Our approach

Elevate’s approach to strategic planning focuses on bringing in credible, relevant data on the internal and external landscape and engaging staff and board members in collaborative work to understand where the organization is, where it is trying to go, and how to get there. Elevate’s role is to facilitate the process, synthesize, and ensure alignment, while the staff and board are the experts who shape the actual content of the plan.

For NPO, the landscape scan consisted of a survey of orchestra members and external stakeholders to hear how folks understand the role of NPO in the Nashville ecosystem, its strengths and weaknesses, and input on what the right next steps are for the organization. There was an incredibly strong consensus on NPO’s role as the premier community orchestra in Nashville, as well as around the opportunity to grow programming. Elevate facilitated a daylong retreat with the full board and staff to process the findings, explore and clarify the organization’s mission and values, generate a draft strategic framework with clear goal statements to anchor the organization over the next three years, and specific strategies to work towards those goals. Folks left the retreat feeling aligned and excited for the work ahead. We then worked with the Executive Director and Board Chair to refine and finalize the draft, including progress indicators, and to support implementation planning. 

The final strategic plan reflects and integrates the feedback from the musicians, board, and external stakeholders, and provides clarity for prioritizing work over the next three years. NPO has posted the final version on their website, here.