Strategy
STRATEGIC, PURPOSEFUL, AND IMPACT-FOCUSED
Onward offers tailored strategic solutions to help you diagnose problems, clarify your model, set goals, and navigate challenges and change. With a focus on collaborative consultation and evidence-based strategies, we provide the strategic tools and expertise nonprofits need.
Onward assessments develop a comprehensive understanding of your current landscape and identify internal and external strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to lay the foundation for informed goal-setting and decision-making.
Onward’s Methodology
Our approach integrates industry-leading frameworks and tools to deliver actionable insights:
- SWOT Interviews & Analysis
- McKinsey 7-S Framework & Organizational Diagnostic Tools
- Surveys & Analysis
- Focus Groups
- Competitive Benchmarking
- Best-in-Class (BiC) Comparison Studies
By leveraging these tools, Onward! equips nonprofits with the insights necessary to navigate complex environments, optimize performance, and achieve sustainable success.
Learn more with our Impact Stories
Amidst the challenges of COVID-19 and approaching its 25th anniversary, The Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.) sought a new strategic direction. Onward conducted a comprehensive review, analyzing documents across finance, HR, development, communication, and program outcomes. This was complemented by over 10 director interviews using the McKinsey Seven-S framework and 25 external interviews with various stakeholder groups. A confidential all-staff survey was added to gather staff insights, and the findings were categorized to identify consensus and conflict. In collaboration with a steering committee, Onward presented an organizational health assessment to the board and facilitated strategic discussions. The application of strategic tools, scope management, advanced data collection & visualization, and facilitated discussions among the board and staff, informed the C.A.S.E. model, promoted organizational learning, and strengthened internal capacity. This effort culminated in C.A.S.E.’s transformational decision to evolve into a national demonstration teaching clinic, dedicated to educating therapists nationwide, amplifying its impact and ensuring long-term sustainability. The Treatment Advocacy Center (TAC) sought to refine its strategic direction and operational clarity. Onward Consultants conducted over 30 in-depth interviews with diverse stakeholders, internal and external to TAC, to gain insights into its mission, strengths, and areas for improvement. Onward Consultants developed tailored interview questions for six different stakeholder groups, exploring TAC’s value proposition, impact, strengths, and challenges. By focusing on key thematic areas such as TAC’s focus on serious mental illness (SMI) and legislative advocacy, Onward provided a thorough understanding of TAC’s role in the field along with its challenges and opportunities. Onward then facilitated board discussion and decisions on TAC’s strategic goals. Insights gathered from the interviews informed Onward’s strategic recommendations around comparative advantage, growth, and effectiveness. By aligning TAC’s initiatives with stakeholder priorities, Onward Consultants help position TAC for sustained growth and impact advocating for individuals with serious mental illness. ISTA: The Indiana State Teachers Association a 501(c)6 aimed to redefine the goals of its 501(c)3 Foundation for the Improvement of Education (IFIE), improve its operating model, and secure additional funding for educator professional development. Onward began by evaluating the Foundation’s current state by comparing similar foundations, benchmarking state National Board-Certified Teacher (NBCT) data, and analyzing the political and educational landscape. SWOT interviews were conducted with stakeholders, including ISTA and IFIE leadership, educators, and philanthropic leaders. Onward identified conflicts between the roles of the Foundation’s 501 (c)3 status relative to the ISTA Union’s (c)6 and suggested ways to deconflict their objectives and operations. The Foundation clarified its mission and operational model, deconflicting its work from the ISTA Union. This clarification strengthened the partnership between IFIE and ISTA, enhancing their collective efforts with well-defined roles and responsibilities demonstrating the value of strategic clarity and collaborative partnerships.
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Strategic planning isn’t one-way-fits-all; it’s unique. We tailor unique approaches to guide you through strategic planning and goal setting.
Onward Tools & Trainings:
- Greiner’s Model of Organizational Growth & Change
- Mission & Visioning Workshops
- Logic Modeling
- (SMART) Goal & KPI development & prioritization
- McKinsey 7-S Framework & Organizational Diagnostic Tools
- Board Strategic Visioning Retreats
Learn more with our Impact Stories
Not all strategic contracts start the same. When the Campaign for Youth Justice (CFYJ) approached Onward, the initial objective was to help articulate its logic model, focusing on policy, research, advocacy, and boots-on-the-ground campaign organizing. What began as a straightforward task evolved into a transformational engagement that reset CFYJ’s strategic direction. CFYJ, a national initiative dedicated to ending the prosecution, sentencing, and incarceration of youth under 18 in the adult criminal justice system, needed a clear logic model to distill its impact and articulate measures of effect. CFYJ hired Onward LLC to develop a logic model to clarify its programs and ensure alignment with its mission and goals. Onward commenced with a thorough review of CFYJ’s materials, including contracts, grants, evaluation rubrics, strategic documents, and communication collateral. This was complemented by interviews with key staff across various areas, including advocacy, policy, research, and communications. Onward facilitated staff training sessions on logic models and conducted a two-day staff retreat to draft and prioritize elements of the logic model. This process surfaced a fundamental question: Is CFYJ an actual campaign, and thus time-bound, or has it evolved into an ongoing organization? Next, Onward facilitated an inclusive board retreat designed to answer this pivotal question. Utilizing various tools to remove power dynamics and ensure equitable voice, it was determined that CFYJ was a campaign. Onward then helped operationalize this decision into a 3-4 year plan and individual workplans, clearly defining “the CFYJ win.” Four years after that board retreat, the campaign ended achieving much:
Onward’s thoughtful and nimble approach was instrumental in CFYJ’s success. The process of developing a logic model not only clarified CFYJ’s mission but also highlighted incongruencies that led to a board-led transformation. This engagement required Onward adapt its contract to meet the evolving needs of its client, driving impactful change and achieving significant legislative victories for youth justice. Amid the challenges of COVID and approaching its 25th anniversary, C.A.S.E. sought a fresh strategic direction. Onward conducted a thorough discovery, analyzing hundreds of documents across finance, HR, and operations, supplemented by over 35 interviews with staff, stakeholders, and partners. Using the McKinsey Seven-S framework, they assessed organizational health and gathered insights through a confidential all-staff survey. The findings were presented to the board, in a day-long guided strategic retreat. Onward led a dynamic board discussion, merging extensive information, diverse ideas, and varied opinions. This rigorous exchange steered the board toward a bold new direction, transforming C.A.S.E. into a national teaching clinic for adoption-competent practice and workforce development. Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in Washington, DC, is a unique national park featuring over 45 ponds of lotus and water lilies, offering both a serene escape and a vital ecosystem. Seeking to enhance visitor experiences, deepen community engagement, and build financial sustainability, Aquatic Gardens partnered with Onward Consulting. Onward studied best-in-class organizations like Mississippi Park Connection, Rock Creek Conservancy, Conservancy for the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and Friends of Saguaro National Park to uncover successful strategies the Aquatic Gardens could adopt: Strategic engagements like this reveal how tailored, innovative solutions from peer organizations can be adapted to a new context. The insights we gained showed that increasing interactivity, offering structured volunteer opportunities, diversifying revenue, and fostering strong local connections are crucial for long-term impact. This work provided Aquatic Gardens with a clear path to amplify its mission while raising friends and funds for a cherished local asset.
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Align Your Mission, Methods, & Metrics
Strategic coherence is a critical driver of nonprofit success. We help align your mission and your program methods to your performance metrics—to foster clarity, accountability, and effectiveness.
Onward Tools & Training
- Logic Modelling
- Theory of Change
- Mission & Vision Refinement
- Metrics of Effort & Impact
- Building Results-Based Workplans
- Values Workshops
Learn more with our Impact Stories
For over fifty years, the Washington Literacy Council (WLC) has empowered adults by teaching them to read, helping them work, raise families, and navigate the world. Despite its successes, the organization struggled to provide concrete data to quantify its impact. Under Executive Director Terry Algire’s leadership, WLC aimed to shift from anecdotal evidence to measurable outcomes. With a mini-grant from the MARPAT Foundation, WLC collaborated with Onward Consulting to: 1 – Clarify the Audience, Approach, and Activities: Precisely define its target audience, educational strategies, and program activities. 2 – Develop a Logic Model: Align activities with specific outputs and outcomes. 3 – Create an Accountability Framework: Construct a framework to identify key demographic data and performance indicators for tracking progress. Onward Consulting adopted a hands-on approach by: 1 – Engaging with Staff, Students, & Materials: Reviewing materials, meeting with staff and teachers, and attending classes. 2 – Developing Critical Questions: Collaborating with WLC to refine the target audience and metrics of impact. 3 – Drafting WLC’s First Logic Model: Co-creating a logic model that aligned goals, methods, and measures within an accountability framework. The results were transformative: Terry Algire emphasized the impact: “The logic model keeps everyone focused and prevents mission creep. It significantly improves resource usage and effectiveness in helping our clients.” FSJP was a small operation with only one staff member, a young attorney committed to training employers, representing workers, and advocating for workers’ rights. Recognizing the need for strategic guidance, FSJP engaged Onward, a firm specializing in strategic coaching for small nonprofits. Onward’s approach involved a series of one-on-one and written exchanges that promoted cooperative dialogue to stimulate critical ideas and illuminate ideas. Together we clarified the “Constitutional Elements”: distilling the problem, identifying the target audience, and revising the mission statement & strategic goals. Onward guided FSJP in creating its first logic model, a critical tool for visualizing and planning its impact. This structured approach paid early dividends as it secured FSJP’s first investment from the Meyer Foundation, catalyzing their growth from a one-person operation to a team of seven full-time staff, with two more hires on the horizon. Yoga Alliance Foundation (YAF) a 501 (c)3 embarked on a transformative journey to redefine its mission, increase its impact, and secure greater independence from the Yoga Alliance Trade Association’s 501(c)6. This shift was guided by Onward. The board of YAF aimed to: Onward undertook a meticulous process to understand the Foundation’s history and the perspectives of key stakeholders. This included: After analyzing the collected data, Onward facilitated a dynamic board workshop to present the findings. Together, they crafted a revitalized mission, vision, and core values for YAF. This strategic alignment provided YAF with: The collaboration has set YAF on a new path, poised for long-term success and increased impact in the yoga world.
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Sometimes an organization needs more than a strategic plan –they need boots on the ground to help deliver on those priorities. Our action planning phase ensures that every step is mapped out with clear timelines, responsibilities, and training, empowering your team to move forward with confidence.
Onward Tools, Training, & Support
- Building Results-Based Workplans: Aligning & Operationalizing Your Road Map
- Change Management Tools & Practices
- Metric Identification & Tracking
- Onward’s P.E.A.K.® Continuous Improvement Model
- Effective Meeting & Management Assessment, Training & Tools
- Strategic Plan Management Software & Tools
- Interim Execution Support
Learn more with our Impact Stories
C.A.S.E. faced a pivotal moment where their current trajectory no longer matched their ambitions. The solution lay in redefining their mission and values, upgrading their strategies, structure, and systems, and fostering a performance-driven, compassionate culture to secure a brighter future. Over 18 Months, Onward Guided C.A.S.E.’s Transformation. Using the organizational health assessment as a foundation, Onward Consultants collaborated with C.A.S.E. staff to address gaps and build capabilities for future growth: 1 – Refine the Mission 2 – Restructure the Staffing Model 3 – Define & Codify Core Values 4 – Integrate Values into Formal & Informal Systems 5 – Strategic Execution Software to plan, monitor, & report on progress 6 – Data-Driven Decision-Making 7 – Effective Meeting Cadence Integrated w/ Dashboards 8 – Enhance Staff Capabilities C.A.S.E. now operates with greater precision, supported by a clear management system and structure. Data dashboards inform decisions at every level, from quarterly strategic meetings to weekly operational discussions. The organization thrives with an integrated management model and shared values, avoiding silos. Staff skills and capabilities have been significantly enhanced, enabling C.A.S.E. to achieve its goals efficiently and effectively for the long term. Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in Washington, DC, is a unique national park featuring over 45 ponds of lotus and water lilies, offering both a serene escape and a vital ecosystem. Seeking to enhance visitor experiences, deepen community engagement, and build financial sustainability, Aquatic Gardens partnered with Onward Consulting. Onward studied best-in-class organizations like Mississippi Park Connection, Rock Creek Conservancy, Conservancy for the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and Friends of Saguaro National Park to uncover successful strategies the Aquatic Gardens could adopt: Strategic engagements like this reveal how tailored, innovative solutions from peer organizations can be adapted to a new context. The insights we gained showed that increasing interactivity, offering structured volunteer opportunities, diversifying revenue, and fostering strong local connections are crucial for long-term impact. This work provided Aquatic Gardens with a clear path to amplify its mission while raising friends and funds for a cherished local asset.
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