Located in Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, the Penland School of Craft is considered to be one of the foremost craft schools in the world. Penland offers one-, two-, and eight-week workshops in bookmaking, paper, clay, drawing, glass, iron, metals, photography, printmaking, letterpress, textiles, and wood. Its mission is to support individual and artistic growth through creative practice and discovery. Its campus sits on four hundred acres of beautiful rolling hills, offering an idyllic environment for intense learning and deep community building. 

Creation In Common is currently completing an environmental scan process for Penland. This is a critical component of our strategic planning work which includes a deep dive into the organization’s approaches, policies, systems, fundraising and financial performance. In addition, we are conducting in-depth interviews with board and staff members as well as connecting with key external stakeholders. To better understand large-scale trends and changes in the field, we are meeting with thought leaders from across the country. This work will not only help inform strategic planning but provide deep insights into advancing Penland’s relevancy for the next decade.

Climate Generation: A Will Steger Legacy is a nationally-connected and trusted nonprofit dedicated to climate literacy, climate change education, youth leadership and community engagement for innovative climate change solutions. Their mission is to empower individuals and their communities to engage in solutions to climate change. Their vision is a world of resilient communities with equitable solutions to climate change.

As part of Climate Generation’s strategic planning process we are helping the organization to un-pack their theory of change — identifying how their core activities relate to the ultimate impact they create. In addition, we are working with staff to build a strategic framework that aligns a set of impact goals to specific measurable strategies that advance both the scale and scope of the organization’s mission.

Our team is inspired by the work and impact these great organizations deliver each day.