Project HOME: Strategy and Implementation Planning for a Multi-Service Nonprofit

THE CHALLENGE

Lead a strategic planning process that explores new opportunities; create plans and tools to put the strategy into action and develop new organizational values and deepen collaboration across departments. Engage 20 senior leaders, ~450 staff, and residents to ensure stakeholders see themselves reflected in the final strategy.

THE OUTCOME

A strategic plan, implementation plan, scenario plan, decision-making tools, and a new set of values and behaviors for the organization, and leaders aligned around how the organization will move forward and navigate uncertainty.

OUR APPROACH

With a budget of $55 million, Project HOME seeks to end and prevent homelessness in Philadelphia through housing, economic opportunities, medical services, and education. In 2025, Project HOME was navigating increased uncertainty from shifts in federal funding and a recent leadership transition from a founder-led organization to a new CEO and an expanded executive team.  

We facilitated a strategy process grounded in broad input from nearly 450 staff, residents, government and health leaders in Philadelphia. From this, we identified a set of opportunities to deepen Project HOME’s impact and contribute to its financial sustainability. Working with cross-department teams of staff, we conducted further research in each and helped Project HOME decide where to focus its energy and resources.

We worked with leaders to create an implementation plan with organizational goals and owners; decision criteria for accepting new projects; and a scenario plan outlining risks, Project HOME’s response, and steps it can take now to mitigate impact. We also provided guidance and templates for department leaders to guide their staff through creating implementation and scenario plans tailored to the needs and risks of each program.

We also worked with Project HOME’s leaders to update their values and culture. Preserving Project HOME’s existing culture of compassion and respect while implementing new communication and cross-department collaboration practices is critical to the success of the strategy.  To jump start culture change, our strategy process used collaborative decision-making practices and implemented new ways of getting input from residents and the organization’s nearly 450 staff.

Setting a unified vision

across a large nonprofit

RESULTS

By the end of the work, Project HOME’s leaders were aligned around the strategy; had concrete tools to implement their plans in a context of uncertainty and continue making strong, inclusive decisions about new work, and were beginning to live into updated values that build on Project HOME’s current strengths and advance its strategy.