Services
Governance
Governance these days is anything but “business as usual.” As nonprofits try to reimagine nonprofit boards to fit our current moment— moving boards away from their past as typically male dominated white wealthy institutions— there is much to be taken into consideration. Boards have an opportunity to ask foundational questions about how they are serving our institutions, missions and ecosystems to become more Purpose Driven. I would love to partner with you in these conversations and this impactful work.
Governance Foundations:
Many board members are new to this work and may need a basic orientation to their role and responsibilities. I provide board education sessions on a variety of foundational governance topics. This work may also include a review of your current governance practices and policies (things like your board handbook, bylaws, job description, committee charges and recruitment process) to see what may be out of date, what may need to be reimagined given current values and context, and how to advance your board to the next stage of inclusive, effective governance.
Inclusive Governance:
Here we partner to reimagine your current governance practices, policies and procedures to ensure they are aligned with your inclusion and belonging goals. This typically involves a series of board or committee meetings designed to engage board members in creating a more inclusive board space.
Identity
The past few years have been ones of unprecedented change in our world, and nonprofits are not immune to the context in which they operate. While nonprofit organizations must stay true to their fundamental core identity, sometimes the articulation of the foundational pieces— Mission, Vision and Values— needs to shift and be re-centered. Such a process can have a transformational impact on a nonprofit, helping them make the leap from “good to great," and understand their fundamental “Why” for existing.
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Mission Articulation
Your Mission statement articulates in a clear, unique and inspiring description WHAT your organization intends to be and do. It enables you to answer the questions: What do we do? For whom do we do it? and What is the benefit? This statement serves as the foundation for all of your organizational decisions— it is the “home base” for your organization.
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Vision Articulation
Your Vision statement guides the work of the organization in support of a long-term aspirational goal. It is inspirational, clear, memorable, and concise. It describes WHY the organization exists. It enables you to answer the questions: What is the desired long-term change that happens as a result of this organization’s work? Where does this organization aim to be in 25 years? How does this organization define success? This statement allows you to move from who you are today to who you want to be in the future—it identifies the mountain you want to climb.
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Values Articulation
Values are core beliefs that are immutable and timeless. They describe HOW you do the work that fulfills your mission – the important qualities you want to make manifest in your actions. They act as a filter through which decisions are made. Values enable you to answer the questions: What do we hold dear regardless of context or outcome? How do we show up in our community? Your values are the light that guides your actions and behaviors and create your organizational culture.
Strategy
Nonprofits are created to transform the lives, communities, and environments of those they touch. But what happens when those institutions need transformation? Periodically nonprofits experience a defining moment, a point of inflection without clarity about how to move forward. I can help guide your organization through such moments. We will begin by looking at your core foundations— your Mission, Vision and Values to be sure they are strong enough to build off of. Next we will explore your organization’s “special sauce”— what are the ingredients that differentiate you from your partner organizations? Finally we will do a trends review to understand the context in which you operate to surface strategic questions. These questions will become the foundation of your strategy process, and ultimately your organization’s Strategic Plan or Framework. I offer two slightly different approaches, built on these same foundations, depending on your desired final deliverable.
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Strategic Visioning
This model begins with an articulation or affirmation of Mission, Vision and Values. The process is guided by the Vision and centered on the surfacing of strategic questions. High-level three-to-five year values based goals and strategies are articulated. A flexible, responsive implementation plan is created by the staff leadership team and carried out through annual workplans. The organization shifts to a continuous learning orientation.
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Real Time Strategic Planning
As outlined in The Nonprofit Strategy Revolution by David LaPiana, this strategy process is ongoing and iterative. The work is centered on understanding the organization’s competitive advantage or “special sauce.” This strategy process shifts the work of the board using two tools we will create together, such that new strategic issues are constantly being considered within a framework. The organization shifts to an ongoing, rather than episodic, strategic orientation.
Working with Alexa
“I am a board chair of Refugee Artisan Initiative, a nonprofit focused on creating paths for economic independence for refugee and immigrant women. Alexa facilitated annual strategic planning sessions for us for two consecutive years. Being a young and rapidly growing organization, we were in acute need for articulating who we are, where we are going and how to get there. She worked with the entire board for 6 months with a carefully curated planning process and helped us create a strategy which was simple, clear and exciting to execute. She is not only a masterful facilitator but also a terrific coach. Her approach is inclusive, thorough and focused. I've worked with many strategic planning coaches and facilitators over the years but Alexa is definitely on the top of my list.”
— Yumiko Damashek, Board Chair, Refugee Artisan Initiative