Updates, Retreat Preview, and Survey Results

This week's post looks a little different than usual. Instead of diving deep on one theme, I'm sharing three connected updates that set us up for the next few weeks: update on the development team, what to expect at our Q2 retreat on January 29, and an initial look at what the culture survey is telling us.

These are all part of the same question we've been living with since our October retreat:What does EMERGE need to become this year to meet the moment? Today's updates are steps towards building the organizational capabilities we need to answer that question well.

(1) Development Team: Building Capacity for What's Ahead

We're making three moves in the near-term to strengthen development capacity and set us up to close our gap to goal this year:

1. Cierra is stepping in to support through the luncheon (March 3)

Cierra brings exactly what we need right now: she's a strong project manager, she's dedicated, she's curious, and she wants us to win. That combination matters. The Program Innovation team will report into different members of program leadership in the meantime. We'll reassess needs and next steps as we get closer to the luncheon.

2. Launching new development roles (within the next 2-3 weeks)

We'll be hiring a Managing Director of Development, a Director-level frontline fundraiser, and a full-time Development Operations role. The operations role will build the systems and infrastructure development needs to function sustainably—and over time, free up capacity for Lesbia to focus outside of development.

3. Bringing on consultant capacity

We're adding strategic support for luncheon and event execution, plus development strategy to close our gap to goal this year and set us up well for FY27. Still vetting potential vendors.

I know this requires change and support from teams across the organization. I truly appreciate so many of you flexing and making sure we don't miss a beat.

(2) Q3 Retreat Preview: January 29 | 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM | United Way

Every quarterly retreat this year takes us closer to answering the question we started with: What does EMERGE need to become this year to meet the moment?

By the end of January 29, everyone should be able to name 2-3 specific ways EMERGE is evolving and what role they're playing in that. Here's what we'll cover:

• Fireside Chat: We're bringing in someone who sees excellent organizations across the sector to talk about what makes them work, what capabilities they have, and what excellence requires. This opens the day with inspiration and broader perspective before we look honestly at where we are.
• Culture Survey Results + Infrastructure Practice: We'll present the full survey results and discuss in small groups what capabilities we need to develop. Then we'll practice building infrastructure together by working through one specific challenge where the solution is a system, not an individual hero. This is about turning insights into action in real time.
• Q2 + Q3 Review: Departments will share what we delivered vs. missed in Q2, then present Q3 priorities that connect to our broad organizational aims. This is about cross-functional alignment, public commitments, and accountability for what we're becoming by end of Q3.
• Pitch Competition: Here's where it gets fun. A couple of weeks ago, members of the team were talking with me about parent engagement over lunch—specifically, how we might connect with parents more frequently without creating more work for ourselves. That conversation turned into a real question:What if we created space for these kinds of ideas across the organization and actually funded some of them? So we're closing the retreat with a (very friendly and fun!) pitch competition. 2-3 staff will pitch ideas to an (approachable, low-stakes) external panel for up to $2,500 in funding, plus a $250 Visa gift card for the winner.

The pitch competition is about resourcing good thinking, showing that solutions come from everyone, and proving that when you see something worth trying, EMERGE will back it. To make sure we've got some ideas to put forth, please complete this worksheet by EOD, Monday, January 26 and email it to me.

This worksheet has full details, but here's the key thing: submitting an idea doesn't mean you're signing up to execute it. We're looking for good thinking, and if your idea gets selected, we'll figure out together who's best positioned to make it happen. Pairs and teams are welcome. Keep it small and doable (full parameters in the worksheet). And make it fun! This should feel energizing, not like homework.

Why this retreat structure matters: We all need to lead and learn continuously—to own direction, not just tasks, and to test and adapt with transparency. This day is designed to practice those capabilities together.

(3) Culture Survey: Initial Look at What We're Hearing

In December, 100% of our team responded to our engagement survey. Thank you. You may have noticed that this survey was much shorter then the first one. That's because we intentionally re-asked the questions focused on areas that had some of the lowest ratings in May, or that we want to monitor closely. This means that the results aren't a perfect apples-to-apples comparison, but it does show us our pressure points and it's designed to help us focus on what needs attention.

Here's what the survey is telling us: we continue to have tremendous pride in our mission, with 81% proud to work for EMERGE. And there is growing trust in leadership intent and values, with 75% of staff agreeing that leaders demonstrate people are important.

This is a foundation to build upon. But we are strained in several areas:

• Day-to-day sustainability (Teamwork & Ownership: 20%, with only 20% saying workloads are divided fairly)
• Confidence in EMERGE's future (Company Confidence: 25%)
• Belief that feedback leads to action (Action: 31%)
• Recognition and accountability (Feedback & Recognition: 33%)

Below is a snapshot of where the team evaluated us across the areas of focus. We'll look at each question more specifically at the retreat. For context, the percentages you'll see represent the proportion of staff who agreed or strongly agreed with statements in each category.

Let me be direct about what I'm seeing: These results aren't okay. When only 20% of us believe workloads are divided fairly, when only 25% have confidence in EMERGE's long-term success, and when only 31% believe this survey will lead to action, that tells me we have real problems that require real response.

Some of what you're telling us reflects choices I've made or haven't made yet. Some reflects systems we haven't built or fixed. Some reflects clarity I haven't provided about where we're headed and how we'll get there. I own that.

We will not treat this as a check-the-box exercise. We're dedicating part of the retreat to working through what you told us to figure out, together, what needs to change. We'll follow through with written commitments and clear owners.

I also want to be realistic about what fixing this requires. Some things we can address quickly, and those quick wins matter. Others require us to make harder choices about priorities, scope, and where we focus our energy. Part of what we'll do at the retreat is determine what we tackle first and what takes longer. This is about rebuilding trust through consistent action.

What happens next:

• At the retreat: We'll present a more detailed view of the data and discuss in small groups what we heard and what needs to change.
• After the retreat: Managers will follow up with their teams within two weeks to ask what resonated and what questions remain, then report back to the management team. We'll share a written summary of commitments and timeline at the February huddle.

What This Week Is Really About

If I step back, here's the thread connecting these three updates: We're at the point in the year where we need to move from talking about transformation to becoming the organization that can deliver it. That requires building the right team and systems, practicing new capabilities together, and naming reality clearly while committing to what comes next.

The organizational capabilities we need—execute with excellence under pressure, build relationships that drive impact, hold high standards sustainably, develop and retain talent, lead strategically and learn continuously—aren't aspirational. They're requirements.

This retreat is where we take the next concrete step toward building them.

Looking forward to the 29th and to seeing what ideas you submit for the pitch competition!