ACCORD helps not-for-profit organizations realize their potential – their visions of what they want to become. And ACCORD strengthens organizations by providing them with the management and governance strategies and structures they need to respond to the rapid and dramatic changes in today's environment.

 

Strategic Planning

ACCORD's strategic planning counsel can be as comprehensive as the client desires, i.e., beginning with information gathering and proceeding through implementation. Or, consultants can offer targeted planning interventions on specific issues, such as new program or service development. 

  • Assess the internal and external environments;

  • Understand their constituents’ needs;

  • Confirm or update their mission and vision;

  • Develop measurable goals and objectives to achieve their mission.

ACCORD believes that the process of strategic planning is as important as the plan. Through participation in the process, stakeholders "buy in" to the changes that result and resistance to the plan is reduced, if not eliminated. For these reasons, ACCORD ensures a "team approach" to strategic planning through:

  • Meaningfully involving an organization's key stakeholders: board, staff, funders, donors, and other relevant parties;

  • Eliciting board and executive staff input into the planning process;

  • Creating a workable, flexible plan with clear accountability for implementation.

Through these participative processes, clients identify their mission and core values, a vision for the longer-term future, measurable goals, and short-term objectives.

In any case, ACCORD's approach is collaborative, working with the client's data, expertise, and staff, thus minimizing the cost to the client and increasing the likelihood of successful implementation due to the active participation of key stakeholders in the process.


Organizational Diagnosis & Change

ACCORD provides in-depth analysis of organizational and management structures and can help executive staffs manage significant change in organizations through:

  • Evaluating an organization's structure, reporting relationships, decision-making processes, and communications channels;

  • Presenting structured feedback, conclusions, and recommendations; and

  • Assisting with change implementation.

Specifically, ACCORD provides the following types of consultation.

  • Mission Assessment

  • Team Effectiveness

  • Aligning Structure With Strategy


Board Development

One of ACCORD's major areas of expertise is board development. ACCORD provides a wide range of assistance, from a one-time board retreat to a comprehensive assessment of governance structure and functioning, including the following:

  • Comprehensive Governance Assessment

  • Board Orientation and Education

  • Board Retreats

  • Board Evaluation and Development