STORIES OF IMPACT
We skip the logo walls and self-congratulatory case studies. Instead, we share anonymized impact stories – authentic samples of our work that respect client privacy and let the results speak for themselves. Explore a selection below.
SOCIAL ENTERPRISE – A leading career accelerator for Indigenous, Black, and racialized women sought to better understand the career development experiences of systemically marginalized women in Canadian workplaces. We helped co-write a pioneering study that drew on the voices and lived experiences of these women to build a more equitable and inclusive career development ecosystem across Canada.
PHILANTHROPY – A private foundation in Silicon Valley supported our multi-year effort to study the origins, evolution and impact of West Coast philanthropy. This expansive initiative drew on documentary materials from over a dozen archives and captured the insights of more than a hundred philanthropic leaders worldwide. Research findings will be publicly released in two formats: an academic book and an oral history collection.
PROVINCIAL NONPROFIT – A Newfoundland and Labrador nonprofit devoted to women’s rights, public policy, and social innovation approached its 25th anniversary. To celebrate this milestone, we produced a rigorously researched organizational history for the senior leadership team, along with a companion strategy deck and staff interviews, that reflected on a quarter-century of advocacy and allyship efforts through an equity lens.
BUSINESS SCHOOL – A former dean and current professor of management practice at a leading London business school requested an independent evaluation of his book on decision-making and judgment. Through several rounds of editing and one-on-one consultations with the author, we stress-tested the study’s core arguments for rigour and accessibility, refined its narrative flow, and readied it for trade press publication.
PERFORMING ARTS – A charity for the performing arts was hit hard by the shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic and in need of revitalization. Over a period of 12 months, we led members of the board through an intensive visioning exercise that produced a new mission statement, a complete stakeholder map, a modern digital presence, and a fundraising strategy that cushioned against the long-term effects of the virus.
PHILANTHROPY – A legacy funder in New York City commissioned an assessment of ninety years of grantmaking. We contributed over thirty comprehensive research and financial reports to the project, drawing on interviews, organizational records, and program materials uncovered in private and public repositories around the world. We also served as lead editor throughout the preparation of an academic book.
HIGH-NET-WORTH INDIVIDUAL – A Canadian business executive turned major philanthropist wanted to discreetly explore the lessons and future uses his private and professional papers, amassed over decades, held. We conducted a thorough appraisal of the records' quality, identified and analyzed strategically important documents, designed a records maintenance program, and proposed a range of creative follow-up projects.
VISUAL ARTS – A prestigious art museum asked one of the world’s leading scholars to contribute a chapter on Edsel and Eleanor Ford to a lavishly illustrated volume on prominent collectors and patrons of art in the United States. We designed and executed the research program in support, which included site visits to galleries and archives in New York and Michigan, and distilled the garnered insights into a proprietary author report.
FINANCIAL SERVICES – Canada's oldest bank wanted to commemorate its bicentennial by sharing its rich history with customers, employees, and the broader public. We carried out the research at key bank locations in Montreal, Toronto, and Chicago, recruited and trained project associates, and managed stakeholder interests in a complex operating environment, ensuring the successful delivery of several books, talks, and case studies.
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