Opportunity:
McKee Botanical Garden is at an inflection point in its storied history.
As the Garden approaches two major milestones — 100 years of living collections and 25 years since re-opening — the Board of Directors and management team were eager to solidify a roadmap comprised of guiding principles and a robust financial plan. Building on best practices gleaned from world-class gardens and regional benchmarks, our strategic business planning process allowed the team to envision a bold future for McKee, and the resulting plan translated high-level aspirations into clear, measurable tactics.
Image courtesy of McKee Botanical Garden
“The strategic business planning process facilitated by Canopy enabled our board and staff to do a deep dive into the organization in ways we would not have been able to if we had separated one process from the other. At this point in time, we needed to review both our mission and vision, and ways in which we could diversify our current revenue streams toward the Garden we are building for the next decade and beyond. We now are better able to chart the course our team will be navigating over the next few years.”
— Rochelle Wolberg, Executive Director
Project Highlights:
A Blue Ribbon Panel and Best Practices Site Visit
The planning team learned from outside thought leaders through two critical tools. One was Canopy’s trademark Blue Ribbon Panel, which brought together experts on site-specific attractions from across the country to discuss leaning into the uniqueness of one’s site and climate, and their lessons learned within their own organizations. The second method was a site visit to New York Botanical Garden: the gold standard for botanical gardens. This visit allowed the planning team to get exposure to what best practices look like in “real life,” and the NYBG team graciously continued the conversation with McKee virtually when weather prevented the full planning team from visiting in person.
A Comprehensive Financial Picture
Our dynamic modeling process — which takes into account the financial impacts of the goals you establish in your plan — projected the full range of potential futures for McKee. This allowed McKee to test the impact of the initiatives they were considering, providing a full accounting of the potential upside opportunities and downside risks. The process built confidence in the final strategy, allowing the team to move forward understanding the full financial picture that strategy represents.
The Introduction of a Business Lens
The strategic business planning process represented a new way of thinking and working for the McKee team. Extensive internal stakeholder engagement — including surveys, staff meetings, and listening sessions — introduced business thinking to McKee’s staff, many of whom had not applied this mindset to their work previously. This level of engagement cultivated staff buy-in for the final plan by demonstrating the connection between McKee’s margins and ability to deliver on mission.
Result:
McKee Botanical Garden now has an actionable strategic business plan that outlines a clear roadmap for the next five years. The inclusive process we undertook delivered critical team buy-in to this strategy, and the data provided confidence in its sound financial footing.
The historic McKee Jungle Garden (image courtesy of McKee Botanical Garden)
“A historic organization seeking to grow revenue and elevate its national identity is well-served by an examination of its recent past when shaping its future. By conducting a comprehensive internal and external analysis, it can develop a strategic business plan that ensures its primary asset and operations align with achievable and measurable priorities. Having recently completed this process with Canopy Strategic Partners, after a long C-suite career in which the process was approached in silos — this combined approach is the way to go!”
— Marion de Vogel, Development Committee Chairperson and Great-Granddaughter of Arthur Glenn McKee (Co-Founder of McKee Jungle Gardens)
