Miriam’s House: A Strategic Planning Case Study

In 2021, The Spark Mill was hired to guide Miriam’s House in the development of its 2022-2025 Strategic Plan. Celebrating 30 years of service in 2024, Miriam’s House is an organization committed to ending homelessness in the Lynchburg region. Their mission intertwines the provision of stable, affordable housing with a foundation of resources for individuals and families to live self-sufficiently and empowered, envisioning a stronger community where secure housing stands as a basic human right for all.

The Spark Mill’s work with Miriam’s House navigated the complexities they experienced while serving Lynchburg’s homeless population during the tumultuous waves of the pandemic. In their quest for clarity and purpose, they embarked on a journey to define core goals and objectives and establish tangible shifts within the organization and for those that they serve.

We caught up with Miriam’s House this month to see where they are now, two years into the plan. Executive Director, Sarah Quarantotto shared candid reflections of the organization’s experience since the process, including their alignment between strategic vision and daily operations, the ripple effects that touched both internal culture and external stakeholder relationships, and where they saw their community needed them most.

The implementation of the strategic plan created tangible benefits for the organization, enabling a more targeted and sustainable approach to addressing homelessness. By honing in on specific goals, particularly the focus on Family Homelessness and Coalition Building, the organization was able to channel its resources more effectively, maximizing impact within the community. The reorientation of priorities also facilitated increased awareness and advocacy efforts, amplifying the organization's voice in the broader community on homelessness.

The deliberate efforts to align day-to-day operations with the strategic plan developed a greater sense of internal listening and productivity. By embedding the plan into routine activities and decision-making processes, the organization enhanced its ability to invest more time and resources in engaging the leadership team for strategy oversight, fostering a culture of accountability. This new approach further translated the organization’s strategic objectives into visible outcomes with stakeholder relationships, as well, allowing partner feedback to feel acknowledged and deeper understanding of the mission to be broadcast.

Overall, the strategic transformation enabled the organization to emerge from the pandemic-induced crisis with a renewed direction, positioning it for greater success in its mission to serve vulnerable populations.