OUR SERVICES: Organizations

We have had a lifelong commitment to working for change. Organizations and foundations are often on the leading edge of change, educating and mobilizing citizens around critical issues. Because we have been on both sides of the effort to make change – as nonprofit leaders and staff to government officials – we have a unique understanding of how to create a climate conducive to progress.

Our work for organizations and foundations includes:

• Assessments: Many organizations seek an outside perspective to assess the lay of the land and attitudes about a policy issue. We have conducted confidential opinion leader interviews, prepared media scans and produced reports and presentations summarizing our findings and recommendations.

• Communications: As a supplement to in-house efforts or in a leading role, we have developed compelling messages, produced press conferences, created fact sheets and other materials and provided ongoing guidance on communications efforts. We have created targeted culturally sensitive communications efforts, including extensive Spanish-language and bilingual outreach materials.

• Educational outreach: Policymakers may need to develop a deeper understanding of a policy issue to make the right choices. We have developed strategies and implemented programs to give policymakers a closer look at a policy issue, from site visits to targeted media briefings.

• Strategic planning: Organizations facing a complex challenge have invited our team to develop strategies to achieve a specific short-term goal and change public attitudes on a policy issue. Other organizations at a turning point have sought our help in refining goals, developing a consensus within the organization and then developing an achievable plan to reach the goals.

Our clients in this area have included the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Preschool California, the Brainerd Foundation, California Coastal Protection Network, Oregon Conservation Network, Para Los Niños, Service Employees International Union, the Trust for Public Land, and Latino Issues Forum.