Case Study

houston center for contemporary craft

Guiding Strategic Growth Through Collaborative Planning

Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (HCCC) is a nonprofit arts organization in Houston, Texas, dedicated to advancing education about the process, product, and history of craft. In 2024, HCCC engaged Trepwise to develop a strategic plan that would align internal stakeholders around a shared vision for growth and guide the Center through its 25th anniversary and beyond.

Product:

Organizational Planning

Sector:

Nonprofit

Solution

During this engagement, Trepwise facilitated a collaborative 6-month process that pulled together a Strategic Planning Task Force of board members who guided the plan development. A broad community survey and focus groups with craft artists helped to identify areas to deepen support for the local craft community, and case study interviews with other leading craft museums helped provide context and insight around raising capital. The result is a three-year strategic plan, with an updated mission and tagline, a new way for the organization to describe its programs, a decision-making tool for staff facing constraints around space for programs, and a streamlined governance structure.

Results

HCCC emerged from the process with a clear and actionable plan rooted in its mission, vision, and values, positioning the organization for long-term impact and growth. In 2025 they will begin the early stages of launching a capital campaign, deepen engagement with local craft artists, and reinvigorate their retail offerings onsite, all strategies and tools co-created during the planning process.

“The Trepwise Team was extremely proactive with organizing and leading our strategic planning. They supported an already busy organization and made the added work engaging and interesting for our entire team. The value of the engagement and the deliverables are beyond expectation. We are so very happy with the experience.”
-Leila Cartier, Executive Director