Strategic Planning
The Centers
The Centers is a multi-faceted, comprehensive, social service nonprofit with over a dozen locations spread across Cleveland and its surrounding areas. The Centers engaged SDP to facilitate a strategic planning process that included a comprehensive scan, engaging both internal and external audiences, from staff and board to funders, peers, and partner organizations. In all, over 200 people provided insight into the planning process. Using the results of the scan as a foundation, the board and staff developed an intentional, detailed, and optimistic plan that will guide The Centers into the future with clear direction and a defined purpose.​​​​​
Bounce Innovation Hub
Bounce Innovation Hub (Bounce) was founded in 2018 and is ground zero for Akron's entrepreneurial ecosystem. Bounce combines purposeful programming - focused on building the entrepreneur first - with a 300,000 square feet physical location designed for collaboration and connectivity. Bounce engaged SDP in the summer of 2020 to facilitate its first-ever strategic plan. Over 50 partners, funders, and other stakeholders provided input into the process, leading to an updated mission and vision and three overarching goals to guide Bounce into 2023. Bounce again engaged SDP to facilitate its second plan to build off the success of its first and help refocus its vision and direction.
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Cleveland Institute of Art
The Cleveland Institute of Art (CIA), a 130-year-old legacy arts school, engaged SDP to lead a strategic planning process for its future direction. SDP collected feedback from over 500 students, staff, faculty, parents, board members, funders, partners, and supporters through interviews, focus groups, and surveys. SDP also led an all-day retreat with more than 100 staff, faculty, and board members. Through working sessions with the strategic planning committee and three Town Hall meetings, stakeholders developed new values, a vision statement, a mission statement, and goals. Together with the President’s Cabinet, SDP created an action plan outlining priorities across all departments. Due to leadership transitions, the impact of COVID, and other evolving factors, SDP was re-engaged at the plan’s midpoint to reassess its progress. SDP facilitated a retreat with the board’s executive committee and President’s Cabinet to update the plan’s goals, strategic priorities, and responsibilities.
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Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry
Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry (LMM) manages the largest homeless shelter in Ohio, serving up to 365 men per night with an additional 30-60 beds available at partner overflow sites. Founded in 1969, LMM provides service and advocacy to those who are oppressed, forgotten and hurting through comprehensive housing, workforce, and guardianship services. In Spring 2023, LMM engaged SDP to facilitate a strategic planning process. SDP led a thorough process that connected with more than 260 internal and external stakeholders, including the board, staff, community partners, civic leaders, and program participants, to offer input into the LMM plan. The final strategic plan included a new mission, vision, values, goals, strategies, action plan, and dashboard.
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