Strategy
What we do
Holistic planning for resiliency, growth, and sustainability
Through customized strategic support, we make sure planning and processes are aligned with your mission and goals. We prioritize community voices and promote collaborative decision-making.
Impact frameworks
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We guide your team through a collaborative process to articulate how your activities lead to meaningful outcomes and long-term impact. This includes identifying key assumptions, mapping causal pathways, and aligning your strategies with your mission and values. The result is a visual and narrative framework that connects daily work to the change you seek in your community.
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Through collaborative workshops, we map the logical flow between your resources, activities, outputs, and intended outcomes, ensuring a strong link between strategy and results.
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We develop a custom M&E framework that identifies key performance indicators, outlines data collection methods, and sets reporting timelines.
Wraparound planning
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We offer four tiers of support to meet your needs:
Focused planning
Strategic foundation
Data-driven strategy
Integrated strategy ecosystem
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We work closely with leadership to identify key roles, assess readiness, and design a clear plan for talent development and leadership transition. This process includes risk assessment, skills mapping, and actionable strategies for preparing internal candidates or recruiting externally.
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Through facilitated workshops and analysis, we help you explore potential future scenarios, economic shifts, funding changes, leadership transitions, and design flexible strategies for each.
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We create a tailored framework for assessing the financial and mission-driven returns on key programs and initiatives.
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We help you create a capitalization plan that aligns with your mission, growth goals, and risk tolerance, identifying strategies for reserves, investments, and resource allocation.
Operational systems
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We work with your team to document essential processes, from daily operations to specialized functions, ensuring clarity and efficiency across the organization.
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We design a visually engaging organizational chart that reflects your current structure and supports better communication and collaboration.
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We develop customized packets for each department or team, including key documents, processes, performance metrics, and communication protocols.
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We create detailed, tailored job descriptions that outline responsibilities, qualifications, and performance expectations while reflecting your organizational culture.
Michael Brydge, principal and research director, and Megan Murphy, Sweet Grass intern, build a bridge for Mark St. Pierre and Tilda Long Soldier, owners of the Odd Duck Inn, near the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.
In Mouse Creek, outside Wounded Knee, South Dakota, Michael Brydge and Jacob American Horse reroof elder Walter Littlemoon’s home to repay him for the many summers Michael boarded there.
We collaborate with your board and team to
Strengthen organizational systems through clear operating procedures, role definitions, and structures that support long-term sustainability.
Develop strategic and financial plans through facilitated workshops and analysis to prepare for future opportunities and challenges.
Design measurement and accountability tools that are flexible and effective, allowing you to track performance and impact.
Jordan Greene, associate research director, facilitates a strategic planning session with United Way Monterey County in July 2025.
Personalized support and a community-based approach
Our strategy services are community-centered. We work with your team to establish processes across your organization, becoming your partner in strategic planning, operational efficiency, and long-term viability.
Sweet Grass is responsive and actively willing to assist regardless of the project. The information we've received from their services has helped us build organizational capacity and leverage resources.
Angie Main, NACDC Financial Services