Focus on One Outcome. Let Everything Else Support It.
When I look around at the nonprofit and philanthropic landscape — especially in places like St. Louis — I see a lot of passion. I see well-meaning people working long hours, juggling multiple grants, reporting to multiple funders, and chasing impact across dozens of metrics. I see heart. I see effort.
But I also see exhaustion. I see confusion. And more than anything, I see diffusion — a dangerous dilution of purpose.
So here’s my conviction:
If most organizations simply focused on one high-leverage outcome — and let everything else support it — we’d see more lasting change.
The Problem with Overextension
Let me be real: social sector leaders are often pulled in too many directions. It’s not always their fault. Funders demand broad outcomes. Boards want optics. The public expects constant innovation. So what happens?
You end up trying to fight poverty, reduce trauma, empower youth, improve mental health, provide housing, support education, and grow community all at once.
That’s noble. But it’s not strategic. And it’s definitely not sustainable.
The unintended result? Effort gets scattered. Messaging gets muddy. Impact gets harder to track. And the communities you serve? They stay stuck — because the intervention lacked depth, clarity, and alignment.
The Power of a Single Outcome
Now imagine if you zoomed out. Not to do more — but to see what matters most.
Imagine if your organization decided that every program, every policy, every partnership flowed from one singular, audacious, measurable outcome.
Let’s say that outcome is this:
“We exist to increase the number of well-adjusted individuals who earn enough to contribute meaningfully to the economic vitality of their communities.”
Everything changes.
- Your education programs? Now they’re not just about access — they’re about preparation for economic participation.
- Your housing work? Not just shelter — but the foundation for stability, health, and employment.
- Your mental health services? Framed as essential infrastructure for workforce readiness and resilience.
See the shift? Focus doesn’t make the work smaller. It makes the outcome stronger.
The Marketplace Vision for Social Impact
Here’s my big idea for St. Louis — and frankly, for anywhere else looking to move from survival to sustainability:
Social service organizations should start tapping into a broader marketplace vision.
What do I mean by that?
At the highest level, your role is not simply to meet needs. Your role is to create the conditions for people to become well-adjusted, self-actualized earners — individuals who are healthy enough, stable enough, and skilled enough to contribute to the economic life of their communities.
I know that language may sound “too corporate” to some ears. But let’s think in systems.
From a systems thinking perspective, if we really want to address poverty, trauma, and inequity at scale, the highest leverage point is not just food, or housing, or access. Those are necessary, yes — but they’re inputs, not outcomes.
The highest leverage point is how much income a person brings into their household, and how actively they participate in the economic ecosystem around them.
That’s what builds margin. That’s what builds legacy. And that’s what breaks cycles.
What the Socratic Method Taught Me
When I apply the Socratic method to the mission of most nonprofits — when I keep asking “Why?” — I almost always end up in the same place:
- Why do we educate kids?
So they can thrive. - Why do we feed people?
So they can function, grow, and participate. - Why do we heal trauma?
So people can live, work, and lead whole lives. - Why do we fight for equity?
So everyone can contribute without systemic barriers.
See the pattern? No matter where you start, you land at economic mobility and stability. That’s the true north. That’s the hidden thread.
And if that’s the ultimate destination, wouldn’t it make sense to design our missions to reflect that?
The Invitation: Go Deeper, Not Wider
So here’s my challenge to leaders in philanthropy, nonprofits, faith-based work, and civic life:
Stop trying to solve everything. Start doing one thing better.
Pick the outcome that matters most — and let every effort, every dollar, every message support it.
Get laser clear. And then get wide in supporting structures — but never in mission drift.
You’ll find that:
- Funders understand your value better.
- Communities experience deeper transformation.
- And your team reclaims energy and alignment.
Because clarity creates capacity.
The Bottom Line
This isn’t about shrinking your vision. It’s about sharpening your focus. It’s about aligning your work with the real goal: helping people become stable, thriving contributors in their homes, their workplaces, and their neighborhoods.
So the next time your team is evaluating a new initiative or rewriting your strategy, ask:
Does this move people toward stability, self-sufficiency, and economic participation? And if not — why are we doing it?
In a world full of noise, your clarity will be your edge. Your focus will be your legacy. And your outcome will be your impact.
Let’s get focused.
Let’s build people who can build the future.
Originally published in the St. Louis American in July of 2025 by Orv Kimbrough, Chairman and CEO at Midwest BankCentre