For established institutions
with complex, high-stakes programs.
Your programs are visible, layered, and loaded with expectation—board, donors, press, and the public.
Organizations like this need a dedicated creative partner of record: consistent counsel, continuity across seasons, and decision velocity across stakeholders.
↳ First, we start with a working assessment, then a blueprint month. (Read more. ↴ )
“Creative counsel” that safeguards creative vision.
A retainer is the core model for landmark programs: executive creative partnership—or to use the legal parallel, a “creative counsel of record.”
- A single accountable partner for narrative, aesthetics, and communications operations
- Dedicated time on your schedule for standing meetings and documented decisions
- Leadership support: review, recommendations, and second-brain counsel
- Stewardship of high-stakes moments: board or donor narratives, major launches, and public-facing campaigns
- Governance and quality assurance to create internal coherence, and public reputation
Or, we can design a tailored project or season engagement to build a contained scope to begin.
- Program and season planning for a defined window
- Campaign asset direction for a major initiative
- Exhibition and launch stewardship for a specific show or series
Recent results
Communications, Content & Program Direction (World Institute for Science, Religion and Culture)
37% annual revenue growth (2 years in a row). Highest-performing fundraiser in a organizational history.
40%+ open rates to a 10k list. 25%+ follower growth on priority platforms. Multiple campaigns reaching 20k+ non-followers organically→ all while shrinking paid budget by 70%.
Active, interim communicati ons and creative content leadership: increased cadence while improving quality. Editorial oversight, messaging translation, and cross-channel publishing operations. Multi-stakeholder alignment around approvals, priorities, and what accurately captures the vision.
Executive Vision Alignment & Development Strategy (with SNF Parkway Theatre & Maryland Film Festival)
Stakeholder-led alignment on a new purpose, mission, and vision for a stronger civic, grant-aligned, partnership strategy.
Over 3 months collaborate with executive leadership, staff and board to define the next institutional direction grounded in real development, financial, programming, and operational needs.
Executive worskhops, Stakeholder facilitation workshops, feedback systems, and foundational messaging drafts and revisions. Deliver development case and 2 central, immediate-need assets for relationship-led advancement designed to connect creative communities with a global, value-aligned sponsorship direction.
Start ↴
Every engagement begins with a working assessment, scoped separately to need: up to 3 months of joining key meetings, supporting active priorities, and filling immediate needs where necessary to understand where quality breaks down across leadership, programs, communications, and advancement.
This assessment concludes with a blueprint month ($10,500): a focused design period that turns what surfaced into a clear operating plan for leadership, teams, board alignment, and next-phase investment.
A blueprint month includes 7 sessions:
- Ideation: align leadership on intent, stakes, and non-negotiables
- Stakeholder listening: 3 clusters to map decision flow across departments and pressure points
- Design presentation and revisions: a proposed governance rhythm, system design, and engagement shape with 2 revision passes after internal circulation
Additional stakeholder sessions beyond the included package: $950 each
By the end of the month:
- Intent & non-negotiables outline
- Stakeholder, decision-rights and friction map
- Operating rhythm and system outline (cadence, approvals, standards, assets, channels)
- Roadmap, scope and sequence for a flagship program or season, or an executive retainer partnership
How to start a partnership.
Retainers establish continuity and institutional memory. Projects are tightly scoped with clear milestones and check-ins.
Either will begin with a new working assessment period and blueprint month so the work is properly framed and aligned with all stakeholders before any execution begins.