Printable Version
Equal Justice Works
In 1997, Equal
Justice Works was on the cusp of a dramatic
growth spurt. The Open Society Institute
was preparing to make a multi-million dollar
grant to match law firm and corporate
contributions that fund the organization’s
public interest law fellowships, a core program
in its mission to mobilize the next generation
of lawyers committed to equal
justice.
The organization was stymied, however, by a complex governance structure, with two distinct boards: one comprised of students, a core constituency that had founded the organization, and one comprised of leading lawyers. This bifurcated structure resulted in tensions in the strategic planning process and competing priorities for staff.
With support from the Ford Foundation, Equal Justice Works hired MAG to help steer the organization toward a sustainable long-range plan that could support dramatic growth. With assistance from Susan Gross, the lead consultant on the project, Equal Justice Works overhauled its governance structure and came up with a new, more cohesive framework that was consistent with the organization’s five-year goals.
According to Equal Justice Works Chief Executive Officer David Stern, working with MAG yielded terrific results. “Thanks to MAG, we got rid of a convoluted and confusing governance structure that no longer made sense. That freed us up to be much more thoughtful and strategic about who we recruited for our board,” says Stern. “Over time we have developed a ‘dream board’ that is able to help us programmatically and in securing the resources we need to accomplish the goals set forth in our strategic plan.”
Of lead consultant Susan Gross, Stern says: “Susan had good instincts about what was needed. Her style was very direct. She found issues lurking slightly below the surface and went right at them, with both staff and stakeholders. That no-nonsense approach produced quick results. Moreover, Susan helped us develop a five-year strategic plan that set us on a trajectory that we’ve been on ever since.”
After that initial work with Susan, Equal Justice Works reached out to MAG again to help create a robust fundraising program. Senior consultant Robbie Ross Tisch urged the organization to focus on building its annual awards dinner and creating regional fundraising events around the nation.
“Work with Robbie really paid off,” Stern says. “Based on her experience and analysis, she thought we could bump up the support we earned from events. She was dead-on. Over a 10-year period, we went from raising $500,000 to raising $2 million from events.”
“We owe a great deal of our success to MAG. Their work with us was instrumental in Equal Justice Works’ transformation from a young organization into the leader that it is today.”
The organization was stymied, however, by a complex governance structure, with two distinct boards: one comprised of students, a core constituency that had founded the organization, and one comprised of leading lawyers. This bifurcated structure resulted in tensions in the strategic planning process and competing priorities for staff.
With support from the Ford Foundation, Equal Justice Works hired MAG to help steer the organization toward a sustainable long-range plan that could support dramatic growth. With assistance from Susan Gross, the lead consultant on the project, Equal Justice Works overhauled its governance structure and came up with a new, more cohesive framework that was consistent with the organization’s five-year goals.
According to Equal Justice Works Chief Executive Officer David Stern, working with MAG yielded terrific results. “Thanks to MAG, we got rid of a convoluted and confusing governance structure that no longer made sense. That freed us up to be much more thoughtful and strategic about who we recruited for our board,” says Stern. “Over time we have developed a ‘dream board’ that is able to help us programmatically and in securing the resources we need to accomplish the goals set forth in our strategic plan.”
Of lead consultant Susan Gross, Stern says: “Susan had good instincts about what was needed. Her style was very direct. She found issues lurking slightly below the surface and went right at them, with both staff and stakeholders. That no-nonsense approach produced quick results. Moreover, Susan helped us develop a five-year strategic plan that set us on a trajectory that we’ve been on ever since.”
After that initial work with Susan, Equal Justice Works reached out to MAG again to help create a robust fundraising program. Senior consultant Robbie Ross Tisch urged the organization to focus on building its annual awards dinner and creating regional fundraising events around the nation.
“Work with Robbie really paid off,” Stern says. “Based on her experience and analysis, she thought we could bump up the support we earned from events. She was dead-on. Over a 10-year period, we went from raising $500,000 to raising $2 million from events.”
“We owe a great deal of our success to MAG. Their work with us was instrumental in Equal Justice Works’ transformation from a young organization into the leader that it is today.”