Strategies used by organizations to scale deep: Lessons from a volunteer navigation intervention

Background We know little about how non-profit organizations create the conditions within their communities that support sustainable change – a process that has been referred to as scaling deep. In this paper we explore the implementation of a volunteer community-based navigation program, within 46 community-based organizations, to better understand how organizations seek to create the cultural and relational conditions to support sustainable change. Objective To examine the strategies organizations used to scale deeply during a volunteer navigation (Nav-CARE) program implementation. Design Qualitative descriptive interview study. Methods A qualitative descriptive study using semi-structured interviews conducted with key informants (n=30) exploring approaches used to scale deeply during program implementation. Results Informants described ways in which they raised the visibility of the program, used mindful messaging, deepened relationships, and expanded the possibilities of their organizational mandate. Community-specific dissemination strategies and a heavy emphasis on face-to-face interpersonal interactions were integral to raising program visibility. Messaging was sensitive to cultural and historical tensions, avoided negative or needs-based language, emphasized strength-based volunteer recruitment and drew upon ideas of collaboration rather than competition. Developing trust at all levels, both within and beyond the organization, was foundational to deepening relationships. Providing practical assistance, becoming a connecting point to other community partners, and demonstrating how they were driving policy change were important to expanding the possibilities of their organizational mandate. Conclusion Scaling deep for these organizations went beyond changing values and beliefs specific to the innovation. Rather, these organizations focused at a more fundamental level on: developing relationships of trust within and beyond their organization, emphasizing that community members needed one another, and demonstrating that their organization had a vital contribution to the overall well-being of the community. Such an approach had important implications for how organizations must “play the long-game” to effectively scale and embed social innovation.