Our Normal Association (ONA) is a Swedish non-profit organization that aims to connect families of children with disabilities, and drive change in society for true inclusion so every child and family can have a “normal” life.

ONA launched as a digital community in 2018 and currently has 2 000 families enrolled. From 2021, they embarked on an expansion to deliver even more impact and they are now planning to launch their digital platform, called Our Normal Design lab, in 2024. The goal of ONA is to become a European resource and knowledge hub facilitating systemic change through its presence in the Nordics, Central and Eastern Europe.

Navigating funding strategies with expertise and vision

Oliver Wyman held three workshops over six weeks with ONA to provide a comprehensive perspective on their overall five-year funding strategy. The first workshop focused on inspirational benchmarks, scenario-based financial forecasts, and other considerations linked to revenue and cost drivers. The second workshop elaborated on prioritized potential financiers, deep-diving into a handful of European foundations and funding bodies. During the last workshop, the insights from the first workshops were leveraged to develop an actionable financing roadmap going forward, including customized advice on funding application, such as key activities, best practices, and common mistakes. Oliver Wyman also gave feedback on their existing pitch material.

Collecting inspirational benchmarks and creating scenario-based forecasts immediately improved ONAs understanding of their funding needs, including estimated costs and revenues. The visualization of the financier landscape covering linked deadlines and restrictions also became more tangible, allowing them to re-prioritize their actions and maximize their chances of gaining future funding. With a plan in place, they are set-up for success with their European roll-out.