Our Approach
Pioneering new solutions for foundation and nonprofit leadership development.
Strong leaders create stronger outcomes. Instead of simply answering an immediate need for management training, we take a holistic view of your nonprofit’s leadership needs, examining and evaluating how contributions from people at all levels interact to advance – or inhibit – your mission. We believe every part of your organization is capable of exerting leadership. We help you bring out the best in each of your colleagues.
Research & Innovation
Progress requires change. In the field of management, every one of today’s proven strategies was yesterday’s radical concept. We examine social sector challenges and trends from all angles, testing our theories and refining our methods to develop higher levels of success for our clients. We are a small firm, but we have consistently pioneered and published groundbreaking approaches to common social sector challenges, from conducting successful merger negotiations, to developing powerful strategies to navigate change. Asking fundamental questions and pursuing practical answers is in our DNA, making us better consultants.
Proven Methodologies
Experimentation for experimentation’s sake can create a burst of enthusiasm but may do little to truly advance outcomes. Instead, we experiment, pilot, test, refine, and then scale solutions to real problems presented by our clients. Once we define a methodology, even when it becomes an accepted best-practice, we take the time to adapt it to meet the unique needs of every organization we serve.
High Touch
Your perspective matters. This is why collaboration and responsiveness are at the core of our approach. Each engagement is led by a senior member of our team, whose personalized attention helps you envision a bolder future for your organization. We are not outside experts who swoop in and provide you with a solution, then leave you to implement it. Instead, we are partners who help you discover what works, how it will fit best into your organization, and who needs to be included. We then stay involved through execution.
Customized Solutions
Every organization brings a history, a context, and a special blend of skills, objectives, and strengths. Cookie-cutter solutions may save money in the short-term but do little to create lasting change. We tap reliable strategies that have been shown to move the needle, tweaking and adjusting each to make the most of what makes your organization distinct.
Racial Equity
We recognize that we live in a society founded on white supremacy, a reality that has tainted every aspect of our culture. Racial equity is the effort to redress the current consequences of historical and institutional racism, in order to move toward a level playing field where one’s race is not determinant of one’s outcomes in life. We also recognize that race and racism do not exist in a vacuum, that identities are intersectional and overlapping. Sexism, homophobia, ableism, and other social ills all interact with racism. Applying a racial equity frame to our work also informs our efforts to counter these forms of discrimination.
Enduring Value
The battle for a better world is a marathon, not a sprint. In the social sector, successful ideas must translate into measurable long-term impact. Our practical strategies, intelligent planning, and nonprofit leadership development all work together to propel organizations toward faster results and a more powerful future.
Client Spotlight
Candid
Learn more about how we facilitated a smooth cultural integration when two social sector powerhouses merged to form Candid, the leader in sourcing and tracking information on nonprofit funding. Discover the strategies we employed to strengthen the merged teams and support Candid as they establish a bold ten-year vision.
Read full case study