Challenge
A small nonprofit organization providing advocacy and support to the LGBTQ+ community faced significant challenges, including a lack of defined leadership and governance structure, over-reliance on grant funding, and weakened relationships with community partners. The organization’s staff did not feel confident or secure in their positions, and consumers felt the organization did not have a comprehensive understanding of the community’s needs, leading them to feel the organization did not provide the safe, supportive space they needed.

The organization’s executive board engaged Emerald One to develop a three-year strategic plan to rebuild its reputation, stabilize its operations, and realign with its community’s needs.

Process
Leveraging our decades of nonprofit experience, Emerald One began with a current state analysis to understand the organization’s internal operations and its perception in the community. Emerald One then conducted more than 20 in-depth interviews with key stakeholders across the organization’s leadership, board, staff, community partners, funders, government entities, and members of the local LGBTQ+ community. Questions tailored to each stakeholder group uncovered common themes that Emerald One used to form the foundation of the strategic plan.

After synthesizing interview findings using a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis to identify additional gaps in governance and financial strategy, Emerald One benchmarked the organization against similar nonprofits in similar geographic areas, providing additional insight into best practices to include in the strategy.

Emerald One consolidated this data into a three-year strategic plan centered on four focus areas—governance and leadership, skills development, financial solvency, and serving the community—that included tasks and key success metrics for each focus area. Emerald One worked closely with the board to review findings and refine recommendations, ensuring full stakeholder buy-in and setting the tone for sustainable growth. In addition, Emerald One created a communication strategy to help the organization share its progress with consumers, volunteers, partners, and staff, ensuring they understood the need for any changes, felt like a part of the transformation, and felt more secure in the organization’s future.

Outcome
In just two months, Emerald One delivered a comprehensive strategic plan for improving the organization’s financial and cultural health over the next three years. The plan laid the groundwork for:

• Developing the staff and board’s skills to meet critical areas of need and encourage mentorship and knowledge sharing.
• Achieving financial solvency by diversifying revenue, setting aggressive fundraising strategies, and increasing donor engagement.
  Strengthening governance and leadership practices by focusing on developing and implementing policies and procedures, increasing board diversity, developing leadership skills, and creating succession plans.
• Creating a safe, supportive, and engaging environment for members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community by better understanding their needs, regularly analyzing programs, and continually seeking feedback.

This dedicated engagement ignited a renewed passion among the board, inspiring them to schedule their first board retreat to strengthen their bonds and collaborate more effectively. Emerald One’s recommendations marked the beginning of a new era for the organization, equipping it with the necessary tools, strategies, and confidence to become a trusted advocate for the LGBTQ+ community.