Vision Mapping and Strategic Innovation at a Regional Nonprofit Organization
A regional nonprofit organization dedicated to serving vulnerable populations had a strong track record of impact. Recently, a major donor challenged the organization to think boldly about its future—envisioning transformative growth and deeper community impact. This required visionary thinking and a structured, inclusive process to ensure alignment and feasibility.
Client Overview
The nonprofit faced a unique opportunity—and responsibility—to:
+ Dream big about the future of the organization.
+ Gather unbiased insights from a wide range of stakeholders, including staff, leadership, beneficiaries, donors, and board members.
+ Generate and vet innovative ideas that could shape the next chapter of the organization’s impact.
+ Present a compelling, data-informed vision to its board of directors and donor base.
Given the sensitivity and scope of the task, the organization needed an experienced external facilitator to lead the process with objectivity, creativity, and strategic rigor.
Challenge
The engagement was designed as a multi-phase, collaborative process that combined research, facilitation, and strategic planning.
Approach
+ Distributed a comprehensive survey to staff, leadership, service beneficiaries, donors, and board members.
+ Collected both quantitative and qualitative data to understand perceptions of the current state and aspirations for the future.
+ Synthesized survey results to identify key themes and gaps in understanding.
Phase 1: Stakeholder Research
+ Conducted targeted interviews with key stakeholders to explore insights surfaced in the survey.
+ Used structured questions to clarify the organization’s current strengths, challenges, and bold possibilities for the future.
Phase 2: In-Depth Interviews
+ Facilitated a half-day collaborative event with diverse stakeholders.
+ Guided participants through exercises to:
+ Generate bold, future-focused ideas.
+ Evaluate each idea through the lenses of feasibility, viability, and desirability.
+ Discuss timelines, resource requirements, and financial implications.
+ Ideas were scored and prioritized to determine which should be advanced, explored further, or set aside.
Phase 3: Strategic Visioning Event
+ 10+ strategic initiatives were generated, each thoroughly vetted and prioritized.
+ A formal vision booklet was created, documenting the entire process, stakeholder input, and strategic recommendations.
+ The booklet was presented to the board of directors and donor base, providing a clear, compelling roadmap for future planning and investment.
+ The process fostered deep alignment and synergy across staff, leadership, board members, and donors—creating a shared sense of ownership and excitement for what’s next.
Results
“Vicki was a gift to our team at Gateway Mission as she led us to clarify our vision and mission and create strategies and tools to help us move forward with and communicate to our many stakeholders. She led in both a professional and personable way, calibrating both invitation and challenge to our team to bring out the best in us collectively. As she kept us moving forward in the significant task we had, she did so in ways that were both creative and concrete and led us in an enjoyable process that produced tangible results. “
Steve Rusticus, former Gateway Mission Executive Team Member