How To Write A Quality Social Enterprise Pitch Abstract

Social Enterprise Pitches must communicate an original, innovative idea, with direct plans for measuring impact. Pitches will likely not yet have data associated with them, but should demonstrate how the idea was conceived, and why it will be effective. Pitches can be in a variety of stages, from early concept ideas to established programs that are seeking new ideas and support.

What is an example of a low-quality pitch?

Example of a low quality pitch: 

• Problem: Many people in Ghana are not able to access healthcare.

• Solution: Provide one Community Health Worker (CHW) in each rural village with an electronic tablet. Community members suffering from health conditions can reach out to their local CHW and describe their symptoms. The CHW will record these symptoms in a database on the tablet, which is then sent to doctors in the US, who will evaluate their symptoms and make a diagnosis. The diagnosis is then sent back to the CHW, who delivers the news to the patient.

• Innovation: This idea uses technology to connect rural villagers to high-quality doctors in the US who can diagnose their conditions, and the CHW can provide the prescribed treatment.

• Based in Evidence: The doctors in the program are already providing high-quality care to patients in the US; thus, their impact on patients in Ghana would be equally accurate and beneficial.

• What is the Expected Impact? We plan to start with one tablet in each of 30 villages. Thus, we expect that the incidence of health conditions in these villages should reduce at least 5% in the first year.

• Management and Financing: This project will mainly be managed by the American doctors who communicate with the CHWs. Funding will be necessary only for the purchase of the tablets, and for funding the CHWs.

• Describe Stage of Idea: We currently have the funding for the first 30 tablets, and we have some American doctors on board.

• Your "ask": We are looking for doctors to join the program, and we are also soliciting funds for tablet donations.

Why is this pitch considered low quality?

• Problem: “Many” is a vague term, and gives no actual information on the degree of the problem.

• Solution: First, this solution relies on technology, but there is no consideration about whether this technology will be available or feasible in Ghana. If the tablets break, will local people be able to fix them or buy new ones? Is there oversight to ensure that they are being used correctly, and that they are not stolen or used for other purposes? How are the CHWs chosen as qualified to take on this role? Further, by promoting the use of American doctors, Ghanaian doctors may become disenfranchised, and will not be trusted in the rural communities, as patients are led to believe that they must rely on foreign medical care. Additionally, by eliminating face-to-face interaction between doctors and patients, care becomes less personalized, and potentially, less accurate. Last, once the “diagnosis” is returned, how can the patient ask questions of the doctors? More importantly, armed with their diagnosis, how do they actually receive accurate and quality treatment?

• Innovation: As stated previously, this chips away at the trust in local Ghanaian doctors, and also turns the medical practice into a purely electronic medium. Again, there is no indication that this technology can feasibly be used in the rural communities.

• Based in Evidence: How do we know that the doctors will be just as accurate with Ghanaian patients, when they are not examining the patients, communicating with the patients directly, or familiar with local culture, environmental conditions, or local medical conditions? There is also no mention of how the doctors are vetted, or what their medical outcomes typically include.

• What is the Expected Impact: The number of tablets distributed is merely an output, and not an outcome. A description of outcomes is attempted in the second sentence, but there is no explanation about the derivation of the 5% statistic.

• Management and Financing: This section oversimplifies the management of the project, leaving out the tasks of tracking impact, making sure the tablets are used correctly, training the CHWs and keeping in communication with them, etc.

• Describe Stage of Idea: How were the thirty villages chosen? Why was “30” the starting number, and how many CHWs and doctors have been recruited?

• Your “ask”: Again, the reliance on American doctors undermines the professionalism and aptitude of Ghanaian doctors. Moreover, if tablets are donated, they should all be of the same make and model so that the software is standardized and functions correctly.

How should the pitch be revised?

• Problem: X% of Ghanaians live in rural villages and do not have access to medical clinics.

• Solution: We partner with local Ghanaian doctors to provide care to rural patients.

• Innovation: Local doctors will travel daily to rural villages, and they will examine, diagnose, and treat 200-300 patients each day. Each village will be revisited on a monthly basis.

• Based in Evidence: The Ghanaian doctors currently provide care to X patients per year, with a success rate of 99%. With our support, these doctors will bring quality, continuous care to villages that don’t currently have access to care.

• What is the Expected Impact? We will reduce the prevalence of curable health conditions by successfully treating X number of patients within the first year. Each patient will have an elecronic medical record maintained by the local clinic, and follow-up care will be provided to each patient. The patient records will be analyzed each month to review overall improvements in each patient's medical condition. The local doctors will develop new medical and educational plans for any patients whose conditions do not improve.

• Management and Financing: The Board of Directors is comprised of both Americans and Ghanaians. We are applying for grants to finance an outreach vehicle and salaries for newly-hired doctors who will be employed by the local clinics.

• Describe Stage of Idea: We have recruited the first Ghanaian partner, who will also serve as the director of our medical board.

• Your "ask": We are looking for funding and grant suggestions, volunteers to assist with grant writing, and suggestions for American or Ghanaian professionals who may be interested in offering guidance and ideas.

Why is this abstract considered high quality?

• The problem is contextualized with a statistic.

• The solution/innovation works with local doctors instead of relying on technology or foreign healthcare providers.

• There is a strong basis in evidence that suggest the high success of the care provided by the local doctors.

• Expected impact is based on calculations of how many patients can feasibly and successfully be provided by the Ghanaian doctors.

• Management includes local professionals, thereby empowering the Ghanaians instead of having all management organized by the American staff.

• The ask is very specific, and relates to a direct need.

What is the difference between outputs and outcomes? Why must plans for outcome measurement be included in descriptions of program models?

An example of an output is the number of program participants who are enrolled in a job training program. An example of an outcome is the number of program participants who have been able to coordinate a job due to the job training program. While outputs are important to track, evaluation needs to focus on measuring outcomes that reveal the extent and kinds of impact the project has on its participants. Impact could be reported in the amount of change in behavior, attitude, skills, knowledge or condition of the target population. For example, an output would be the number of microfinance loans distributed or the number of loans repaid, whereas the outcome would be the number of microfinance participants who have significantly increased their income or risen out of poverty due to the loans. Additional details are described in depth at http://www.uniteforsight.org/global-health-university/global-health-metrics. While pitches will not yet have data or outcome measurements, the pitch must specify how outcomes will be measured.