How do you know if your program idea is a good one? Admittedly, experience and some data collection (interviews in particular) could be all it takes to answer those questions. This post is for the times when experience and a bit of research won't do the job. Consider the case of a part-time social activist, we'll call him Chet, who wants to start a nonprofit to educate people about how new renewable energy technologies can help them save money. The right questions can lead to better ideas, or a new approach to a challenge, or a newer challenge that might be more important, or at least more tractable. After all, your first thoughts about the challenge (or problem) might not reflect the best way to address whatever problem you've been inspired to tackle. There is the "5 Why" technique for example. You start by asking why you want to address a specific challenge: How do I get people in my city to adapt innovative renewable energy technologies (never mind which...
This a blog about lateral thinking, SWOT analysis, problem solving, and brainstorming for advocacy, nonprofit strategy, fundraising, and program design.