What We Do - Institutional Planning
Institutional Planning promotes strategic thinking and focuses attention on critical issues, challenges and opportunities facing the organization.Our approach to Strategic Planning requires broad information gathering, assessment of your institution's internal and external environment, clarification of organizational issues, development and exploration of strategic alternatives, and consensus building among your stakeholders.
Working in partnership with you, we help energize your key stakeholders as we facilitate discussions that determine the future course of the organization. We assist you in the development of strategies to deal with critical issues, look at future implications of present decisions, and link strategies to a business plan that articulates resources, timeframes and individual accountability.
Master Planning is a comprehensive process that guides the long-term operational, programmatic and physical development of an organization. We work with a team of museum program experts to create master plans for start-up museums, museum expansion and/or renovation projects. Before actual planning begins, we conduct a Feasibility Study to determine the economic reality and sustainability of your project.
Our approach to Financial Planning is to help organizations take advantage of entrepreneurial opportunities and to assist museum leadership in understanding the financial implications of growth and sustainability. We conduct management audits, help you project operating budgets, and assess your fund raising potential.
Board Development. Effective governance is a key factor in museum advancement. We work with your museum leadership and governing authority to examine organizational structure, and to define the roles and responsibilities of boards. We help your board determine policies and procedures, improve performance, and strengthen board and staff relations.
Effective Communicator
"Mary Kay has worked as a planning consultant for Mackinac State Historic Parks on multiple projects for more than ten years. She has an excellent combination of skills and experiences that contribute to her success. She is an effective communicator, able to engage and communicate with all levels of staff to draw from them valuable input, and she does so with humor and grace."
"She works to build consensus among stakeholders engaged in the planning process and ensures that all participants have a sense of ownership in the final product. Her diverse and wide ranging museum experiences allow her to provide perspective, insight and valuable advice throughout the planning process."
Phil Porter, Director, Mackinac State Historic Parks