Collaborating for
Good.
Collaborative Strategies works to advance community-led solutions to complex problems. We collaborate with nonprofit organizations, philanthropy and community leaders in their efforts to foster the policies, programs and services that enable healthy communities where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. We strive to bring stakeholders and community voices to the table in ways that enable meaningful, lasting results.
Services
We offer services that are collaborative in nature, working closely with clients to advance their work. Our approach includes time to reach a shared understanding of project goals and a core knowledge set. Working with clients, we agree on a schedule of checkpoints to provide updates, confirm expectations and address any challenges or course corrections that may be needed. We collaborate with allied consultants to ensure we have the right expertise needed for each project.
Investigate
We employ a variety of research and analysis techniques to better understand the issue at hand. We conduct environmental scans, literature reviews, focus groups, listening sessions and surveys. We utilize the date to glean stakeholder insights, best practices and models to inform program and policy development.
Engage and Collaborate
Collaborative Strategies uses cross-disciplinary techniques to bring diverse voice to projects. Connecting with stakeholders is one of our hallmark services, whether establishing coalitions and collaboratives, designing adapted charrette processes, or other strategies. We work closely with our clients to identify the right engagement tools and techniques.
Design
Collaborative Strategies works with our clients to develop programs, policy and advocacy approaches using strategic planning techniques and processes. We utilize tools and frameworks such as: SWOT analysis, SMART goal development, campaign planning, and stakeholder mapping.
Communicate
Collaborative Strategies believes in working with creative design experts to create engaging and compelling communication strategies and products that inspire action.
Advocate & Implement
Collaborative Strategies is dedicated to supporting our clients move from plan to action. We provide support and technical assistance to advance program, policy and advocacy efforts ensuring that community voices are activated and target audiences are engaged.
We believe every voice counts.
We are dedicated to the idea that everyone should have the opportunity to thrive. In supporting opportunties, we believe that every voice counts. We work with our partners to bring power, voice and perspective to the table.
Featured Projects
Creating a Road Map for Community Action
Conducted a community-wide landscape study for Act for Alexandria and the Youth Support Network to 1) map the current state of the out-of-school time and community programming in the City and 2) identify the hopes, needs, and barriers experienced by youth, families and providers. The study brought perspective of nearly 6,000 community members, including youth and historically disenfranchised community members and provides a road map for community-wide call-to-action.
Featured Projects
Designing a Healthcare Collaborative
For the American Heart Association, designed and launched the PAD Collaborative uniting organizations and experts committed to advancing the PAD National Action Plan with the goal to increase public awareness and understanding of Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), prevent complications, address health barriers and improve quality of life for people living with the disease. The collaborative is comprised of hundreds of community members (health care professionals, patients, caregivers, and administrators) + 16 committed organizations /professional societies working together across 6 goal committees and a leadership group.
Featured Projects
Engaging Community / Informing Policy
For the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, led efforts to bring community voice to the Task Force on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health Report developed to inform the 2022 White House Conference. Created a community engagement toolkit and facilitated multiple regional events elevating the voices of people who have important lived experiences with hunger, food and nutrition insecurity, and diet-related health conditions to help ensure that any proposed policy solutions center their experiences and needs.
Featured Projects
Advancing Program and Policy Solutions
For the Self-Directed Advocacy Network of Maryland, designed and implemented of the Sustainability Planning Project established to identify challenges, opportunities, and necessary resources for successful long-term planning across the lifespan for people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. For this project Collaborative Strategies led the project design, investigation and community engagement components, creating a roadmap for sustainability planning in the state.
Meet the Team
Marla is a trusted strategic partner, innovative program designer, community advocate and dot connector. Trained in both public health and marketing, her work brings organizations and people together to create healthy places, systems and policies that enable everyone to thrive.
A graphic designer by training, Peter has brought highly sought out design practices to clients across the county, Peter has a track record conceptualizing innovative communication strategy, including many that have updated prevailing models of community design, planning and transportation.
What our clients are saying.
“Marla’s team was creative and collaborative throughout the project. Her team delivered a clear roadmap for our community, reflecting the needs and hopes of our city’s diverse population. This roadmap is being used by stakeholders across the city to establish a systems-level approach that centers our community’s youth. One stakeholder described her team’s commitment to community engagement as ‘phenomenal,’ and another recognized their report as a ‘masterpiece.’ "
Caitlin Brown,
Executive Director
Alexandria Beyond the Classroom
What our clients are saying.
"Marla coordinated a series of nationwide listening sessions for our project to inform the 2022 White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, capturing key findings and takeaways for our report. She integrated seamlessly with the team and brought innovative ideas for community engagement in our work. I appreciate Marla's consistently positive attitude, keen discernment, and collaborative spirit."
Emily A. Callahan
Founder and Principal, EAC Health and Nutrition, LLC
Director of Policy Strategy, Food is Medicine Institute, Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy at Tufts University
Investigate
We employ a variety of research and analysis techniques to better understand the issue at hand. We conduct environmental scans, literature reviews, focus groups, listening sessions and surveys. We utilize the date to glean stakeholder insights, best practices and models to inform program and policy development.
Engage and Collaborate
Collaborative Strategies uses cross-disciplinary techniques to bring diverse voice to projects. Connecting with stakeholders is one of our hallmark services, whether establishing coalitions and collaboratives, designing adapted charrette processes, or other strategies. We work closely with our clients to identify the right engagement tools and techniques.
Design
Collaborative Strategies works with our clients to develop programs, policy and advocacy approaches using strategic planning techniques and processes. We utilize tools and frameworks such as: SWOT analysis, SMART goal development, campaign planning, and stakeholder mapping.
Communicate
Collaborative Strategies believes in working with creative design experts to create engaging and compelling communication strategies and products that inspire action.
Advocate & Implement
Collaborative Strategies is dedicated to supporting our clients move from plan to action. We provide support and technical assistance to advance program, policy and advocacy efforts ensuring that community voices are activated and target audiences are engaged.