Reaching A Shared Model for Strategy and Impact

CORENTUS CLIENT CASES | ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE CASE STUDY | Reaching A Shared Model for Strategy and Impact

Aligning vision with execution - on a single sheet of paper.

A Moment of Transition
The BrightFocus Foundation funds exceptional scientific research and provides expert information on Alzheimer’s disease, macular degeneration, and glaucoma, with the goal of defeating these heartbreaking diseases.  In early 2022, the organization was ready to pivot to a new 10-year strategic plan. Ambitions were high - with more ideas than the foundation could possibly achieve. Leadership and board members shared a desire to grow impact but lacked a clear language or model to guide that growth, narrow the focus, and prioritize.

Corentus was brought in to help turn that ambition into alignment.

Listening First
Through interviews with board members, executives, and the CEO, Stacy Haller, a common theme emerged: smart people, high ambition, many creative ideas. They needed a way to think and talk about their work that everyone could understand and use to reach alignment.

The Four-Box Model
The breakthrough came when the Board Chair, Trisha Stewart, offered a simple frame: Money In, Money Out, Impact. Corentus added a fourth pillar: Organizational Excellence. Together, this created a powerful structure:

·       Money In: Fundraising, sponsorships, endowment income

·       Money Out: Program delivery, operating expenses

·       Impact: Mission-aligned results

·       Organizational Excellence: Internal improvement and infrastructure

This wasn’t theoretical. Corentus supported the organization to apply the model to prioritize goals, define metrics, and set boundaries for effort and resources.

Enduring Alignment
Fast-forward to 2025: the model still guides the organization. It’s used to set OKRs, structure board conversations, and frame fundraising strategy. Leadership credits the model - and the facilitation that surfaced it and helped it stick - as foundational.

Corentus was recognized for doing what we do best: listening deeply, weaving together a wide range of perspectives, and shaping an elegant, actionable solution tailored to the organization’s needs. It’s a clear example of how the right structure, supported by skilled facilitation, can align vision with execution.