Passion Project - Project NextGen
Project NextGen: Drishti Foundation’s Leadership Transition
Empowering youth, sustaining impact, and institutionalizing inclusion
Why Project NextGen?
Objective
Drishti Foundation’s rapid growth across chapters demanded a leadership model that could scale impact without relying on its founders. Project NextGen was born to ensure continuity, resilience, and inclusion by transitioning core operations to a new generation of youth leaders. Through structured shadowing, twice-weekly cadences, and domain-specific handoffs, the initiative institutionalized knowledge, reduced single-point dependency, and empowered future changemakers. By embedding playbooks, dashboards, and ADA-inclusive frameworks, Drishti now stands on a foundation built for longevity and equity—ready to thrive beyond its origin story.
Leadership Handoff
Approach
To ensure continuity and scale, Drishti Foundation transitioned core operations to four youth leaders through a structured, domain-based handoff. This process was anchored in twice-weekly cadences, July–August shadowing, and a comprehensive suite of operational assets.
Each youth lead was assigned specific domains based on interest and capacity, with clear expectations and support mechanisms. The transition emphasized cross-training, documentation, and accessibility, ensuring that no single point of failure could disrupt operations.
🧠 Transition Highlights:
- 4 Youth Leads: Each responsible for multiple domains
- 9 Operational Domains:
- Strategic Leadership & Vision
- Marketing & Outreach
- Social Media
- Fundraising & Sponsorships
- Volunteer Management
- Event Planning & Execution
- Branding & Creative Assets
- Financial Management & Budgeting
- Supplies & Procurement
- Participant Engagement
- Approach
- Documentation
- Transition Meetings
- Shadowing
- Leads take full control
- Support Tools: Playbooks, templates, contact directories, and KPI dashboards
Institutional tools
About Me
To ensure operational continuity and reduce founder dependency, I developed a comprehensive suite of institutional tools that now anchor Drishti's day-to-day functioning. These assets were designed to be intuitive, replicable, and accessible—empowering youth leads to take ownership across domains with confidence and clarity.
🗂️ Core Assets Created:
- Domain Playbooks: Step-by-step guides for each operational area, including donor outreach, volunteer coordination, event planning, and accessibility.
- Templates: Reusable formats for emails, outreach, registration, and logistics—standardizing communication and reducing onboarding time.
- Contact Directories: Curated lists of key stakeholders, vendors, volunteers, and partners—ensuring seamless handoffs and quick access.
- KPI Dashboards: Monthly and quarterly trackers for fundraising, volunteer engagement, and event participation—used to monitor progress and course-correct.
These tools were shared via Google Drive folders with clear naming conventions and version control. Each youth lead received tailored onboarding using these resources, supported by shadowing and twice-weekly cadences.
Impact Metrics
Data Driven Effort
Project NextGen wasn’t just a leadership transition—it was a data-driven effort to scale Drishti Foundation’s reach while preserving its mission. Clear KPIs were set to measure success across fundraising, volunteer engagement, and event participation, with dashboards built to monitor progress and guide decision-making.
Annual Funds Raised (Goal: $15K–$20K)
Active Volunteers (Goal: 100+)
Drishti Dash Attendees (Goal: 400)
New Chapters (PA, TX, CA)
Active Beneficiary Partners (Goal: 8)
Social Media Growth (Followers, Engagement Rates)
Sponsor Renewals and Upgrades
Progress & Reflections
🔄 Planned vs. Actual Cadence
The original transition plan called for:
- Twice-weekly meetings from July through August
- Structured shadowing across nine operational domains
- Final handoff by early September
Actual execution closely mirrored this plan, with:
- 17 documented meetings held between July 1 and August 31
- Consistent attendance from all four youth leads
- Domain-specific deep dives and live walkthroughs of playbooks, templates, and dashboards
- Final syncs in early September to confirm readiness for Drishti Dash 2025
The cadence was not only sustained—it became a rhythm for accountability and confidence-building. Leads began taking initiative by Week 3, and by Week 6, they were independently managing logistics, outreach, and accessibility planning.
🧠 Reflections from the Transition
- Structure breeds confidence: The twice-weekly cadence gave youth leads a predictable space to ask questions, review tools, and build ownership.
- Documentation is power: Playbooks and templates reduced ambiguity and enabled faster onboarding.
- Inclusion must be intentional: Accessibility wasn’t an afterthought—it was embedded in every domain, from registration to signage.
- Letting go is leadership: Transitioning out of founder-led operations required trust, clarity, and humility. Watching youth leads thrive was the most rewarding proof of success.
Drishti Dash 2025
