Emerald Cities Collaborative (ECC) was created in 2009 by a powerful network of national and local community, labor, policy, business, and nonprofit organizations. The broad goals of the “emerald cities”  were to have the greenest and most equitable cities possible that give particular attention to more efficient or restorative use of nature, particularly energy.  From the outset, ECC advocated for transparency and equal opportunity for labor markets, restoration for individuals of overburdened communities, and tools to implement clean energy projects where they are needed most. 

Today, ECC is a well-respected national nonprofit organization working to advance a sustainable environment while creating sustainable, just, and inclusive economies with opportunities for all. ECC employs a place-based approach via five regional offices (Northeast, Northwest, Northern California, Southern California, and Washington D.C./MD/VA) that are supported by a national office of Civic Infrastructure and Strategic Initiatives, as well as ECC’s administrative headquarters in Washington, DC.

A metamorphosis for ECC began in 2021 sparked by a major influx of philanthropic funding, new opportunities at the federal level, and a new urgency in the conversation about climate change. Federal investments, such as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and Justice 40 provide an unprecedented opportunity for environmental reparations, climate resilience, and addressing health and wealth disparities within frontline communities.

The changes internal and external to ECC provided an opportunity for ECC’s board and staff (old and new) to reflect on how far the organization has come since its creation and where it wants to go in the future. This presented a perfect opportunity to embark on the creation of a new strategic plan. 

In 2023, Emerald Cities hired Root Cause to help it design and facilitate  a strategic planning process that would bring together staff and board members to discuss different viewpoints, make decisions, and move forward together in an aligned strategic direction.

Emerald Cities Collaborative intentionally sought out and engaged the participation of its staff, board, and partners throughout the strategic planning process. The variety of opinions shared and different perspectives debated helped to create a stronger final plan that is actionable and impactful.

• The project kicked off with a stakeholder mapping exercise in which staff and board members identified key stakeholders — board members, staff members, partners, funders, and program participants — to engage for input and feedback. 
• In Phase I, these stakeholders participated in focus groups, 1:1 interviews, and a survey. A Strategic Planning Committee, consisting of staff and board members, was formed in order to collaboratively develop different components of the strategic plan.
• As the strategic plan was being developed In Phase II, different stakeholder groups (e.g., ECC staff, Board members, and partners) reviewed and provided feedback on ECC’s intended plans and priorities for the next five years. The feedback was used to modify and then finalize the five-year plan.
• In Phase III, ECC intends to share the plan back with all of its partners for collaboration and operationalization. The sections of the final strategic plan include: 
  • ECC’s Purpose, Mission, and Vision
  • ECC’s Theory of Change (including strategies, desired outcomes, and intended impact)
  • ECC’s Key Activities over the next five years
  • 5-Year Goals and Metrics
  • 5-Year Budget
  • Research Appendix