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# PENN Creative Strategy

## Sitemaps

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## Posts

- [Putting People at the Heart of Strategy](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/putting-people-at-the-heart-of-strategy/) - When we help organizations imagine their futures, we use tools to deepen the human conversations that are essential to good strategy.
- [Why Capacity Building Matters](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/why-capacity-building-matters/) - At the heart of every mission-driven organization we work with is a shared desire: to make a difference in the world. You care about equity, community, expression, belonging, service, and possibility—deeply. That commitment is real, and it drives everything you do. And yet, even the most inspiring missions need more than heart. They need systems,
- [Meetings That Work](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/meetings-that-work/) - by Molly Penn A meeting is a terrible thing to waste - don't we all want meetings that work? How often do you leave meetings resenting the time spent there or the outcomes? Or worse, feeling like your voice wasn't welcomed in the space? Have you ever left a meeting thinking "Well that was a
- [Analysis and Facilitation Are Inseparable](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/analysis-and-facilitation-are-inseparable/) - Good analysis sets the table, but facilitation is where decisions hold or fall apart. We explore why both are necessary to build real alignment.
- [The Art of Facilitation](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/the-art-of-facilitation/) - Trained facilitators do more than simply run meetings. We design meetings with care, to ensure the group reaches alignment around major decisions.
- [Summer is Retreat Season!](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/summer-is-retreat-season/) - By Molly Penn Summer season offers a great opportunity to do a retreat with your board or staff members. Business as usual tends to slow down a bit and summer is a great season for reflection. If you can handle the nightmare that is aligning schedules in the summer, getting people together for a thoughtful,
- [Strategic Planning in Uncertain Times: What Still Holds - and What Doesn't](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/strategic-planning-in-uncertain-times-what-still-holds-and-what-doesnt/) - Does strategic planning even make sense right now? The idea of a plan can feel disconnected from reality. Yet absence of direction comes with its own costs.
- [Choicemaking at the Heart of Strategic Planning](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/choicemaking-at-the-heart-of-strategic-planning/) - At the core of strategic planning is one simple truth: we have to make choices. When we center purpose and embrace both/and thinking we make the best choices.
- [Why Organizational Development Matters](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/why-organizational-development-matters/) - Inspiring missions need structures that sustain a healthy culture. Organizational Development (OD) helps you move through change with clarity and care.
- [Cultivating a Healthy Board](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/cultivating-a-healthy-board/) - We’ve worked with all kinds of boards—large and small, brand-new and decades-old, energized and stagnant. Read on to learn how to cultivate a healthy board.
- [Planning in Uncertainty: an Act of Hope](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/planning-in-uncertainty-an-act-of-hope/) - More often than not, planning happens when the environment is shifting fast, community needs are evolving, and still, we have to lead.
- [Contingency vs. Strategic Planning?](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/contingency-vs-strategic-planning/) - PENN Creative Strategy - Do we throw out strategic planning in favor of contingency planning in this environment? No! Here's how we do both!
- [How Can Organizational Culture Promote Anti-Racist Practices](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/what-is-organizational-culture-and-how-can-it-help-promote-anti-racist-practices/) - We cannot afford to overlook the importance of culture. How does culture manifest in your organization now? What culture practices can you aspire to this year to make your organization more inclusive? How can you consciously evolve your culture? Below, we explore these ideas in greater detail.
- [How to help Anti-Racism Take Root in Your Organization](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/designing-power-how-to-help-anti-racism-take-root-in-your-organization/) - by Marita Phelps and Molly Penn Many of us are asking ourselves, in both our personal lives and professional roles: What can I do to end racism and create equity for people of color? Last year, many formerly complacent Americans woke up. The deaths of people like Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Eric Garner, and Tamir
- [How To Embed DEI & Access Into Grantmaking & Grantseeking](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/how-to-embed-diversity-equity-inclusion-and-access-into-grantmaking-and-grantseeking/) - By Molly Penn Grantmaking has a built-in power imbalance. Foundations have money, and nonprofit agencies want it. Today there are increasing discussions around these power dynamics in fundraising, accelerated by the social justice movement of 2020. This article will explore how approaching grantmaking through a lens of diversity, equity, inclusion, and access (DEIA) helps to
- [Strategic Planning with an Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Access Lens](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/strategic-planning-with-a-deia-lens/) - This article focuses on how to rethink the process of planning so that the result furthers the organization’s diversity, equity, inclusion, & access.
- [How to Frame A Compelling Vision](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/how-to-artciulate-a-compelling-vision/) - The role of a vision statement is to serve as your true north, the motivation for working in the social sector, the difference you are in business to make.
- [What is Strategic Planning](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/what-is-strategic-planning/) - Lots of potential clients contact us about strategic planning – it is the mainstay of our work. The term “strategic planning” is ubiquitous and means different things to different people. That prompted us to write this post to help orient people to our work. A strategic plan is a long-term planning process that responds to
- [Nonprofit Leadership - Don't Go It Alone!](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/nonprofit-leadership-dont-go-it-alone/) - This article is about the distinction between leadership and management, and the importance of leading change. Nonprofit leadership - don't go it alone!
- [Why Do Nonprofits Hire Consultants?](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/why-do-nonprofits-hire-consultants/) - This article describes the reasons why nonprofits look to hire consultants, what to look for in a consultant, and questions to ask when hiring a consultant.
- [4 Kinds of Succession Planning](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/4-kinds-of-succession-planning/) - This article will give you tips for navigating the 4 stages of succession planning: Board, Planned Leadership, Emergency, and Staff succession.
- [Futurism in Strategic Planning](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/futurism-in-strategic-planning/) - This article presents ways to use the practice of futurism in strategic planning, with examples.
- [Transformational Strategic Planning](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/transformational-strategic-planning/) - by Molly Penn What do we mean by "transformational" strategic planning? That's a word that gets thrown around rather easily these days. So what does it mean in the context of strategic planning? It refers to a level of wholesale change that is deeper than just refreshing your strategy. It speaks to an intention to
- [How to Find The Right Consultant](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/how-to-find-the-right-consultant/) - How to Find The Right Consultant by Molly Penn Finding the right consultant can be daunting. Consultants have different styles and approaches. What is "good" for you may be bad for someone else. The first step is to identify what feels like the right style for your needs, and to ask the consultants you are evaluating about their approach. Some projects
- [Do You Wish Your Board Was Better?](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/do-you-wish-your-board-was-better/) - By Molly Penn Just last week, I heard complaints from two CEOs or Executive Directors who wish their board was somehow "better." In one case, the board is overreaching and micromanaging. In the other, the board is too disengaged. These are common complaints that represent opposite ends of the spectrum, but share similar root causes.
- [Succession Planning as a Tool for Equity](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/succession-planning-as-a-tool-for-equity/) - By Molly Penn and Marissa Lewis We’ve been reflecting on the leadership changes that are unfolding (and have been predicted for years) in the nonprofit sector as they intersect with our considerations around equity. We recently created a workshop series focused on succession planning with an equity lens, which was met with appreciation by nonprofits
- [6 key questions to ensure your communications strategy aligns with your strategic plan](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/6-key-questions-to-ensure-your-communications-strategy-aligns-with-your-strategic-plan/) - Guest Blog Post by Ally Dommu, Director of Service Development and Worker-Owner at Big Duck Nearly every big organizational decision a nonprofit makes—new programs, leadership changes, refined fundraising strategies, upgraded technology—has a communications opportunity attached to it. But it can be challenging to regularly take a step back and think strategically about what’s most important to prioritize.
- [Rising Leaders Deserve Support](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/rising-leaders-deserve-support/) - PENN Creative Strategy offers a suite of "a la carte" services specifically to support new nonprofit leaders, called Rising Tide.
- [How to Create a Strategic Plan](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/how-to-create-a-strategic-plan/) - Ever wonder what strategic planning is or how to do it? This post is for you!
- [Mergers & Alliances as a Strategic Tool for Mission Delivery](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/2020-6-19-mergers-and-alliances-as-a-strategic-tool-for-mission-delivery/) - Are there just too many nonprofit organizations? Alliances can take many forms. In this post, we’ll detail some of the most common forms of alliances and why organizations might want to use them. The important thing here is to keep your mission delivery at the forefront of your rationale, and to summon the personal humility that brought you to nonprofit work in the first place.
- [How to do Scenario Planning in an Uncertain Environment](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/how-to-do-scenario-planning/) - Scenario planning is an agile strategy development process designed to help you adapt quickly to changing circumstances. It allows leaders to plan for the long-term in a highly changing environment.
- [Planning for Partnerships and Collaborations](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/planning-for-partnerships-and-collaborations/) - By Molly Penn Nonprofit organizations are part of an ecosystem of our social safety net (and we include arts organizations in that category). Nonprofits pick up where government support and protection leaves off. What we find over and over in our work is the importance of adopting a relational approach to working in communities. Nonprofits
- [How to Measure Your Strategic Plan](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/how-to-measure-your-strategic-plan/) - By Molly Penn Measuring your success in executing your strategic plan starts with defining what success looks like. The starting point for measuring a strategic plan is the clarity of your vision of impact. This shows up in your vision statement, your mission statement and the goals of your strategic plan. Why is measuring impact
- [What Does A Strategic Plan Cost?](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/what-does-a-strategic-plan-cost/) - How much should you budget for a strategic plan? This helpful article will clarify the various costs of strategic planning and help you budget.
- [Planning Your Year in Fundraising](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/planning-your-year-in-fundraising/) - It's time to think about your plan for fundraising for the year ahead. In this article we describe how to approach fundraising with greater intention in 2023.
- [Hire a Thought-Partner, Not an Outside Expert](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/hire-a-thought-partner-not-an-outside-expert-for-strategic-planning/) - A new way of approaching strategic planning that looks quite different than the traditional methods. What follows are some of the changes we have made.
- [The Role of Culture in Organizational Change](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/2020-8-6-the-role-of-culture-in-organizational-change/) - Given the rate at which we all deal with change on a daily basis, you would think it gets easier, but managing change remains challenging. Why? Because change is an emotional experience.
- [Vu Le Got Us Thinking About Boards](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/vu-le-got-us-thinking-about-boards/) - Let’s face it, there are some great boards and some that suck the Executive Director’s time and energy. All new board members should be trained in what it means to serve on the board of a nonprofit. Which brings us to the crux of the issue – what does it mean? Our answer may surprise you!
- [Is Your Organization Still Relevant?](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/2020-10-2-is-your-organization-still-relevant/) - It’s a provocative question, we admit. Yet this is a time when organizations must be wrestling with this question actively. There are three pillars of organizational health - read on to learn more about them!
- [Just Don't Make Me Fundraise!](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/2020-1-10-just-dont-make-me-fundraise/) - Ever heard this from a board member? Many board members simply dread being asked to raise funds. We are taught that how much money someone has is considered personal information and is socially inappropriate to discuss. Since fundraising is a core responsibility of nonprofit boards, it’s well worth the effort to turn this around.
- [The Power of People-Centered Culture](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/2020-11-11-the-power-of-people-centered-culture/) - In the 2020 workplace, people are fully showing up. Your employees are juggling more today than ever before, attempting to work, parent, teach, and survive—all while isolated from critical community resources and support. In this new working normal, how are you creating an environment where employees feel safe, seen, heard, and respected?
- [3 Tips to Jumpstart Your Values](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/3-tips-to-jumpstart-your-values/) - In this article, we how you can use values to drive alignment, connection to your mission and motivation amongst your staff and board.
- [Consulting that embraces Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Access](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/how-to-transform-consulting-through-diversity-equity-inclusion-and-access/) - “I am deeply moved by our ambition and desire to be seen and heard and valued in our full embodied excellence.” —Tema Okun, professor at Duke University, author, speaker, and writer As a white accomplice leading a diverse consulting firm that provides diversity, equity, inclusion, and access (DEIA) services, I am keenly aware of how
- [Why Systems are the Key to Growth](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/why-systems-are-the-key-to-growth/) - by Molly Penn Have you ever thought about what systems can do for you? We specialize in thinking about this question. As consultants who work with nonprofits and foundations to help them change the world (a lofty goal), we recognize the importance of starting with the smallest step - building systems to support people in
- [How to Plan for A Recession](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/how-to-plan-for-a-recession/) - Planning for a recession is not a topic anyone wants to talk about, but history does have a way of repeating itself. So what can you do to plan for a recession? Here are 10 tried and true strategies
- [Seismic Shifts Shaping the Landscape](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/seismic-shifts-happening-in-the-landscape/) - As part of our work, we often speak to thought leaders around the country about what they see as seismic shifts that are shaping the landscape around nonprofit organizations. Read about the shifts that thought leaders point us to.
- [Scenario planning as a tool for uncertainty](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/2020-6-10-how-to-plan-for-uncertainty/) - With an atmosphere of triage all around us, how are we supposed to plan farther out than next week? Yet we operate in a world that requires a degree of confidence from us that we know where we are going. Scenario planning is a process that will help you feel prepared for how the future might unfold.
- [How to Center Disability Inclusion in Your Organization](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/how-to-center-disability-inclusion-in-your-organization/) - We’re getting better at being allies but when it comes to marginalized populations, disability often is left out. Read on for tips on how to be more inclusive.
- [How to Engage Your Stakeholders](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/how-to-engage-your-stakeholders/) - What’s a “stakeholder” anyway?
- [How to Map Your Strategic Position](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/how-to-map-your-strategic-position/) - Do you know how to map your strategic position? The word “map” here literally means to try to create some visuals to help you picture where you sit relative to other organizations with similar missions. It is a way to help you understand your unique role.
- [How to Ask Great Questions](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/how-to-ask-great-questions/) - In strategic planning, one of the most important events happens right up front - framing a set of relevant, purposeful, interesting questions that will inform your actions or critical decision-making. Here are a few guidelines for making sure you’re asking the best questions.
- [Leadership Development for a New Normal](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/2021-1-14-leadership-development-for-a-new-normal/) - How much of your time is spent managing others instead of leading change? Are you ready to move from a place of managing people to leading with influence? No doubt leadership development looks very different today than it did a year ago. Here are some of the trends we see emerging in 2021 and some questions for reimagining your agency’s leadership strategy.
- [Look Under the Hood - How to Assess your Business Model](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/how-to-assess-your-business-model/) - By Molly Penn Strategy should always factor in your organization’s current business model. You need to understand your business model in order to ascertain how bold you can be in your strategy. Do you have assets and liquidity to allocate to new initiatives? Or, is your plan more about regaining financial sustainability? These two situations
- [Are You Paying Attention to Culture?](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/are-you-paying-attention-to-culture/) - The best laid plans can be facilitated or foiled by organizational culture - the (mostly) invisible force that guides how people in your organization interact with one another and with those you serve. So if culture is invisible, how do you pay attention to it? Here are some tools to help you be more proactive about building a culture where people want to work with you and do their best work when they’re there:
- [How to Frame Powerful Strategic Questions](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/how-to-frame-powerful-strategic-questions/) - What is a strategic question anyway?
- [How to Create Strong Strategic Plan Goals](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/how-to-create-strong-strategic-plan-goals/) - Everyone struggles with how to articulate your strategic plan goals so they compel others to join you in your noble quest. How many organizations do you know that spend months and months and thousands of dollars only to roll out a plan with … meh goals? We’d bet the answer is too many. We’re setting out to change that.
- [How to achieve distributed leadership](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/how-to-achieve-distributed-leadership/) - by Molly Penn and Marita Phelps To what degree is your leadership structure the result of intentional design? Change—even forced change—is good: It makes us reimagine our future, innovate and adapt, and learn new skills to thrive. It is difficult for many executives to emerge from the daily hustle and take a step back. One
- [What is leadership, anyway](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/2018-12-3-what-is-leadership-anyway/) - Leadership is a fickle word. Sometimes it’s a noun, and other times an adjective. Often it’s categorized as good or bad, and sometimes it’s used to qualify someone’s skills, traits, or personality. Plenty of people have sought to define it, only to discover that the idea is so contextual that a truly universal definition of leadership may never exist.
- [How can I fire staff and still be a mensch?](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/how-to-fire-staff-and-still-be-a-mensch/) - While nobody wants to emulate Frank Cross, leaders are often unsure how to end the employment of a staff person who isn’t working out but hasn’t violated any laws or obviously failed. To be clear, you always want to seek legal assistance or advice on the proper procedure when you are thinking of firing someone. But whenever possible, strive to make this process less painful and more humane so as not to negatively affect the morale of the remaining staff.
- [The Tension Between Measurability and Transformation in Planning](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/the-tension-between-measurability-and-transformation-in-planning/) - By Molly Penn It is human nature to crave control, avoid uncertainty, and envision a tidy future. Even after a two-year rollercoaster of disruption and chaos, many organizational leaders are still looking to their strategic plans and SMART goals to keep them on a clearly crafted course toward a too-specific future. NYU professor of strategic
- [Navigating Complexity in the Social Sector](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/navigating-complexity-in-the-social-sector/) - By Molly Penn Reflecting on all the work we do with incredible clients, and the many, many conversations we have with prospective clients, I find myself noticing some natural tension points that arise as we try to move away from transactional relationships towards more transformative ones. Here are some examples as food for thought and
- [How to Frame Strategic Questions](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/how-to-frame-strategic-questions/) - by Molly Penn How do we ensure that planning = intentional and strategic change? Simple. Every good planning process needs to be rooted in a set of powerful strategic questions. Do your change initiatives feel like business as usual to you? If so, you are missing an opportunity to think about planning as an opportunity
- [Time to Pivot Our Values About the Nonprofit Sector](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/time-to-pivot-our-values-about-the-nonprofit-sector/) - A global pandemic, an economic recession and an exploding social justice movement are convergent forces calling on nonprofit leaders, funders and consultants to do our work differently going forward. For the first time in modern memory, we have an opportunity to reevaluate all of our assumptions, perceptions, procedures and systems.
- [How to Achieve “Culture Fit” in an Inclusive Organization](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/how-to-achieve-culture-fit-in-an-inclusive-organization/) - By Molly Penn and Sofiya Cheyenne “They’re a great culture fit.” Have you truly considered what you mean when you play the culture fit card? The notion of “culture fit” has been exposed for what it is – a way of upholding white supremacist, ableist culture in organizations. By definition, culture refers to the collective
- [How to Write a Great Mission Statement](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/how-to-write-a-great-mission-statement/) - You’re riding in an elevator with someone who asks what you do - you have about 3 minutes to answer them succinctly, powerfully, compellingly so they ask you more. What do you say? The role of a mission statement is to describe what you do in clear terms so the listener immediately “gets it.”
- [How to Manage A Remote or Hybrid Team](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/how-to-manage-a-remote-or-hybrid-team/) - May 21, 2021 The capabilities necessary to be an effective remote manager are different from those you honed when managing an in-person team. If you want to inspire trust, lead with influence, and drive team performance, you must learn how to change the way you manage your people today. This includes managing what gets done, managing how things get done, and building a cohesive team.
- [Do You Have Fun with Strategic Planning?](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/do-you-have-fun-with-strategic-planning/) - Is your strategic planning boring or fun and creative? Talk to us about how to create break through strategy!
- [How to Research your Market](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/how-to-research-your-market/) - What makes a plan “strategic” is that it takes into consideration what is happening in the world outside your organization and responds to that context. So what does it mean to research your market and how to do that? We break market research into several distinct pieces.
- [How and Why You Should Engage Your Stakeholders](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/how-and-why-your-should-engage-your-stakeholders/) - Wouldn’t it be easier just to do the work and not have to worry about engaging people? Sure, it would be easier - and a whole lot less effective. How each nonprofit defines its community may vary, but the idea that the organization exists to serve a particular community is at the center of the nonprofit form. Here are some tips for how to manage these conversations.
- [Resilience and the Need for Organization Design](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/crisis-and-the-need-for-organization-design/) - It is likely that many organizations will have to make significant changes to ensure sustainability. If and when that happens (and we wish it didn’t have to), it is important to be smart about how that takes place. Enter: organization design.
- [Planning for the New Normal](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/2020-4-9-planning-for-the-new-normal/) - Is it too soon to begin thinking about the “new normal?” Organizations that are not ready to consider how Covid-19 will change our work are risking their future health and sustainability. We are grounding these recommendations in human care and empathy for now, and smart planning for what’s next.

## Pages

- [Home](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/) - Penn Creative Strategy is a nonprofit consulting firm specializing in Strategy & Planning, Capacity Building, Coaching, and Facilitation.
- [Services](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/services/) - Services Organizations don't come to us because things are easy. They come when the path forward isn't obvious and they know they need help to navigate it. If you're like the 100+ organizations we have worked with , you are at a critical change point in your organization. Our services are designed to meet organizations
- [Cookie Policy](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/privacy-policy/cookies/) - Cookie Policy PENN Creative Strategy's Online Cookie Policy Click here to view our Privacy Policy. Please wait while the policy is loaded. If it does not load, please click here to view the policy. About PCS Our Approach Our Clients Testimonials Blog Job Opportunities Contact Services Strategy & Planning Organizational Development Coaching Meeting Facilitation Schedule
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- [Facilitation](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/services/facilitationtraining/) - Bringing your best minds together to align around shared decisions. Never have a bad meeting again!
- [Clients](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/clients/) - our Clients We are honored to work with passionate people, who devote their time, treasure, wisdom, passion and talent to making the world a better place. While some of our clients work to ensure equal access to opportunity, prosperity and a healthy planet, others help us to reflect on the human condition and our capacity
- [Capacity Building](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/services/organizational-development/) - Assessment, change management, structure, leadership, and board development all work together to build a strong culture and new ways of working.
- [Strategy & Planning](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/services/strategy/) - Professional consultants specializing in strategic planning for nonprofits and foundations. Our team of experienced consultants helps to identify goals and develop plans to achieve them. Strengthen your nonprofit with effective strategy to maximize your mission impact.
- [Interim Executive Leadership](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/services/interim_executive_leadership/) - INTERIM EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP Does your organization need to let go of the old ways to be ready for a new Executive Director? Our unique approach to interim leadership is powered by all the services we provide. We have consultants with experience in the Executive Director role, who can step in and ensure your organization remains
- [About](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/about/) - About Us Strategy built with people, not just for organizations PCS is a certified Womens Business Enterprise that values and embeds diversity in our personnel, services, and our consulting approach. What makes us different We started PENN Creative Strategy because we kept seeing the same pattern: Smart people. Strong missions. Plans that looked good on paper-and
- [Our Team](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/our-team/) - Our Team Strategy is built by people. So is trust. Behind every plan, process, and facilitated conversation is a group of people paying close attention-to what's said, what's avoided, and what's emerging in the room. At PENN Creative Strategy, we're facilitators, strategists, coaches, and partners in change. We bring experience and tools, yes-but more importantly,
- [Coaching](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/services/coaching/) - Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility ensures every team member brings their full selves to work and contributes to decisions with authority and imagination.
- [Contact](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/contact/) - CONTACT Let's start with a conversation Most people don't come to us with a perfectly formed question. They come because something feels stuck. Or heavy. Or important-but hard to name. You might be carrying competing priorities, a stressed out team, a board that needs clarity, or even just a sense that change is needed-but not
- [Client Testimonials](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/testimonials/) - Client Testimonials Feedback from our clients... STRATEGIC PLANNING Wayne Ho, President & CEO, Chinese-American Planning Council "CPC is proud of its partnership with PENN Creative Strategy (PCS) to create our new strategic plan. PCS helped us clarify what meaningful impact looks like for us-and pushed our thinking about how to grow from being a vital
- [Current Openings at PCS](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/current-openings-at-pcs/) - Please be aware that while we do not have current full-time openings at PCS, we are always open to receiving inquiries about contract work with our consulting team. Please send resumes and work samples to info@penncreativestrategy.com.
- [Blog](https://www.penncreativestrategy.com/blog/) - Blog What we're thinking about... All Topics Fundraising IDEA Latest News leadership management Organizational Development planning Strategy Trends How to Embed Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access into Grantmaking and Grantseeking November 21, 2021 By Molly Penn Grantmaking has a built-in power imbalance. Foundations have money, and nonprofit agencies want it. Today there are increasing discussions

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