

Challenges Within the Project Scope

The NPLF does not have proper quantitative and qualitative data conveying the impact of their
loans on their borrowers. Considering the NPLF has recently become certified by the
Community Development Certifications Fund (CDFI), the organization has to annually convey
its economic impact on the community through the loans it provides. Since the NPLF does not
have a sustainable process to collect data, they risk losing CDFI certification. Thus, it is our
responsibility to create a viable template for the nonprofit to use to collect impact data and
ensure its affiliation with the CDFI. In this case, our team will be working specifically with
Tucson Concord Voices & Orchestra.

Value Proposition
Our solution to the data collection issue of the NPLF is to design a user friendly form for NPLF
borrowers to fill out quarterly. This form will provide the NPLF necessary information to
accurately track improvements achieved by their clients due to funding, allowing them to
identify the impact they have on the growth of their borrowers. This will allow the NPLF to
efficiently collect data needed to submit to the CDFI Fund to maintain this certification.

Pertinent Stakeholders

Nonprofits (Current & Potential Borrowers)

Incorporating a sustainable data collection process into the NPLFs business plan will improve
the communication bridge between borrowers and the NPLF. By gathering succinct and clear
information from their recipients, the NPLF can continuously increase their ability to benefit
their clients. Improving their customer service capabilities will convey reputation as a reliable
organization.

Investors
Once the NPLF can gather essential data from their borrowers, investors will subsequently view
the NPLFs outcomes more clearly. They will see a clarification of the positive effect the NPLF
has on its borrowers compared to the past couple years without a succinct data collection system.
The clear evaluations will cause the NPLF to be more attractive to current and future investors.
Board members
A clearer interpretation of the NPLFs efforts will have a positive effect on its board members.
Upon an increase of impact evaluations of the NPLF, its boards members will have forthright
perceptions of the NPLFs work. Hence, the board can make more evidence backed judgments
than before.

Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI)

The CDFI ultimately strives to benefit communities of need by supporting organizations that
share similar goals. Its network of organizations has to report their contributions to the
community through their efforts. With a feasible impact assessment procedure, the CDFI will
better comprehend the NPLF has on its community of need.

Situational Variables
In addition to there being stakeholders there is a number of situational variables that complicate
the NPLFs goal. The most prominent issues are capital, available time, and human capital.

Capital
NPLF currently has one paid employee. All other employees and board members are volunteers.
They are looking to add more employees when they gain CDFI funding. However, once they
acquire this funding they have stringent reporting standards they have to meet to maintain CDFI
status. We need to develop an efficient way for this data to be collected so they can have a
seamless transition once they hire new employees who can then take over this task.

Available Time
With the lack of funding, and limitations on her time allowed at the NPLF, this restricts the
growth in the company. They need more employees to commit themselves to working for the
NPLF, but do so they need the appropriate funding to be able to pay to the employees.

Human Capital
To solve the perpetual issue of dealing with the lack of employees in the NPLF the biggest way
to resolve this issue would be to hire more full time staff. This would alleviate some of the
stresses that a single employee faces. Then other employees could help by dividing up the
specific tasks making them more achievable in a timely fashion.

Key Areas of Research

There are three key areas of research that will help us to gather useful information for our team
project: requirements for a conventional operational loan, growth and development of TCV, and
information gathering systems of similar organizations.

Requirements for a Conventional Operational Loan

By financing organizations, the NPLF hopes to improve their credit standing so they can reach
eligibility for a conventional operation loan. This is a key goal of the NPLFs operations, and
understanding how a conventional operational loan is obtained, maintained, and differs from
funding from the NPLF will provide our team with an eligibility minimum of financial stability
with which we can compare our clients borrowers current status. Thus, we will use online
websites and library database resources to learn the process of applying for and receiving a
conventional operational loan, which will assist us in understanding the impact the NPLF has on
its borrowers.

Growth and Development of TCV

A main goal of our team project is to provide the NPLF with quantifiable data regarding the
impact that they have had on their borrowers. Through conducting an interview, we will gather
this information from TCV by asking questions related to how the funding from the NPLF has
made a difference in their organization. Showing change from the NPLFs funding will be
beneficial to our client as it is useful to current and potential investors of the NPLF.

Information Gathering Systems of Similar Organizations

Another one of our teams goals is to deliver the NPLF a method of gathering quantifiable data
in the future, understanding how other organizations, including other CDFI nonprofits and
conventional loan institutions, record and analyze similar information. This will provide our
team with greater variety of method options. By understanding current processes of other
organizations, our team could then determine whether an existing method or an innovative
method is needed. We will conduct this research through online databases and the websites of
these similar organizations.

Research Timeline
In order to accomplish these tasks in a timely manner and meet upcoming deliverable deadlines
we constructed a table in Appendix A. The table provides a detailed plan of our goals for each
week and what to expect.

Final Deliverable
The NPLF intends to financially support organizations that strive to improve the development of
the Southern Arizona community. As a result of our primary and secondary research, our final
deliverable will consist of as sustainable data collection system that reinforces the NPLFs
vision. We will compose a process that accumulates relevant data that quantifies the economic
significance the NPLF has on its borrowers and its community.

Conclusion
Just as the NPLF has a strong focus/drive to serve its community, we as a group will mirror this
focus in our consultation of the NPLF. Just as their goal is to strengthen the community around
them, we will strive to strengthen our understanding of the NPLF, its needs, and the clients it
helps by following this plan. This will allow us to develop an in-depth project scope including:
the challenge, value proposition, pertinent stakeholders, situational variables, the research area
and the final deliverable. Based on each of the points above and the appendix following, it will
be more efficient for NPLF to understand their loan borrowers needs though successful data
collection. Allowing them to ultimately improve their loan services and keep the CDFI ensuring
their growth in the future.
 Appendix A: Research Timeline

Week Tasks Task Components

Week 1 Create Written project plan Our Value Proposition

(2/10-2/19) Meet with instructor to discuss project Our teams specific project scope
Research: Pertinent stakeholders
Suggest Ideas to Reach Relevant situational variables
Goals Key areas of research
Other Non-Profits Research plan
processes for tracking and Timeline
evaluating data Anticipated final deliverable
Commercial Lending firms
processes for tracking and
evaluating data
CDFI data requirements
Other CDFI organizations
reporting methods
Develop an understanding
of TCV as an organization

Week 2 Research how similar nonprofit

(2/20-2/27) Practice and Rehearse presentation organizations measure their
Deliver Project Plan Presentation economic impact
Form Presentation of project plan Ascertain proper secondary
Continue development of research research questions for the TCV

Week 3 Break Out Session Be prepared for the reports

(2/28- 3/10) 360 Feedback from Instructor Double check the report and get
Progress presentation w/ Instructor feedback
Schedule interview with TCV
Prepare & plan interview questions

Week 4 Writing Executive Summary & Reports Finalize each copy

(3/17-3/24) Professional Digital Profile check in Update LinkedIn

Meeting Interview with TCV Conduct primary research

3/22-3/29 Date to be announced once scheduled

Week 5 Preparation for Final Consulting Project Practice with group

(3/25-3/31) Draft Report Review Finalize Drafts

Week 6 (4/1-
Preview Final Presentation with Instructor Practice with group
4/4) Final Project Due: April 1, 2017 Finalize and Perfect