The Hive Collective is a national firm on the cutting edge of strategy and transformation for nonprofit organizations. We help you create strategies that drive your culture and provide a hands-on partnership that structures your organization for success. We are dedicated to strengthening organizations by cultivating cultures that lead to community, profound impact, and highly functional, purpose-focused leadership.
At The Hive Collective, culture IS strategy. Organizational culture happens whether you plan on it or not. No matter how hard you work on your strategy or structure, it is the consistent organizational and human behaviors that are responsible for its success or its demise. Prioritizing the human factor in board governance, strategy, and implementation will lead you to the change you envision.
In strategic planning, we work with you to create a plan, structure, and organizational culture worthy of the purpose of your organization. When we develop strategy with you, we ensure that your strategic direction is both resilient and inclusive, whether it’s crafting long-term, organization-wide plans or shorter-term projects. Your values will anchor this strategic vision in the lived realities and evolving aspirations of your organization and its stakeholders.
Our approach to nonprofit advising and design, leadership coaching, and team coaching extends beyond traditional frameworks to embrace the complexity and dynamism of organizational and team effectiveness. By fostering an environment where creativity and innovation are fundamental to problem-solving, we unlock the collective wisdom of your team with participative methods.
Effective board governance stems from a culture of belonging, mutual respect, and a unified purpose. A board should be a space for transformation, leading to sustainable outcomes and aligned with the values and mission of your organization. Our approach to board governance promotes a culture of deep listening and open inquiry, where the diversity of perspectives is seen as a strength and alignment of actions and values is paramount.
The Hive Collective is more than a consultant to you; we are partners dedicated to shaping change, together. We invite you to join us in reimagining what is possible for your organization and the communities you serve.
Prioritizing the organization’s purpose, above the organization itself.
Acknowledging that the organization’s actions can positively or negatively impact its surrounding ecosystem, and a commitment to being a respectful and responsible ecosystem player.
Committing to advancing equitable outcomes, and interrogating and avoiding the ways in which the organization’s strategies and work may reinforce systemic inequities.
Recognizing that organizational power and voice must be authorized by those impacted by the organization’s work.¹
Organizations become impactful when they choose to shift the context within which they act in the world.²
1. From BoardSource. The Four Principles of Purpose-Driven Board Leadership. Beth Ellen Holimon, Founder and CEO of The Hive Collective, is a BoardSource Certified Governance Consultant.
2. Peter Block, Community: The Structure of Belonging.
The Hive Collective is a growing consortium of thought partners in nonprofit theory and practice who believe both the ends and the means matter. We believe that one person, one comment, and one thought can change the way the world works. Justice and equity drive us to action every day.
We derived our name from the practice of beekeeping and the communal life honey bees lead. The honey bee dedicates her short six week life to something she will never see – hundreds of pounds of honey that come from her work. Her work will sustain the thousands of bees who come after her. Incredibly, she will only create 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime, but the contribution to her community is life sustaining!
