One SCORE Update

Attention: ALL SCORE Volunteers

We are pleased to share an update on the successful conclusion of the One SCORE Process Pilot. This pilot marked a significant step forward in our journey to enhance how we serve our clients, engage volunteers and streamline our operations.

We are proud of the successes and valuable lessons learned throughout its implementation.

Notable Achievements:

Enhanced Client Intake Process: Pilot regions saw unique client growth nearly double that of non-pilot regions.
Accelerated Volunteer Onboarding: Reduced onboarding time for Provisional Mentors, leading to increased capacity.
Improved Mentor and Client: With mentors accepting direct requests, clients and mentors are more satisfied with their connections.
Optimized Volunteer Workloads: Effective use of the "Pause Mentoring" functionality helped volunteers and admins better manage their workloads.
Elevated Net Promoter Scores (NPS): Recent months have shown an average NPS of 90%, reflecting our clients’ satisfaction.
Streamlined Events Programming: Pilot regions experienced doubled local attendee numbers with over 50% fewer workshops, reducing administrative burden and avoiding duplicated efforts.
Improved Engage Reports: These provided real-time, actionable insights, empowering leaders to make data-driven decisions.

Key Lessons Learned:

Communication is Crucial: Clear, personalized communication is essential for leading and supporting users through change.
Re-education Needs: Additional and ongoing training and communication are needed to reduce mentor timeouts and declines.
Client/Mentor Matching: There are opportunities for further improvements in client intake with a focus on quality matches.
Role of the Coach: The Coach’s role in Volunteer Onboarding is critical for connecting new volunteers with chapter members quickly.
Ongoing Training: Continuous training is necessary for key volunteer roles, including Interviewers and Co-mentors.

While we remain focused on sustaining and supporting the progress made in the Mid-Atlantic and Central regions during the pilot, our attention is also shifting towards a broader One SCORE Evolution.

"One SCORE" is more than just a phrase—it's our guiding principle for the future. It represents our commitment to ensuring that SCORE’s volunteer mentors, SCORE Headquarters staff, the SCORE Foundation, donors, partners and board members work together with a shared vision to serve our clients best. This initiative aims to streamline processes, optimize procedures and increase access to information while fostering a cultural shift towards greater collaboration, unity and shared responsibility across all levels of our organization. By embracing this cultural change and better engaging our volunteers to focus their valuable time on the most impactful aspects of SCORE, we will enhance SCORE’s ability to support small business communities more effectively and sustainably.

Our primary goal remains clear: Positioning SCORE to continue supporting small business communities for the next 60 years and beyond.

What’s Next?

We will soon share more detailed information on how we can collectively work towards this goal, including:

A Video Message from Bridget Weston, SCORE CEO: This video highlights key achievements, lessons learned and what to expect next. It's designed for easy distribution, so feel free to include it in your chapter meetings.

Final Process Pilot Report: Comprehensive details on the pilot’s outcomes.
PowerPoint Presentation: A slide deck that can be shared in chapter meetings outlining key findings, next steps and guidance for chapters, districts and regions to align with future goals.
Frequently Asked Questions Document: A resource for Field Leaders to address the most common questions from members.
FY25 Tactical Plan: Organizational plan that includes key milestones, and a focus on the rollout of the standard Volunteer Onboarding process (from the pilot) across the organization. Please note that the Client Intake and Mentor Matching process is not planned to roll out until FY26.

Sample FAQs:

What does "One SCORE" mean?

"One SCORE" emphasizes quality standards and consistency across all levels of the organization.

It promises:

A consistent client experience.
More time for volunteers to mentor rather than handle administrative tasks.
Optimal allocation of people and resources.
High-quality services across all SCORE chapters.
Improved efficiency at both local and national levels.
Enhanced collaboration among mentors from different chapters.
Easier rollout of campaigns and processes with minimal change management.

What are the main goals of the One SCORE evolution?

The primary goal is to position SCORE to continue supporting small business communities for the next 60 years and beyond. The initiative focuses on:

Enhancing operations to maximize client impact.
Streamlining processes and improving technology for volunteers and leaders.
Developing clearly defined entities, services, roles and responsibilities for consistency.
Proactively managing client and volunteer expectations.
Improving administrative efficiency by eliminating redundant efforts.

We do this so that we can:

Serve increasing market demand.
Engage SCORE volunteers.
Help more clients achieve their goals.

What processes were tested as part of the One SCORE Process Pilot?

The standardized processes implemented and tested as part of the One SCORE Pilot included Volunteer Intake and Onboarding, Client Intake and Mentor Matching and Events Programming and Promotion.

More information about each process (pending technology updates to further streamline) can be found on the Supp ort Center.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the members of the Mid-Atlantic and Central Regions for their participation and partnership in making the pilot a success. We look forward to collaborating with all SCORE members as we embark on these exciting future endeavors.

SCORE is a nonprofit association dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals through education and mentorship. We have been doing this for more than 50 years.

Because our work is supported by the U.S. Small Business Administration, and thanks to our network of 10,000+ volunteers, we can deliver our services at no charge or at a very low cost. Lear n more about SCORE .

Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, conclusions, and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.

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