What we do — and how we do it
Every engagement starts with listening. Before recommending anything, we take the time to understand your organization, your mission, your team, and the challenges you’re navigating. What follows is built around your specific situation — not a pre-packaged solution pulled off a shelf.
These services are most powerful when they work together. Mission drives strategy. Strategy shapes programs. Programs require the right team and funding. All of it benefits from honest evaluation. In practice, many engagements touch several of these areas at once — and that integration is often where the most meaningful progress happens. When engagements call for deeper expertise in areas such as human resources, financial management, administration, or legal matters, we draw on a trusted network of experienced colleagues who share our values and approach.
Strategic planning & governance
Everything else an organization does flows from a clear sense of mission. When mission is sharp and widely understood — by staff, board, partners, and funders — it becomes the foundation for every other decision: what programs to pursue, where to invest resources, who to hire, and how to measure success. We help organizations get that clarity first, then build a strong, actionable strategic plan around it — one that sets ambitious but realistic goals, assigns clear ownership, and gives your team something they genuinely believe in and can execute.
Governance is the other half of this equation. Strong governance means having the right people around the table — board members who are genuinely committed to the mission, understand their role, and bring the relationships, resources, and judgment the organization needs to succeed. We work with organizations to strengthen board composition and engagement alongside governance structures and practices, because who governs matters as much as how.
What this looks like in practice:
Facilitate mission and vision clarification, followed by collaborative strategic goal-setting and priority-setting with your team, board, and key stakeholders.
Develop clear, actionable strategic plans with defined goals, responsibilities, timelines, and success measures your organization can use.
Strengthen board composition and engagement, governance practices, bylaws, and board-staff relationships — aligned with and in support of the strategic direction.
Program development & implementation
Good programs start with mission and strategy. The programs an organization pursues should flow directly from the outcomes articulated in its strategic plan. They also should be grounded in clear value to the communities and stakeholders the mission is meant to serve, and value that prospective funders and partners can recognize and support.
From that foundation, effective program development means identifying the partners needed to help execute, the staffing and expertise required, and the resources to sustain the work. That includes opportunities to collaborate — with peer organizations, regional partners, or coalitions across a network — on initiatives that no single organization could deliver as effectively alone. It also means building in data collection and evaluation from the start as an integral part of how programs are designed and managed. Programs that are evaluated honestly get better over time.
What this looks like in practice:
Work from your strategic plan to identify and design programs grounded in mission, stakeholder value, and funder alignment.
Identify and engage implementation partners, building the team and expertise required, and developing the resources to execute.
Facilitate multi-organization collaborations — among coalitions within a region or across a network — on shared programs and initiatives that produce greater collective impact than any single organization could achieve alone.
Build data collection and metrics into program design from the outset, enabling honest evaluation and continuous improvement over time.
Evaluation & impact measurement
Knowing whether your work is making a difference — and being able to demonstrate that to funders, partners, and your board is the foundation of organizational credibility and continuous improvement. We help organizations build practical evaluation frameworks that fit their capacity, produce meaningful data, and inform better decisions over time.
What this looks like in practice:
Develop program logic models, articulate theory of change frameworks, and identify key performance indicators aligned with your mission.
Build data collection and report systems that work for your staff.
Design funder-ready evaluation plans that demonstrate impact, support grant reporting, and improve over time.
Revenue growth & diversification
Overdependence on a single funding source is one of the most common vulnerabilities in nonprofit organizations — but it can be addressed. We help organizations assess their current revenue picture, identify opportunities, and build the strategies, relationships, and systems to diversify and grow. That includes grants, but also fee-for-service programs, membership structures, sponsorships, and other earned revenue streams that build long-term financial resilience.
What this looks like in practice:
Develop comprehensive funding strategies that reduce dependence on any single source.
Identify grant opportunities and providing grant strategy and writing support — including private foundation grants, plus any available state and federal sources.
Design and launch fee-for-service programs, membership structures, and sponsorship initiatives.
Staffing & leadership
The right people, in the right roles, working within a strong organizational culture separates organizations that sustain their impact from those that struggle to. We help organizations think clearly about their staffing needs, recruit effectively for leadership positions, and build the cultural foundation that retains good people and holds everyone accountable.
What this looks like in practice:
Lead or support executive director and staff searches — from role definition and candidate recruitment through selection and onboarding.
Design staff job descriptions, organizational structures, and performance management systems.
Support leadership transitions, interim leadership needs, and executive coaching.
Connect organizations with trusted specialists in human resources, financial management, administration, and legal matters when engagements require deeper expertise in those areas.
Stakeholder & community engagement
The most durable organizations are deeply connected to the communities, partners, and stakeholders they serve. Building and sustaining those relationships isn’t a communications function — it’s a core organizational strategy. We help organizations identify who their key stakeholders are, understand what those stakeholders value, and develop engagement approaches grounded in genuine mutual benefit.
What this looks like in practice:
Map key stakeholders — government agencies, industry partners, community organizations, funders, and others — to clarify who matters most, what they care about, and how your organization can build productive relationships with them.
Develop and execute stakeholder engagement strategies grounded in shared value — connecting your mission and programs to the specific interests and priorities of the people and organizations you need as partners and supporters.
Facilitate structured community engagement processes that bring residents, advocates, and local leaders into meaningful dialogue — building shared priorities, genuine ownership, and equitable outcomes.
How we work together
No two organizations are in the same situation, and no two engagements look exactly alike. Some clients need focused help with a specific challenge. Others want a consistent thought partner over time. We work in whatever structure best fits your needs and your moment.
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Project-based
A defined scope of work with clear deliverables and a timeline — well suited for strategic planning processes, program launches, executive searches, funding strategy development, or other discrete needs with a clear beginning and end.
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Ongoing advisory
A retainer relationship that provides consistent access to experienced guidance over time — ideal for organizations navigating extended transitions, building new capacity, or wanting a trusted thought partner available as needs arise.
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Coaching & mentoring
One-on-one support for executive directors and other organizational leaders — focused on leadership development, working through specific challenges, and building the skills and confidence to lead effectively.
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Peer facilitation
Facilitated learning and exchange among a cohort of organizations facing similar challenges — drawing on the peer mentoring model that has proven effective across the Clean Cities and Communities network and beyond.
Not sure where to start?
That’s a perfectly good place to begin. Reach out and tell us a little about your organization and what you’re wrestling with — we’ll tell you honestly whether and how we think we can help.