The Client

Northern Latitudes Partnerships (NLP) is a cross-sector network helping communities across Alaska and western Canada remain culturally, environmentally, and economically resilient in a rapidly changing North.

As a mission-driven organization, NLP leads partnerships among tribal, governmental, and nonprofit entities to promote sustainability and resilience in the North. Their work depends on clear communication and strategic coordination across multiple regions and stakeholders.

The Challenge

As their portfolio of programs and partnerships expanded, operational complexity began to outpace their systems. With an expanding portfolio of programs, sub-awards, and grants, NLP faced increasing operational complexity. The team managed many moving parts—from project deliverables and sub-contracts to grant reporting and partner communications.

Their existing tools and workflows made it difficult to track projects consistently or communicate efficiently across a distributed team. Leadership recognized the need for nonprofit operations consulting support to:

  • Streamline internal communication systems

  • Standardize project management processes

  • Create a scalable prioritization framework aligned with their strategic goals

The goal: to bring more structure and clarity to daily operations so the team could focus on mission impact.

The Approach

I partnered with NLP to assess how work was actually happening across teams and identify where systems, communication, and prioritization were breaking down. Key activities included the following:

    • Audited existing tools and habits and defined best practices and use cases for all communication platforms

    • Implemented Slack with structured channels and smart integrations

    • Delivered onboarding and team training for organization-wide adoption

    • Assessed operational priorities and evaluated PM tools

    • Guided selection and rollout of a unified platform for tracking milestones, dependencies, and timelines

    • Built custom workflows, templates, and dashboards aligned to NLP’s programs

    • Partnered with leadership to create objective evaluation criteria for new initiatives

    • Designed decision matrices and intake tools to align priorities with capacity and funding goals

The Results

After implementation, NLP gained the structure and systems needed to operate with greater focus and efficiency.

  • A centralized communication platform that strengthened collaboration and reduced inefficiencies.

  • A streamlined project management system providing visibility and accountability across all initiatives.

  • A clear prioritization framework that supported smarter, mission-aligned decision-making.

  • Comprehensive training materials and workflow documentation for long-term sustainability.

With improved systems and communication in place, NLP can now dedicate more energy to what it does best—empowering northern communities to thrive through partnership and innovation.

“Working with Meredith was an incredible experience. We hired her after years of burnout cycles, and she seamlessly worked with our organization to quickly identify our pain points. She provided thoughtful recommendations and an implementation plan tailored to the unique dynamics of our organization. Her sharp acumen, years of experience, and interpersonal skills were critical in guiding us towards effective solutions. 110% recommend!"

Leanna Heffner — Partnerships Director, Northern Latitudes Partnerships