Case Study: Synthesizing Cross-Departmental Input to Support Strategic Planning
- Chloe Cavelier
- Jan 5
- 2 min read
Context
A complex, multi-department public-serving organization and its affiliated nonprofit were entering a strategic planning process after several years of strain. The organization was emerging from a prolonged period of public-facing challenges alongside the internal disruption and fatigue that followed the COVID era.
At the same time, a significant funding shift had changed the relationship between the organization and its affiliated nonprofit. Financial needs the organization had historically relied on the nonprofit to support were no longer required due to a new, stable public funding mechanism. This created both uncertainty and opportunity: the nonprofit was no longer filling a gap, and it needed to redefine its purpose and impact.
Leadership recognized that this moment required honest assessment, synthesis across perspectives, and a clear re-articulation of direction for both entities.
Approach
I supported the organization and its affiliated nonprofit by gathering and synthesizing input from departments, leadership, and key stakeholders across roles and functions.
The work focused on:
Making sense of insights shaped by years of disruption and recovery
Identifying patterns of alignment, tension, and fatigue across teams
Clarifying where strategy had outgrown existing structures and assumptions
Re-examining the role of the affiliated nonprofit in light of new funding realities
Rather than treating planning as a visioning exercise, the process emphasized systems-level understanding and operational realism. The synthesis informed both an organization-wide strategic plan and a coordinated operational framework, alongside a reshaped strategic direction for the affiliated nonprofit.
Impact
The organization emerged with a shared strategic direction grounded in clarity rather than reaction. Leadership gained a more accurate understanding of how the organization functioned as a system after years of strain, and teams saw their perspectives reflected in a coherent plan forward.
The affiliated nonprofit redefined its role from gap-filler to additive partner, enabling new initiatives, programs, and projects that had not previously been possible. With clearer purpose and alignment, the nonprofit was positioned to support innovation and expansion rather than simply maintain the status quo.
Together, the work supported a transition out of crisis mode and into a more stable, intentional phase, aligning vision, operations, and funding realities across both entities.
Details in this example have been generalized to protect confidentiality. Specific organizational names, sectors, and identifying information have been intentionally omitted.
If this resonates...
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