All nonprofits face limited resources and need to prioritize goals and strategies to be able to achieve outcomes in the community. Conservation nonprofits are no exception. A strategic visioning process is an effective way to get input from the community on their needs, and to create a roadmap towards greater impact on conservation, quality of life, and education.

It is inherently a complex process to create a plan for work that will impact the quality of life for people while improving habitat for wildlife. That complexity needs to be addressed in a strategic visioning process to ensure goals and strategies are effectively designed.  

The complexity also offers opportunities. Designing projects that simultaneously benefit our human communities and our ecosystems can serve as “win-wins,” helping nonprofits leverage additional resources. Having goals for nature and people in the same project can increase the appeal and relevance of the project to a wider range of stakeholders.

In collaboration with EnviroScience, Sustainable Economies Consulting designed and facilitated the strategic visioning process for The Wilderness Center. The process includes an advisory committee, interviews, engagement sessions, a review of existing data, and a survey. The result will be a plan with goals, metrics, strategic pillars, and 10 projects where the preliminary design will be completed by EnviroScience. This process will lead to shovel-ready projects and tangible results for the organization.