Opportunity:
“What will we accomplish next?”
Following a major renovation that changed every inch of its guest-facing space, the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science sought to answer that question through a comprehensive strategic planning effort with Canopy. Our team facilitated a deliberately inclusive process—bringing in voices from across the organization, the board, and outside stakeholders—to develop an action plan aligning with the Museum’s new identity.
“We engaged Canopy for strategic planning soon after completing a major renovation. That renovation was clearly defined and tangible, but the next steps, how to continue the momentum, were less so. Anna and her colleagues deftly worked with museum trustees, staff, and constituents to rekindle that energy with an actionable plan grounded in consensus and clarity.”
— Halsey Spruance, Chief Executive Officer
Project Highlights:
Engaged Staff
The 8-month process engaged every member of this small team through a variety of methods, including project teams, surveys, listening groups, and all-staff sessions. “Possible Futures” was a particularly successful tool for this project, wherein the team brainstormed future directions for the Museum and then prioritized these options. The process built the team’s connections to each other, and their capacity and confidence in adopting new, deliberate ways of working.
Stakeholder Engagement
Partners new and old gathered for a stakeholder roundtable in support of the Museum’s planning process. These external perspectives grounded the team’s decisions while positioning the Museum as a convener of its peers on important issues, opening the door to thought leadership and the forming of coalitions of like-minded organizations.
Data-Informed Strategy
Market and demographic insights from our Audience Analytics platform revealed opportunities that the team was eager to act on. The Museum sits between two massive population centers: Philadelphia and Baltimore. By critically examining data on existing audiences, potential audiences, and benchmarks, the team decided to pursue an increase in market penetration close to home rather than trying to compete in the dense field of cultural attractions further away.
Result:
Our work together concluded with a new strategic plan, Growing Connections, but also deepened existing team ties and broke down silos between departments. The strengths of this project were the robust engagement of internal and external stakeholders, the use of data to decide both what to do and what not to do, and the detailed action planning that continued behind the scenes after the public plan was published.
Over the next five years, the Museum will focus on improving financial sustainability, strengthening scientific connections, cultivating community, investing in themselves, and delivering impactful experiences in service of their mission: to ignite a life-long passion for exploring, discovering, and valuing nature and science.
“The Canopy team skillfully and nimbly guided the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science in developing a strategic path for our future. With key performance indicators in hand, we are now well-equipped to pursue a vibrant new vision and recharged mission.”
— Halsey Spruance, Chief Executive Officer
