What We Do
Second Mountain Strategies works at the intersection of public policy and economic resilience to guide foundations, government leaders, and cross-sector intermediaries toward building systems that work for people and places being left behind.
We are invested in applying a place-based lens to this work by designing strategies around the specific conditions, institutions, and constraints of the communities where policy meets practice. Learn more about our approach and services, below.
Our Approach
Our approach is designed to help partners understand how policy, funding, governance, and local systems interact in practice — and then how institutions can work together to move ideas from strategy to implementation. Here are the types of challenges we help clients navigate:
-
We help partners make sense of shifting policy, funding, and labor market landscapes by identifying what's creating new opportunity, what's creating new risk, and where the unique leverage points are to maximize your impact.
-
We design new initiatives, partnerships, and place-based solutions from early concept through pilot development, governance design, and implementation planning.
-
We help coalitions of government, philanthropy, employers, and community organizations build the structures and frameworks needed to act together — not just agree in principle.
-
We support complex implementation: translating policy commitments and funding into coordinated action plans and measurable progress in the communities that need it most.
Our Services
At Second Mountain Strategies, we offer a range of services designed to help partners navigate complexity and design new models for the people and places that need them most.
Policy Intelligence and Landscape Analysis
The policy landscape is shifting faster than most organizations can track. We help partners stay ahead by translating emerging federal, state, and philanthropic developments into clear strategic implications for their work, their communities, and their funding strategies.
Special Projects and Initiative Design
We design new initiatives, partnerships, and place-based solutions from early concept through pilot development, governance design, and implementation planning. We have a broad network of operational, evaluation, and communications partners to support engagements of all kinds.
Funder and Investment Strategy
We help philanthropic and public investors identify emerging opportunities, structure collaborative funding frameworks, and design strategies for reaching the places and populations that standard approaches tend to overlook.
Stakeholder Alignment and Coalition Strategy
We help coalitions of government, philanthropy, and community organizations build the structures and frameworks needed to implement bold programs and strategies. We have experience convening leaders from Fortune 100 companies, national foundations, and leading field organizations, around shared workforce and economic goals.
Thought Leadership and Product Development
We translate complex policy and field developments into insights, frameworks, and tools that move the field forward. We also help position you and your organization as a leading voice through published research, speaking, and convenings.
Who We Work With
We partner with governments, philanthropies, nonprofits, workforce organizations, and cross-sector coalitions working to expand economic opportunity and strengthen workforce and economic mobility systems. Our clients are often navigating complex policy, funding, and implementation challenges that require coordination across institutions, sectors, and communities.
