Thinking Strategically About Milestones
The milestones in your Program are the building blocks for the Dashboard your Sponsors will view to see the impact their contribution is making.
Pro Tip: The question to ask yourself is, "How do I break my Program down into meaningful steps to represent progress and/or impact that will inspire Sponsors?"
Understanding Milestones
Milestones in Gloo Impact define key stages in a project or initiative. Each milestone is tied to significant actions or deliverables, which need to be verified before payment is released. These verifications ensure transparency and accountability, enabling sponsors to track progress and understand the impact their contributions are making.
Key Milestone Types:
Progress-Based Milestones: These involve continuous verification of tasks over time. For example, each session of a coaching program for pastors might represent a milestone.
Outcome-Based Milestones: These milestones are set at the end of a phase or project. Payments are only released once a key outcome (e.g., improved well-being metrics) is verified by multiple stakeholders, such as the participant and the champion.
Activity-Based Milestones: This type focuses on the completion of specific tasks (e.g., surveys or applications). Each completed task triggers a milestone payment.
Each milestone typically has verification requirements, including validation by:
The Champion (facilitates the process)
The Participant (receives the services or funds)
The Administrator (may oversee and manage the process)
Milestone Types
When authoring milestones for your Program, these are the available milestone types to configure.
Applicant Survey: Gloo Assessment for the Applicant to complete
Champion Survey: Gloo Assessment for the Champion to complete; Not visible to Applicants
Meeting: For Applicants to schedule an online or in-person meeting with a Champion or Administrator
Event: Calendar event that the Applicant must attend
Online Activity: Digital resource, such as a website page, article, or video that the Applicant should view
Offline Activity: Tasks that can be completed without internet, such as a nature walk or visiting a friend
Reflection: Applicant submits a written reflection based on a question or prompt you provide
Administrative Task: An internal task designated for a Champion or Org Admin; Not visible to Applicants
Auto Complete: This milestone type is completed once all prior milestones are completed
To understand more about Milestone Types
How Milestones Work
In the above image, you can see an example of progress-based milestones for coaching sessions. Each milestone indicates when it's ready and has an action button. The Champion or Admin has a corresponding view for required actions or verifications.
Verifying Milestones
Champion’s Role: Champions work closely with participants to ensure that each milestone is completed.
Participant's Role: The participant confirms the completion of each milestone (e.g., attending a coaching session).
Admin Verification: An administrator oversees the process to ensure that all required verifications are completed before payment is triggered.
Integration Verification: If the Program is tracked in another piece of software, for example: a LMS (learning management system) or a CRM (customer relationship management), verification can be integrated with them.
Common Use Cases for Milestones
Coaching Programs: Structured programs broken into sessions where each session represents a milestone.
Workshops and Surveys: Completion of a pre-set number of workshops or surveys may represent a milestone, with payments tied to each.
Funding Applications: Milestones can be tied to completing application stages, where verification is needed for each stage before moving on to the next.
Pro Tip: Always ensure that all verification parties are aware of their role in the milestone process to avoid delays in payment and project progress.