Strategy Development

Successful programs require visionary yet actionable strategies grounded in the work of leading organizations. Navigating complex, interrelated systems, organizations, and communities, OMG works with our clients' leadership and their staff to collect and interpret trend and capacity data needed, and use it to develop clear, practical strategies.

With deep content knowledge, as well as hands-on experiences, we roll up our sleeves to create aspirational and achievable strategies and tactics.

Program Development and Learning Strategy for Ascend
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OMG is advising Ascend (a program of the Aspen Institute) on the development of three core strategies to move parents, especially women, and their children beyond poverty toward educational success and economic security. OMG is conducting a developmental evaluation which includes social network analysis, observation, and stakeholder interviews to help shape the Ascend strategy, fine-tune implementation, and help the Ascend team embed learning and evaluation systems throughout all aspects of its work.
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Systems Study of Interactive Factors between Philanthropy and Grantees Influencing Culturally-Responsive Practice
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OMG was commissioned by the D5 Coalition to lead an in-depth, qualitative examination of promising philanthropic practices that advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in the social sector.  The D5 Coalition, composed of more than 20 influential national foundations and connected to thousands of grantmakers, is a five-year effort to increase philanthropic influence in combating structural disparities in under-represented communities.  OMG will contribute to this body of research by offering practical recommendations on how foundations can advance equity through grantmaking and knowledge sharing strategies, and interactions with grantees and communities. 
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Theory of Change Development for Campus Compact
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OMG recently developed a Theory of Change to help Campus Compact more clearly articulate its strategy for educating students for civic and social responsibility.  Campus Compact is a national coalition of university presidents committed to developing students’ citizenship skills.  The coalition represents approximately 6,000 students from more than 1,200 public, private colleges, and universities. As part of the process, OMG conducted a document review, work sessions, and interviews with over 50 stakeholders and partners. The resulting Theory of Change lays the groundwork for Campus Compact to evaluate its impact on student civic and community engagement and to assess how it can strengthen its efforts.
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Facilitation and Early Strategy Development with the Amarillo Area Foundation
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OMG recently convened a retreat among Amarillo Area Foundation board members, community leaders, and consultants to inform the design of a comprehensive regional wealth-building strategy.  The resulting investment will focus on education, workforce, and economic strategies, with the intent of building both individual and collective wealth across the 26-county Texas Panhandle region.
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Theory of Change Development for SkillUp Washington’s Community College Completion Initiatives
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SkillUp Washington, a collaboration of state, city, foundation, and education leaders in Washington State, engaged the OMG Center to work with its key partners (The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, and the Workforce Board) to develop a theory of change for its two major college completion initiatives: Skill Link, an effort to build partnerships across colleges, workforce boards, and CBOs to support high-need students; and College for Working Adults, which seeks to develop certificate programs that meet the needs of working adults. These theories of change provided the partners with a framework to guide the work and created a common language for decision making. The OMG Center also conducted workshops with Skill Link and College for Working Adults grantees, to help them develop their own theories of change within the initiative framework, and to identify specific outcomes they hope to achieve through their work.
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Strategic Planning to Increase Adaptability and Sustainability for the Mural Arts program
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OMG led a strategic planning process with the Philadelphia-based Mural Arts Program.  Working closely with a board and staff strategic planning advisory committee, OMG conducted an internal and external trend analysis, and facilitated a retreat to inform the organization’s future strategy. OMG developed strategic program and organizational priorities, and an action plan to increase program integration and build organizational systems for adaptability and sustainability for its next five years of development.
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New Regional Strategy for Capacity-Building
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OMG conducted a strategic review of The Philadelphia Foundation's (TPF) grantmaking program. The work led to a new regional strategy for nonprofit capacity-building. The OMG team helped TPF implement the strategy with new grantees, and with the development of an application and evaluation framework. One of the hallmarks of the strategy was to provide operating grants to nonprofits. This new model for community foundation investing filled a much-needed gap in nonprofit organization funding cycles.
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