The San Antonio Botanical Garden enriches lives through plants and nature. Our partnership with the Garden began in the Fall of 2018. From the spring of 2021 to winter 2022, the Cielo Strategy team offered copywriting, editing, and project management (with the support of a graphic designer) for publishing the Garden’s digital member magazine, Vibrante. The Garden has since grown in its staff, and they now manage their member magazine in-house. We are always thrilled when the organizations we work with grow in their capacity!
Our first project with the Garden was to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the Garden’s fund development department. This assessment identified strengths and areas of growth for their development department, along with a roadmap for developing an organization-wide culture of philanthropy. The assessment included an appropriate, long-term staffing structure to support that culture.
Then, we worked with the San Antonio Botanical Garden’s Executive Director and Board of Directors to revisit a 2012 strategic plan. We created a strategic playbook to guide the Garden through the next 18-24 months. Together, with the board and staff we crafted organizational values. We also reviewed and tweaked operational goal areas. We worked with the senior leadership team to develop strategies and annual benchmarks, along with developing a “scorecard” for each goal area.
Our work during the spring and summer of 2018 also included creating and implementing a timeline for hiring a Vice President of Development. That successful hiring resulted in a position that oversees a comprehensive fundraising strategy for the Garden, and the growth of a talented Development team working to advance the Garden’s mission.
Our partnership with the Garden is a great example of our work flexing over time to meet the needs of the organization.
