After leading Arise Collective in strategic planning, Armstrong McGuire was approached by Arise and a funder to engage cross-functional community stakeholders in the development of a business case to significantly expand the organization’s scope of services. The business case identified the need to make structural changes to the board to support the organization’s plans for growth and, in light of this, we worked with Arise leadership to identify the role of the board and the expertise, experience, and representation needed. We then researched best practices and alternative strategies and reached out to other successful organizations to evaluate structural options, culminating in a governance model that would help Arise reach its goals.

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Once we gained agreement on the governance model, Armstrong McGuire created a full board lifecycle process and documentation to support it, resulting in revised bylaws and a governance manual that serves as a guide to both new and existing board members. We then worked with Arise to evaluate its current board composition, identify gaps, and cultivate prospective board members who might be a fit for the organization’s needs. Simultaneously, we re-organized the siloed committee structure into one that better serves Arise and more fully utilizes the talents and experience of committee members.

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