“Bringing Transparency to the Table” — Project HEAL
At Project HEAL, the mission has always been clear: create access to equitable mental health care. But behind the mission, there was a board that knew it could do more to embody the values it championed. Staff were asking tough questions about alignment. The community wanted transparency. And the board itself was eager to lead with more clarity and accountability, but needed a roadmap to get there.
The challenge wasn’t a lack of commitment — it was about turning commitment into practice. How could a group of leaders translate values like equity and transparency into daily governance, into boardroom conversations, into decisions that impacted staff and community trust?
We began with storytelling. In facilitated sessions, we invited board members to reflect on their own leadership journeys, to name where governance practices fell short of the mission, and to imagine a culture of accountability that matched the boldness of their goals. Together, we built a transparency framework rooted in equity, paired with practical tools to support board decision-making and communications.
Impact:
Trained 100% of board members in equity-centered governance
Introduced a transparency framework adopted at all board meetings within 3 months
Increased staff confidence in board decision-making by 25% (internal survey)
Strengthened donor trust, contributing to growth in fundraising conversations
