Hollingsworth Consulting

Joyce Hollingsworth has 25+ years of experience serving over 100 local, regional, national and international nonprofit and government organizations providing management consulting, organizational development, strategic planning, focus groups, input sessions, meeting facilitation and training. With past experience as both Program Director and Executive Director of organizations, Hollingsworth brings a wealth of first-hand knowledge of the challenges and opportunities facing nonprofits, faith-based groups and government organizations. Her consulting focuses on practical and participatory methods that leverage the unique strengths of the organization resulting in their increased capacity to address challenges.  Hollingsworth’s work with individual organizations, multiple agency collaborations, and public/private partnerships builds teamwork, increases ownership and investment in projects, develops consensus, focuses direction, clarifies next steps, and facilitates cooperative action to achieve measurable results.
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Testimonials

Craig Doane
Executive Director American Academy of Family, Physicians Foundation

I cannot thank you enough for leading the Foundation’s Board and Staff through our recent strategic planning session.  The thought and ideas generated at the session resonated throughout the rest of the two day board meeting with all comments being positive.  Again, thank you Joyce for a job well done!

Paul Jeffers
Strategic Planning Manager, Rotary International, Inc.

Joyce’s presentation to our search committee was so well received that it led directly to a long-term engagement.  It was not easy to build consensus given such diversity and wide-ranging opinions in our international organization. To Joyce’s credit, she was always able to include everyone in the process, validate their opinions, build consensus, accommodate changes…

Duane R. Sterling
CEO, The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International

Joyce brings a wealth of experience to the strategic planning experience.  She is thorough and always meets deadlines.  She is an energetic facilitator and is excellent at thinking on her feet.  She knows how to bring clarity out of confusion. Having worked with many “planning consultants” in the past, she is the best at what…

Jerry Stermer
Executive Director, Voices for Illinois Children

Thank you for a terrific job in directing the immunization planning session.  I think the session was a terrific success due primarily to your clear and effective guidance.  All three exercises (vision, barriers, and strategic directions) were very useful.  This planning process will have many lasting results for children in our community.  Your help in…

Dave E. Bennett
Executive Director, Metropolitan Mayors Caucus (in Chicago)

The Chicago region would not be where we are today without your invaluable assistance in facilitating the process of merging our land use and transportation planning agencies into one organization that will set the vision for all future regional planning efforts.   Your facilitation of strategic planning activities and input sessions with all the key stakeholders…

Erika Poethig
Director of Research and Development, City of Chicago Department of Housing

As Director for Research and Development at the City of Chicago Department of Housing, I oversaw an initiative called the Chicago Forum for Housing Solutions which engaged over 200 people organized into six different task forces to address systemic problems.  Overall, you helped the Department of Housing create a positive and inclusive process that exceeded…

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    Value Proposition

    An integrated and systemic approach enabling nonprofits to achieve focused and measurable results.

    I have a passion, talent and track record for helping groups create a shared vision and integrated agency plans to solve complex system problems and set motivating strategic direction. I design and facilitate dynamic collaborative strategic planning processes for individual agencies as well as multi-agency collaborations that actively engages people with different expertise, perspectives, disciplines, cultural backgrounds and strengths to work together.  My collaborative approach builds teamwork, increases ownership and investment in projects, develops consensus, focuses direction, clarifies next steps, and facilitates cooperative action to achieve measurable results.  

    My work with agencies

    • Improves programs that increases user satisfaction
    • Eliminates duplication of efforts and increase coordination
    • Achieves mission & vision clarity that distinguishes uniqueness
    • Establishes motivating strategic direction and targets
    • Builds capacity of the organization to solve complex problems
    • Tracks progress with feasible implementation plans & measurable milestones
    • Clarifies roles and responsibilities of different stakeholders
    • Increases funding to the agency as a result of all of the above

    What sets Hollingsworth apart

    Possess 25+ years of experience, perspective and continuous learning

    as an executive leader at non-profit and government agencies and as an external consultant at agencies

    Draw on best practice and innovation

    from the client’s field so they benefit by learning how other similar organizations in size and mission deal with the same kind of dynamics, challenges and opportunities.

    Background in serving over 100 nonprofit and government agencies

    and working knowledge of strategic issues and industry trends in the areas of: Aging, Education and Universities, Social Services, Community and Economic Development, Metropolitan Planning, Transportation, Environment, Land Use, Housing, Healthcare, Police and Justice, Religious and Faith-Based Groups, Arts, Animal Welfare, and Associations.

    Expertise with meeting design and group facilitation

    that actively engages participants, providing a clear process and roadmap, drawing from their wisdom and experience, incorporating differences, constructively managing conflict, and focusing energy in a unified direction – all of which creates a sense of ownership for the project - leading to its success.

    Comprehensive project documentation

    that accurately reflects the group’s work and decisions in a user-friendly summary that executives and staff use in both internal meetings and external communications with funders.

    High return on investment

    due to Hollingsworth working independently – there are no company overhead fees stacked onto each contract – all resources are allocated directly to supporting the client.

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