CHESTERTOWN, MD — Rivers & Roads Consulting facilitated strategic planning for the Eastern Shore Food Lab’s 2024–2029 plan. The nonprofit’s founders, Bill and Christina Schindler, engaged the firm to gather input and help define priorities. Sam Shoge led the four-month process with a team of consultants.
“Working with Rivers & Roads was a pleasure,” remarks Christina Schindler, president of ESFL. “Their commitment to understanding our organization’s ethos and engaging with our community in meaningful ways was instrumental in shaping our strategic direction.”
“Working on this strategic plan was a real treat and brought me full circle with the organization,” said Shoge. “When I worked as an admissions officer at Washington College, one of the most effective recruiting stories I told was of the hands-on, experiential experiences students would receive in Bill Schindler’s anthropology classes and the Food Lab. It was great to be a part of the process that focused on leveraging that experiential experience to maximize organizational reach and impact. ”
Why the Food Lab undertook planning
The Eastern Shore Food Lab began as a center at Washington College in 2017 and became an independent nonprofit in 2021.
As the founders balanced classes, travel, online content, food production, and research, they wanted a plan that clarified how to manage and grow the work.
How the Eastern Shore Food Lab strategic plan was developed
Rivers & Roads helped the organization assess its activities, identify priorities, and plan for staffing and financial growth.
Rivers & Roads engaged stakeholder groups including board members, long-term supporters of the Eastern Shore Food Lab (ESFL), donors, and former and current class participants. Throughout the process, Rivers & Roads met frequently with Bill & Christina to review and assess the extensive data, material, and feedback gleaned from the research and outreach.
About Rivers & Roads Consulting
Rivers & Roads Consulting is a strategy firm that helps nonprofit and public-sector leaders make decisions, involve the people affected, and put those decisions into practice. Learn more about Rivers & Roads Consulting.
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