Representative Projects

Central Valley Farmland Trust (CA)

Three different county-based agricultural land trusts in Sacramento, Stanislaus and Merced counties were struggling to make a difference in the Central Valley of California. A fourth county (San Joaquin) was exploring options for creating its own land trust. Working with leaders from all four groups, we created a single, four-county land trust that merged the efforts of all groups into professionally staffed organization. Through structured discussions we created a single organization with councils in all four counties. A new strategic plan, revised organizational structure, fundraising plan and detailed plans for board development were created. Two professional staff positions were filled right away, with plans to further expand the staff in place. The organization has in a very short time transformed from several small, barely capable groups into a strong presence for conservation in the Central Valley, likely to conserve considerably more land more effectively.

Habitat for Humanity (OR)

Habitat Humanity has an international reputation of helping people build homes they can afford in partnership with their neighbors. I helped this Portland-based affiliate of the international housing nonprofit organization with a comprehensive planning process in 2004-05. The project was a multi-stepped effort incorporating assessment, planning and fundraising planning. The project had the added benefits of board-staff team-building, staff training and development and community outreach.

I coordinated a team of assessors from other Habitat offices in a review of Portland Habitat’s needs and opportunities, using interviews and focus groups to engage key stakeholders in a discussion about Habitat and housing issues in Portland. I incorporating the information into a background report used at the planning retreat. Facilitated the retreat of board and staff members addressing the critical issues facing the organization and how its plan could most affectively address them. I assisted in the development of a three-year strategic planning document, with supporting one-year annual plan and budget. I also led the group through discussions and decisions that created a three-year fundraising plan as a complement of the strategic plan. This process solidified an already capable organization, helped a new executive director emerge as a bona fide leader of the organization and clarify its path in the months moving forward.

North Carolina Land Trusts (NC)

North Carolina has 22 land trusts working to protect the beauty and habitat of the state, and have formed a statewide council to help coordinate their efforts and improve their effectiveness. The Council has worked informally in partnership with the Conservation Trust for North Carolina, the largest and most established trust in the state. I am helping these groups more completely define their structure and relationship to each other, including the development of a strategic plan for the council, a refinement of the internal and external structures, and a set of protocols to guide how the groups work with each other. These activities will strengthen the working relationship of these groups, improve their operational effectiveness and improve their relationships to outside funders and other key stakeholders.

Placer Land Trust (CA)

The Placer Land Trust and Nature Center had been around for more than 10 years but had done little conservation work. Its nature center had done an excellent job of building a place and programs to connect children with nature, and help them understand their ongoing responsibility and stewards for the environment. However, the land conservation program had gotten little attention. I helped lead a split of the organization into two, separate groups ­ the Placer Land Trust and Placer Nature Center. I helped lead both groups through the development of new strategic plans, and developed specific fundraising plans to support each organization. I also helped the land trust with board development and training efforts to guide its emergence as a separate organization. Placer Land Trust has since hired professional staff and negotiated more than $50 million of conservation funding as part of mitigation efforts for development in Sierra foothills communities. These funds will support years of conservation projects in the region. I am helping this group with additional planning and development efforts to support its next level of organizational development.

Gathering Waters Conservancy (WI)

Gathering Waters is a statewide conservation organization that provides support and advocacy on behalf of more than 50 land trusts in Wisconsin. The organization started as a coalition of land trusts and has evolved into an education and technical assistance center for land trusts and landowners alike. I have helped Gathering Waters develop three different strategic plans over the last 10 years, including the facilitation of retreats, development of planning documents and evaluation of past successes. In addition, I have led workshops and training sessions to support the land trusts of the state, organized coalitions of conservation groups working under Gathering Waters’ umbrella, and provided technical and organizational advice to professional staff of Gathering Waters to support their work with member land trusts.

Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust (CO)

Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust is the first and one of the most successful land trusts comprised of cattle ranch owners working together to protect rangeland in their state. Their success has prompted similar groups in Oregon, California, Kansas, Wyoming and several other states. I assisted the Trust in a planning process that included both strategic and fundraising plans. We gathered information and involved key stakeholders in the process through focus groups and interviews, using the information to help guide the decisions at a board retreat. Detailed strategic plans, fundraising plans, multi-year budgets and staffing structures emerged from the process.

North Branch Land Trust (PA)

This land trust working in northeast Pennsylvania needed to take their programs to the next level. After changing their name and expanding their focus, the group undertook a strategic planning process to define a more strategic approach to its conservation work. Through the development of a strategic and fundraising planning process, the group also improved its board-staff relationships and lines of authority. A new board and staff structure emerged from this process. In addition, a human resources development plan ­ incorporating both board development and staff development efforts ­ was created to better support the organization at its next level of effectiveness. A specific program of staff expansion and board development helped chart the path of this group to a more professional, capable land trust.

Columbia Land Trust

For more than 10 years, this sleepy organization worked to protect a few key lands in one county along the Columbia River. Today, this organization has emerged as one of the strongest trusts in the Northwest, with more than 10 staff members protecting lands within a 200 mile corridor of the lower Columbia River. I facilitated a comprehensive strategic planning process that helped transform this small, local land trust into a regional conservation group. I coordinated a team of consultants that led pre-planning activities, facilitated retreat sessions, drafted initial strategic plan and facilitated review and approval of the final planning document. The planning activities directly contributed to expanded programs, stronger foundation support, larger professional staff and docket of significant land conservation opportunities. I subsequently joined the board of this trust, and now serve as its Major Gifts Chair.

American Tinnitus Association

The American Tinnitus Association has worked quietly to support the more than 50 million people in the United States living with tinnitus (ringing in the ears). I conducted organizational assessment that identified critical issues in the governing functions of this national organization. I designed and facilitated a board development process to increase number of board members and other volunteers participating in the governing structure. I also facilitated comprehensive strategic planning process, including extensive pre-planning activities, retreat sessions and plan development. These activities resulted in stronger, more active board of directors; clearer mission and more strategic activities; better accountability for both outcomes and outputs; and an expanded fundraising program.

Other Common Projects

In addition to these projects, I have worked with several hundred nonprofit groups on a wide variety of projects that include:

Training on a wide variety of issues, including board development, board governance, board-staff relations, staff development, organizational structure, effective committees, strategic and annual planning, fundraising planning, annual giving and major donor fundraising.

Planning for coalition, partnerships, individual organizations, departments within larger agencies, specific programs and individual managers and leaders. Plans can also focus on particular functions within an organization, including board development plans, comprehensive fundraising plans and staff development plans. I have also led personal strategic planning processes to help leaders develop their own personal strategic plan.

Program development for a wide variety of program types, including new, restructured and established programs.

Coaching for board and staff leaders to help them emerge and succeed in their organizations.

Coalition-building to help groups work together more effectively. These efforts often lead to coalition plans, collaborative projects with members of the coalition, and occasionally, merging organizations.