Past Work

Case Study

Foothills Food Hub - Building a Better Foundation for Strategic Growth

Challenges:

As a newly formed nonprofit, Foothills Food Hub faced rapid growth and significant operational demands and organizational challenges, including:

• A newly formed organizational infrastructure that needed to formalize

• A need for clarity on strategic direction and role for the Hub to play for the various partners and communities served

• Overstretched staff and internal tensions

• Several large grants in need of work plans and operationalizing the goals for the Hub

• Ultimately, a need for alignment across several key stakeholders to ensure long-term sustainability

Solutions:

Over a four-month period Amy led a strategic planning process, alongside Kathryn Gaasch of MDC, Inc, to create a strategic plan and framework for the Hub.

Key elements of the plan and process included:

• A design team of organizational representatives to help define guiding questions and planning activities

• Deep stakeholder engagement work through 15 interviews and two community focus groups

• Data analysis and insights gleaned through a SWOT Analysis and Discovery (Data) Report

• Three virtual planning workshops to align leadership and partners around a shared plan

• 3-year strategic plan that clarified goals, quarterly milestones, and success metrics overall

Impact:

• Strengthened stakeholder engagement, ensuring alignment on key priorities: food access, youth engagement, and local farmer economic development

• Positioned the Hub to participate in North Carolina’s Healthy Opportunities Pilot, securing significant Medicaid reimbursement funding

• Re-engaged local government and community leaders, setting the organization up for securing a new facility to ensure long-term organizational growth and stability

• Created a structured framework for grant reporting and organizational growth

• Provided a clear roadmap to navigate challenges and capitalize on opportunities

By supporting the alignment of strategy and community needs, Amy helped the Foothills Food Hub transition from a start-up to a well-positioned leader in regional food access and policy innovation.