Strong nonprofits are built not only on passion and purpose, but also on strategic planning that creates a sustainable path forward. Through a recent partnership facilitated by Jericho Road Pasadena, Civic Soul received volunteer consulting support to help strengthen its long-term vision, organizational growth, and community impact strategy.
Civic Soul partnered with Jericho Road volunteer Jamie Ishcomer-Aazami, MPH, MSW, Owner of Ishcomer Consulting, to develop a comprehensive three-year strategic plan designed to support the organization’s future sustainability and growth.
Working alongside Civic Soul co-founder Caitlin McHugh Stamos and the organization’s leadership team, Jamie guided a multi-month strategic planning process that included stakeholder engagement, organizational assessment, SWOT analysis development, and facilitation of strategic planning sessions.
The project focused on helping Civic Soul clarify its long-term priorities, strengthen organizational infrastructure, and establish actionable goals across several key areas, including program development, partnerships, fundraising, communications, staffing, and financial planning.
As part of the engagement, the team also worked to develop an advisory committee framework to support governance, strategic direction, and stakeholder engagement as the organization continues to grow.
Throughout the process, Civic Soul gathered operational and impact data, including financials, volunteer engagement metrics, community impact information, and podcast analytics. Informal stakeholder interviews and focus groups with volunteers, nonprofit partners, donors, and community members helped inform the strategic planning process and shape organizational priorities.
“She was very patient, kind, understanding, and optimistic, also organized and kept us on track well,” said Caitlin. “We appreciate the time and care she gave us over the months. Moderating our strategic committee meetings was helpful.”
Caitlin also noted that Civic Soul continues to seek support in areas such as nonprofit legal and financial guidance as the organization expands its work and operational capacity.
For Jamie, the project represented an opportunity to support a mission-driven organization during a formative stage of growth.
“This collaboration allowed me to support an incredible organization by equipping them with a clear, strategic roadmap for long-term success,” said Jamie. “It was also my first time partnering with an organization at such an early stage and working alongside leadership that was newer to the nonprofit space.”
“Civic Soul is led by passionate, dedicated, and growth-oriented leaders,” Jamie added. “With such a compelling mission, I look forward to continuing my volunteer involvement with the organization. JRP was there to provide overall guidance but did not try to micromanage any part of the process or outcome.”
The partnership highlights how strategic volunteer expertise can help nonprofits move from vision to execution. By providing organizational planning support and leadership guidance, Jericho Road volunteers help equip local nonprofits with the tools and frameworks needed to grow their impact sustainably.
At Jericho Road Pasadena, we are grateful for volunteers like Jamie who generously invest their professional skills into strengthening mission-driven organizations throughout our community.
To learn more about Jericho Road Pasadena and opportunities to volunteer your professional expertise, visit JRPasadena.org.
Want this kind of support for your nonprofit? Request a volunteer through our website.
Thanks to volunteer Wes Robinson for writing JRP Project Highlight posts!