Resources Legacy Fund (RLF) is an intermediary that helps philanthropic institutions and individuals become catalysts for conserving and restoring natural landscapes, protecting and enhancing marine systems, maintaining the integrity of wild lands and rivers, and strengthening supportive policies and organizations. In collaboration with its strategic partner Resources Law Group, RLF has a 10-year history of designing and managing complex, multi-year, multi-funder initiatives to achieve agreed-upon outcomes.
RLF got to know Amplifier through our work with the California Ocean Science Trust, an RLF grantee. In 2010 RLF engaged us to support strategy, business and implementation planning for the California Water Reform Initiative, a 10-year water policy reform initiative premised on the assumption that a reliable and sustainable water supply is fundamental to California’s economic and environmental health.
We joined a diverse Initiative planning team that included experts and practitioners in water policy, law, ecology, and communications. Having worked together for months, the team already had produced a rich base of research, analysis, potential strategic approaches and short-range implementation activities.
Out of this base Amplifier facilitated development of the Initiative logic model – a complex process that resulted in a simple snapshot of how the initiative would generate specific outcomes by achieving particular goals. The logic model also encapsulated the initiative’s assumptions, resources and strategies. From there Amplifier led the design of an impact measurement framework that included preliminary performance indicators for each goal and methodologies for data collection. This work involved facilitating conversations and meetings with the initiative team and water and performance measurement experts.
We then led development of the Initiative business plan. This comprehensive document outlined the initiative’s strategic approach, financial plan, impact and performance measurement framework, implementation milestones, governance, management and operational structure.
Amplifier continues to advise RLF on articulating and measuring long-term impact, measuring performance, investor engagement, and other areas of initiative implementation.
