The Battle Creek Community Foundation (BCCF) is excited to announce a dynamic new partnership with Your People LLC and Inspiring Impact, launching a collaborative effort this fall to refresh the Foundation’s messaging and chart a strategic path, built with our community, to be the most impactful in the future.
Through this initiative, BCCF will develop a new mission, identify guiding values, and overall solidify organizational messaging, along with a new strategic plan and key priorities to guide the next 3–5 years. This work will be based on interviews and focus groups with community members, doubling down on BCCF being “for and with” our community! The launch of this work will happen later in the spring of 2026.
“In keeping with our legacy of reflecting and representing culture of Battle Creek and surrounding areas, we thought it was time to reimagine the way we message and plan for a future full of impact and community-building, with our community,” says Mary Muliett, BCCF CEO. “This collective project is an investment in our community and the future, far-reaching impact. The work together will ensure that our messaging and strategies align with the needs, hopes and dreams of the community we serve.”
To that end, the collaborative project, which begins October 1st, will include stakeholder interviews and focus groups to learn and listen to key community members on their experience with and vision for BCCF.
A Community-Driven Process
This effort will involve deep listening and engagement, including:
- One-on-one stakeholder interviews
- Two community focus groups
- Creative workshops with BCCF staff and the Board of Trustees
Your People LLC, led by brand storyteller and communications expert Lynne Golodner, brings decades of experience helping mission-driven organizations clarify and communicate meaningful, mutually beneficial business opportunities through purpose-driven storytelling and strategic relationship marketing. Your People LLC is the agency of record for BCCF, supporting its marketing and communications endeavors.
“Under the visionary leadership of Mary Muliett, the BCCF team and the greater Battle Creek community will be engaging in big dreaming about what is possible for their shared future,” says Golodner. “Dialing in clarity and articulating effective messaging is crucial for building trust, achieving goals and expanding reach. We are excited and honored to help BCCF articulate its unique voice and story. We are also delighted to partner with Inspiring Impact on this far-reaching work.”
Inspiring Impact, under the leadership of experienced Community Foundation executive Mike Goorhouse, who specializes in supporting nonprofits and Foundations in being the best version of themselves so all members of the greater community can thrive. The firm guides clients in creating actionable, visionary strategic plans rooted in community collaboration along with far-reaching dynamic growth efforts toward increased community impact that is lasting.
“This is an exciting moment for the Battle Creek Community Foundation as they look to the future and identify what the community most needs from them and how they can share their knowledge, relationships and resources to drive positive, lasting change,” says Mike Goorhouse, CEO of Inspiring Impact. “I am honored to join them for the journey of listening to community, reflecting on what they are doing well and visioning for what more they could do in the future.”
This work will chart BCCF’s story, goals, and priorities, ensuring that its work reflects the diverse voices of Battle Creek and contributes to ongoing growth, impact and collaboration across the region.