Strategic Innovations' Case Studies
PACT: Rebranding to Increase Awareness and Engagement
Like many nonprofit organizations that have been around for a while, PACT (Prisoners and Community Together) had experienced a natural evolution of their mission over time. Recognizing that their image needed to be updated, they decided it was time to revisit their brand based on the services they provide today and to restate their intent going forward. Because federal and local budget cuts threatened the funding sources they had relied on in the past, they wanted a brand and a communication strategy that would position them to attract more volunteer and private donor support going forward. Using a facilitated process, Strategic Innovaton helped PACT’s Leadership group identify their core services today and translate those services into benefits for their stakeholders. These lists were then boiled down to a set of key messages that the brand needed to evoke and to a set of media that would convey them to their to various stakeholder groups. One of the unique challenges of this project was to keep their legal, registered name but downplay the role of prisoner services. As a result, the new brand combines the acronym PACT with the color green and a graphic that suggests turning over a new leaf. These are coupled with a new tagline—Changing our communities, one life at a time. Human Resource TransformationThe Senior VP of Human Resources for Lozier, the leading manufacturer of innovative store fixtures, wanted to transform her department. Historically, the department of 20 had focused on compliance and accuracy of transactions, and now they needed a strategic focus and a flexible structure that would allow them to be true partners of the rapidly evolving business. Lozier retained Jane to design and facilitate an off-‐site learning and planning experience. The two-‐and-‐a-‐half-‐day session began with exercises designed to set a climate of innovation and to encourage open-‐minded thinking. Working in small groups, the participants were provided with information and hands-‐on exercises designed to help them hear, experience and internalize the gap between their current focus and the type of HR that would be required to achieve the company’s rapidly changing business goals. Working in small groups on the final day, the team presented possible re-‐designs for the HR function. Together, they selected the most promising elements of each and crafted a first draft that would be submitted to senior management for approval. By the end of the session, the group had a shared vision of where they were headed and a strong commitment to the specific action steps that lie ahead. Each individual had completed a personal set of commitments that was sealed and would be opened in six months to see if they were staying true to their commitments.
Corvilla: A Creative Fund Raising ApproachWhen not-for-profit Corvilla, provider of group homes for mentally and physically challenged adults, wanted to create a new fund raising event, they called on Strategic Innovation. After two initial meetings to help the Director and Associate Director clearly define the task at hand, Jane designed a half-day off-site meeting for the 10 members of Corvilla’s Development Committee. This was their task:
Using a structured problem-solving process, Jane led the group through a series of exercises designed to explore the concepts surrounding the sources of contributions, the essence of Corvilla, and the committee member’s own feelings about volunteerism. Using metaphors, Play Dough, and drawings, the group put aside pre-conceived notions and personal favorites and developed a unique platform for a series of fund raising events based on the book Chicken Soup for the Soul.
MHAGC: A Process for Board RenewalWhen Martha Shriver took over as Executive Director for The Mental Health Association of Greater Chicago, the organization had been in existence for over 40 years. Her board members, a mixture of founding members and new recruits, were unclear on their mission and needed to examine their goals and commit to a course of action—or face the total breakdown of the association. Following interviews with members—where they described their meetings as “treading water,” “an animal stalking it’s prey,” and “a dull overcast day with occasional squalls”—Jane designed a one-day offsite workshop to help the group set goals and learn to work more effectively as a team. As a result of the session, some of the original members were able to “let go” and know that their legacy would continue, and the newer members were able to agree on initiatives that they could passionately support.
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