In February 2025, NAIS launched a long-range strategic planning process to ensure that we are meeting the evolving needs of our members. This process will involve a thorough review of our offerings, including the ways we support our members’ inclusion and belonging goals, which is key to fulfilling our mission.
Partnership
To help us with this exploration, we are partnering with MehtaCognition, a leadership and strategy consultancy with a deep commitment to independent schools and a broad understanding of NAIS as an organization. The work will be led by its founder and president, Nishant Mehta, and senior managing director, Allen Broyles.
Phases of the Strategic Planning Process
Phase 1: Research and Need-Finding |
February-June 2025 |
| Member insights are critical to this phase. Through focus groups and one-on-one conversations, we will have engaged with hundreds of individuals who play many roles in NAIS schools, and who represent a wide range of schools in terms of region, size, type, and religious affiliation. | |
Phase 2: Road Map |
July-December 2025 |
| The focus groups and conversations in Phase 1 will lead to a membership-wide survey in this phase. Using the qualitative and quantitative feedback gathered from members, we'll begin to map out possibilities for an enhanced member experience. | |
Phase 3: Implementation and Next Steps |
January 2026 and beyond |
| Member input and strategy design will help us articulate organizational strategy and roll out new initiatives. | |
Redesigning PoCC and SDLC
As one specific focus of our long-range strategic planning work, we have engaged community members in focus groups and conversations to better understand their specific experiences with People of Color Conference (PoCC) and Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) and to harness their ideas about how these events might evolve.
The work to redesign the conferences will be led by a design team made up of staff and board members. This design team will work in conjunction with the Equity and Justice Committee of the board. It will use member feedback to frame guiding principles for the redesign.
Questions
We will keep members updated on this work, and opportunities to participate in it, throughout the year. If you have any questions, please send an email to engage@nais.org.