What is Results Count?

Building Our Future (BOF) brings Kenosha County partners together across sectors to achieve a shared community vision and improve outcomes for students and families. Part of the StriveTogether national network, BOF uses evidence-based decision making, collaborative action, and continuous improvement in its approach. Results Count™ is a leadership framework from the Annie E. Casey Foundation that supports professionals in nonprofits, philanthropy, and public systems to make positive, measurable change for children and families.

Results Count Cohorts

Beginning in late 2020, Building Our Future hosted its first Continuous Improvement Learning Cohort focused on outcomes in the early childhood space, with teams participating from KAC and United Way of Kenosha County. With support from StriveTogether, our national network, BOF convened a 6-session learning cohort between December 2020 and May 2021, focused on outcomes in the early childhood space. Using the Equitable Results Pathway, participants learned and tried on new tools that helped them zoom out, get clear on their results, and develop strategies to improve outcomes.

• I was blown away from the learning and growth that happened for my team, and we're now using this as a model moving forward. All three early childhood programs are now on the same page. Managers saw this as an a-ha moment, and there's greater buy-in from frontline staff."  
  
• Chris Weyker, CEO, KAC​

See the results from our 2021 Continuous Improvement Learning Cohort!

In 2022, Building Our Future launched a second cohort--rebranded as the Results Count Cohort--with teams from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Racine & Kenosha Counties, Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha, and Kenosha Human Development Services. The Cohort is a space where teams from youth-serving organizations can join with others learn from each other, try out new tools, and improve their skills in evidence-based decision making, all in a safe cohort learning environment. How did we iterate, based on what we learned from our first cohort?

• Teams are coming together for group learning seven times between March and June 2022. Based on participant feedback and coach observation, more time in the cohort means more impact. The work is able to accelerate over time.
• Each team is receiving two personalized coaching sessions. Coaching sessions help teams stay on track, access individualized feedback and coaching, and try on tools in real time.
• Each participant of our second cohort received a copy of the book Upstream: How to Solve Problems Before They Happen by Dan Heath. Systems change work is really upstream work. Teams are able to supplement their learning by reading powerful, inspirational stories of real upstream work from across the country.​

The 2022 Results Count Cohort included teams from Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Racine and Kenosha, and Kenosha Human Development Services. 

Curious to learn more? Hear directly from two organizations who participated in last year's cohort--KAC and United Way--in our Together, We're Better podcast episode, "Taking the Time to Make Results Count." 

• I think we all do continuous improvement subconsciously, where we’re constantly looking at what we can improve… The difference with the Cohort was you really took the time to dive into [your] program or service, and to me, that time, the tools, and the coaching alongside it, was so beneficial." 
  
• Laurie McDonald, former Community Impact Director, United Way of Kenosha County