Experienced strategic consultants dedicated to empowering nonprofits across Maine.
Strategic Planning
A Strategic Plan Your Team
Will Actually Use
Clear priorities, real stakeholder input, and a plan built to fit your organization — led by us, owned by you.
Every nonprofit deserves a strategic plan that does more than sit in a binder. We offer two consultant-led paths to get there — choose the level of hands-on support that fits your team, your timeline, and your budget.
A Good Plan Should:
Engage Your Stakeholders
Align Board & Staff
Set Measurable Priorities
Stay Adaptable
Two Ways to Get There —
Both Led by Us
Strategic planning works best when your organization's voice is at the center — but every nonprofit has a different capacity for leading that process internally. Some teams want a partner to carry the full weight of the work. Others want to stay hands-on, with structure and support to keep them moving and confident at every step.
That's why we offer two consultant-led paths instead of one. Both are grounded in real stakeholder engagement and Maine nonprofit experience. The difference is how much of the day-to-day work we carry, and how much your team leads directly.
Two Consultant-Led Paths
Full Service Strategic Planning
We lead the entire process, start to finish - research, retreat, writting, and rollout
The Guided Path
We set the structure and coach you through it - your team leads, we walk beside you
Not sure which one fits? Tell us about your team's capacity and timeline — we'll help you find the right starting point. Contact Us
"You know your community, your history, and your internal dynamics better than anyone. We bring the structure, the facilitation, and the steady presence to turn that knowledge into a plan you'll actually use."
Full-Service Strategic Planning
We carry the process. You carry the vision
For organizations that want a true consulting partner to lead the work end-to-end. We conduct the stakeholder research, run the retreat, write the plan, and build your implementation roadmap — so your leadership team can stay focused on running the organization while the plan comes together around you.
What We Lead
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Full stakeholder research — interviews & surveys
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Organizational & landscape assessment
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Facilitated mission, vision & pillars retreat
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Objectives & key results development
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Final written strategic plan, ready to present
What you Get
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A done-for-you process with minimal staff time required
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Outside, unbiased perspective at every stage
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A polished, board- and funder-ready final plan
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An implementation roadmap built for your team
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Confidence that nothing was missed along the way
Best for: Organizations with limited internal capacity for research and facilitation who want a partner to lead the full process.
The Guided Path
You lead the work. We walk beside you.
For organizations with capable leadership who want to stay closely involved in building their own plan — with the structure, coaching, and steady presence to keep momentum going. We design the framework, set you up for success at each milestone, and coach your team through stakeholder engagement, the retreat, and plan-writing — stepping in at exactly the moments that matter most.
What We Lead
What you Get
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A complete planning framework and timeline, built for your team
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Coaching on how to run your own stakeholder interviews & surveys
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A facilitated retreat session for your mission, vision & pillars
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Guided support setting objectives and key results
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Check-ins at every milestone to keep you on track
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Lower investment than a full-service engagement
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A team that builds real strategic planning skill, not just a document
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Deeper ownership — your board and staff helped build it
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A steady, experienced guide for every step, never on your own
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The confidence to lead your next planning process yourselves
Best for: Organizations with internal leadership capacity who want to lead the process, build lasting skill, and invest at a more accessible level.
Commom Questions About Both Paths
How do I know which path is right for us?
It comes down to capacity and budget. If your team has limited time for research and facilitation, Full-Service lets us carry that weight. If you have capable leadership who want to stay closely involved — and you're working with a more limited budget — The Guided Path gives you expert structure and coaching while your team does the hands-on work. Reach out, and we'll help you think it through.
How long does each path take?
Most engagements, in either path, run three to six months from kickoff to a finished plan. Full-Service tends to move a bit faster since we're driving the research and writing. The Guided Path's pace depends partly on your team's availability between coaching sessions.
Can we start with The Guided Path and upgrade to Full-Service later?
Yes. Some organizations start with The Guided Path and decide partway through that they'd like us to take on more of the work — whether due to capacity, timeline, or simply wanting more support. We can adjust the engagement as your needs change.
Do we need to have done strategic planning before?
No. Both paths are designed to work whether this is your first strategic plan or your fifth. Full-Service is especially helpful for first-time planners who want an experienced hand guiding every detail. The Guided Path works well for first-timers too, as long as your leadership feels confident taking on the hands-on work with coaching support.
Is The Guided Path a discount version of Full-Service?
Not exactly — it's a different kind of partnership, not a lesser one. You still get an expert-built framework, facilitated retreat, and coaching at every milestone. The difference is who does the day-to-day work: in Full-Service, we do it; in The Guided Path, your team does it with us coaching alongside you. Many organizations choose The Guided Path because they want that hands-on ownership, not just because of cost.
Will either path help our board get aligned?
Yes — board alignment is central to both paths. Your board is involved at key moments, especially the retreat where mission, vision, and priorities take shape. Because the plan is grounded in real stakeholder input either way, board members tend to feel genuine ownership rather than simply receiving a finished document.