Briarpatch Magazine - Strategic Planning
Ivy + Dean worked with Briarpatch Magazine, an award-winning independent media publication committed to reporting on and building social movements in Saskatchewan and across the country, from August 2023 – March 2024 to host strategic planning sessions and support development of a new strategic plan for Briarpatch Magazine.
We were thrilled to hear the organization was pleased with our service. Saima Desai, Briarpatch Editor from 2018 to 2023 and member of the organization’s strategic plan working group, offered these kind words following our sessions:
“Ivy + Dean planned an exceptional strategic planning process for Briarpatch Magazine. It exceeded my wildest dreams of how organized, straightforward, fun, and useful strategic planning could be!
In the past, Briarpatch’s strategic planning processes only involved board members and staff. But Briarpatch is sustained, informed, and animated by its wider community, so we wanted to find a way to draw on our community members’ knowledge, without placing all the burden on them. To support this goal, Ivy + Dean crafted an unconventional and tailor-made process that began with sending surveys to and holding focus groups with community members. It was a huge feat to convene so many community members! I appreciated that Ivy + Dean prioritized our BIPOC, 2SLGBTQ+, and disabled community members’ involvement in the focus groups.
Then, Ivy + Dean distilled key insights from the community consultation into a brief that was shared with our board members. This brief became crucial source material for reference during strategic planning sessions with board members. During the sessions, Ivy + Dean struck a wonderful balance between full-group discussion, focused work in breakout rooms, and time for play and rest. We have a number of new board members from across Canada and the world, and Ivy + Dean’s icebreaker games helped us get to know each other’s skills and interests better!
We focussed on four priority areas and, under the guidance of Ivy + Dean, we gradually narrowed in on a few attainable, measurable goals in each area. I expected to feel overwhelmed by the scope of the issues, or wander into the weeds discussing pie-in-the-sky solutions, but Ivy + Dean’s gentle but firm facilitation kept the conversations on track. Our board left the strat planning sessions feeling energized and full of clarity, with a suite of realistic goals that will set the organization up for success.
The care, diligence, deep knowledge of non-profits, and commitment to social justice that the Ivy + Dean team bring to their work is unmatched. Thank you to Ivy + Dean for a wonderful strat planning process! It has laid the groundwork for a sustainable, fair, and purposeful Briarpatch in the decades to come.”
Did You Know?
Briarpatch has a special place in hearts as the organization’s Board of Directors was where Jacq and Risa first had the opportunity to work together and where, following a tough committee meeting early in their tenure, the two came to a mutual decision over post-meeting drinks that they were likely each other’s “work soulmates”. Two years later Jacq invited Risa to partner with them in building their business, which she did in July 2023.
