Permaganic Leadership Transition
Industry: Community Development
Service Provided: Partnership Development
April 2025
Base Builder Labs assisted with the partnership development and operations to support the transsition of a 15 year old nonprofit to steward to more equitable leadership that is more representative of the communities it serves.
Opportunities
The goal of the project was to identify partners and build the capacity needed for the urban garden in downtown Cincinnati to continue to exist.
Strategy Priorities
Asynchronous Communication: We knew that what made the leadership of this garden tough over the years was the lack of consistent leadership and many different stakeholders so we kept the need of consistent communication at the forefront.
Documentation: Documenting along the way became essential to not repeat the mistakes of the past.
Challenges and Success
Past Surprises: There are always surprises that come from taking over leadership from another organization. The most surprising items were that the former leadership was handing out bongs and they took down a fence that was required to have on the property. This project was a reminder to respect history, but history is not alone to not make changes.
Growing Pains: Because this project meant bringing on representative leadership, there were pain points and challenges in leadership in letting go and that is how Base Builder Labs was able to become a strategic partner in developing a better partnership with the group with documentation.
Successful Transition
Valley Folk Studios the strategic partner on this project and now is the leader of this sacred space and we have helped them build collaborations with:
Central State University, Ohio State University, Civic Garden Center, MANNRS, and More.
