Massachusetts Charter
School Resource Center

         In summer 2000, the Massachusetts Charter School Resource Center (MACSRC) at Pioneer Institute retained Joyaux to serve as official advisor and consultant for its project to strengthen boards. The State of Massachusetts has more than 40 charter schools, each governed by its own Board of Trustees.

         Working with MACSRC staff over an 18-month period, Joyaux will design and deliver a program personalized to school trustees and staff leaders. The project includes training and problem solving, one-on-one consulting, and rseource materials to support governance activities.

         In 2001, Joyaux began a 3-year project to enhance the management and governance capacities of MACC Charities. Located in Manchester, CT, MACC is a faith-based human service organization providing food, shelter, clothing, and assistance to those in need.

         With MACC leadership, Joyaux designed and is facilitating a comprehensive integrated change process to strengthen key areas of operation. For example: Strengthening management systems through performance appraisal and communications. Improving fund development through building relationships, collection and analysis of data, face-to-face solicitation, and increased volunteer involvement. Strengthening governance through role clarification, policy development, corporate re-structuring, performance appraisal, and focused recruitment strategies.

         Joyaux develops materials, provides advice and counsel, training, and mentoring.

Children’s Advocacy Center

         The Children’s Advocacy Center was founded to address the needs of children who have been sexually abused. The Center hired Simone to help design its corporate structure and recruit its first board.

         After initial meetings with the Center’s founders, Simone drafted a corporate structure which included a board, committees, and community councils. General responsibilities as well as specific task assignments for the initial operating year were outlined.

         Simone tested the Center's concept through community interviews. Marketing results indicated some concern about the Center's ability to operate as an independent organization in the highly congested environment. With this in mind, Simone helped the founders identify and define merger opportunities. Shortly thereafter, the Center became a divison of an existing organization, the Sexual Assault and Trauma Resource Center. The services are consistently available for Rhode Island children.

         Joyaux Associates offers integrated organizational development. This assistance puts together multiple services in order to provide dramatic forward progress within the not-for-profit organization.

         While services for this comprehensive support depend upon the needs of the agency, we usually integrate aspects of board development, fund development, marketing, general management, and planning. Crucial to the service is the role of the consultant as coach to the agency’s leadership. The consultant works closely with the executive director and board president, providing guidance with day-to-day decision making as well as long-term problem solving. As the agency’s skills are developed, the consultant encourages independent operation.

         Examples of our work in integrated organizational development include Connecticut's MACC Charities, Families in Crisis and the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center, New Jersey's Paterson Education Fund, and Rhode Island's Sandra Gamm-Feinstein Theatre (formerly Alias Stage), Alliance for Better Long Term Care, Aquidneck Island Land Trust, Colonial Theatre, Genesis Center, House of Hope, and Warwick Shelter.

Assessment process

         Sometimes an organization is not clear about what needs to be done. In this case, a diagnostic process may be the best first step. Together, the consultant and organization leadership design an assessment process which can examine key areas of the organization - perhaps the activities and operations of the board of directors, internal staffing systems, or productivity. An effective assessment process requires that the consultant build the organization’s understanding and acceptance of the potential results.

         The assessment process generally includes review of agency documents and personal interviews with staff and board leadership. Often, the most successful assessment process involves self-evaluation by board and staff members. This step usually asks board and staff to complete a survey. The information and perspective provided by each individual helps create a picture of where the organization is.

         At the conclusion of the assessment process, Joyaux Associates prepares a verbal and written report which incorporates evaluation results, professional observations, and a set of recommendations to address areas of practice and structure. The recommendations are carefully crafted to reflect the organization’s available resources and values.