New Road Map Foundation Internal Audit Review March 2007 Key Learnings:

 NRM Foundation o Weaknesses: . Has little to no exposure outside of a few loyalists who have been involved on the board, FI speaker’s bureau, or as study group leaders. . Many core loyalists have departed due to the lack of program focus and action in the last 7+ years. There has been little to no organizational follow through and many supporters have lost patience.  Board size and energy has been greatly diminished.  Core leaders have left the organization in the last 6- months. . There is no longer a key spokesperson or face of the organization. Joe and Vicki were “larger than life” personalities in the past. . Lack of focus and plan to deliver on mission.  Many of the research projects and new program initiatives that were meant to revitalize the program have not been successful. . YMOYL book is still considered the center of the program by many of the loyalists. The book holds the organizational brand in that a broad base of people recognize the name of the book from its success as a bestseller, but do not know what NRM foundation is or why it matters. . Board and others divided on how to move forward in a few key areas:  Program delivery vehicles (book is still coveted by some, but is not legally able to be updated or re- released)  Target audiences to focus on moving forward (for example: some loyalists believe that the program should focus on youth/young adults as a core target audience, while others think that only people who have been in the workforce and accumulating debt with real-life expenses will be interested)  Benchmarks for defining “success” for NRM and the program

o Strengths: . Integrity of the program and of the organization because it put most of the money earned back into the program and materials to support its supporters. . Small team of loyalists remains because they believe in the 9-step program and want to ensure that it continues to reach people. . Organization has money in the bank, which most non-profits do not. It has the luxury of figuring out what it wants to be, to whom and how it is going to do it. . Has built partnerships over the years that can support them as needed:  Dave supports program discussions via his web site (Simple Living Network). He also funnels requests for more info about the program and refers people to NRM for more information.  Monica provides some support by updating materials and responding.  Center for a New American Dream (via Monique). Note: See list of partners, board members and advisors on NRM web site. May want to determine which of these partners are still valid or aligned with direction of new organization. . Organization historically has given people the opportunity to connect and receive support around the program. . Visionary and compassionate people involved.

 9-step Program o Weaknesses: . Program materials need updating: book, study guides, etc. Require new language for credibility. . Some steps are either too difficult/time-consuming or unattainable/out of date and can turn people off to the whole program. Some think steps are linear and get stuck.  Attrition for the study groups (face-to-face and on-line) is very high. In addition, most people who have read the book have not implemented the steps. . Book and other materials can come off as preachy and exclusive. . Limited formal program delivery mechanisms out there other than a few on-line study groups each year and a few independently run study groups, workshops, etc. . Most lively communities around the program are the discussion groups on the Simple Living Network on-line forums. o Strengths: . It’s simple, clear and practical . It clearly links your money to your values . Increases consciousness around money, quality of life, relationships, environment, etc. . Helps people assess what is enough for them and how to get clarity around their money so that they can become financially stable, get out of debt, find security and spend their life energy on the things they want to . The program itself still is invincible on many levels  It can stand up to a lot of financial freedom type books/programs because there are definite steps to implement, not just a narrative giving suggestions and examples of what has worked.  It has a positive “legacy” and true advocates of the program. . On-line study groups are still happening a few times a year . There are people out there still doing one-off program elements (workshops, potluck dinners with speakers, study groups, etc.), They have created their own version of study guides or other material to best suit their needs/style. Note: This could be considered a strength or a weakness. It is positive that individuals feel passionate enough about the program to create individual vehicles, but the lack of cohesiveness limits the reach and impact of these programs.

 Program Vehicles o Book: . Strengths: broad reach, easier for visual learners, is a reference tool . Weaknesses: outdated in some areas, not easy to update, tied to authors who aren’t actively involved anymore o Study guides/groups: . Strengths: build community, help support people in their transformation, give people actionable tools and ways to implement steps . Weaknesses: study guides need to be updated and reflect different needs of different audiences. Study groups lack ongoing support to maintain and some disband. o Audio course: . Strengths: Joe’s voice and passion are motivating, his history and personality were important to the program and book. Works well for audio learners and can also be used as a workshop tool in group settings. . Weaknesses: Need to be supported by other tools or methods of support (such as study groups, mentors, etc.) o Workshops: . Strengths: give people an opportunity to go deeper, are a great revenue generator . Weaknesses: need credible and charismatic people/personalities to lead them as they are a primary motivator for the program o Speaker’s Bureau: . Strengths: good for exposing people to the program and to success stories of the program . Weaknesses: require a personality to work well, requires a significant amount of administrative resources to run effectively

Some things to think about as we move forward: o What are the organization’s primary goals? . Is NRM’s goal to purposefully engage a few, highly- responsive targeted audiences in the program to make a deeper societal impact, and bring in limited revenue? . Is the goal to expose mass numbers of people to the concepts of the program (similarly to what happened with YMOYL) and bring in large amounts of revenue to invest in the program and provide funding to other organizations? o How do we define what “success” is in terms of the program moving forward? In the past, success meant doing all of the steps. Is this the only measure of success? We know that many people who have been exposed to the program conceptually change their relationship with money, but don’t implement the steps. How do we account for that? o Conceptually, do we want to highlight the intentions of the steps, or the steps themselves? o If it isn’t voluntary simplicity and it isn’t frugality or financial integrity, what is it that we are creating with the organization and the program? What language should we use to describe it, so as to avoid the language of exclusivity? o The program is initially most appealing to people who want to get control over their money. Most often, this is people who are trying desperately to get out of debt (probably biggest group) or looking for financial independence (work less, retire early, etc). Who should we consider our core target audiences (the focus of our product development and marketing efforts)? Who will benefit most from the strengths of our program and our organization and what it can offer? o If the program is most appealing for practical reasons, is there a point when people involved in the program understand that the program has: 1) Transformed their relationship with money? 2) Completely impacted their ability to live a more fulfilling and satisfying life? o Is the process of transformation the goal of the program, or is it the 9 steps in and of themselves? o What life experiences, stresses, or interests do people need to have to be interested in the program?