Overview
The Bridgespan Group wanted to reach a wider, global audience of nonprofit and philanthropic leaders without sacrificing the excellence and impact that they are known for. Bridgespan partnered with Studion to create their Leadership Accelerator, a digital learning program that allows companies to invest in leaders through an affordable, accessible, engaging model.
The new digital learning experience reduced costs while maintaining a 95% recommendation rate from CEOs.
Key Takeaways
- Achieved Bridgespan’s goals on a fast timeline with lower than expected development costs.
- Spearheaded digital transformation by supporting Bridgespan’s first fully online offering.
- Pilot program was successfully scaled to more offerings and more geographies.
- Lowered operating costs while expanding reach to a wider audience and maintaining a high quality, on-brand experience.
The Organization
The Bridgespan Group is a global consulting firm that strives to make the world more equitable and just by bringing rigorous analytical skills and strategic thinking to the nonprofit sector. Established in 2000, Bridgespan has grown to 500 employees across six global offices. Bridgespan’s reputation for excellence and innovative thinking has attracted more than 1,000 nonprofit clients, including some of the world’s most recognizable organizations, like the Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, and Bloomberg Philanthropies.
The Challenge
While Bridgespan has been very successful, one of the challenges they faced in continuing to scale their mission was the cost and time commitment a nonprofit needed to make in order to work with them. As a nonprofit themselves, Bridgespan’s price point was lower than many for-profit consultancies, but small nonprofits would sometimes find themselves priced out. Many potential clients also lacked the time or geographic colocation necessary to engage with Bridgespan’s traditional consulting and training offerings.
Three key challenges emerged:
- Scale: Reaching more people with an offering that Bridgespan had the capabilities and resources to support.
- Brand: Delivering the same high-quality experience Bridgespan is known for in a new digital format.
- Time: Earning executive buy-in for a new offering by demonstrating a successful pilot on a short timeline.
The Solution
Bridgespan and Studion worked closely together to strategize, design, and build what would become the Leadership Accelerator, a 10-12 week digital program for leadership teams. The Accelerator’s four programs are each organized around different topics or organizational goals. This novel offering allows nonprofit leaders to take advantage of Bridgespan’s expertise on their own time, at a manageable cost.
Studion helped Bridgespan with program design, technology implementation, and online content and activity builds. Studion made strategic choices to match the program format and development to Bridgespan’s unique needs.
Customized off-the-shelf platform
While Bridgespan initially thought they would need a fully custom online learning platform, Studion customized an off-the-shelf LMS (NovoEd) that met their needs at a lower price point and faster development cycle.
Adaptable template
The program was designed with growth and scale in mind. Studion and Bridgespan built the pilot program as a template that could easily be replicated and adjusted for future programs and new markets.
Highly engaging learning
The program was designed to maximize learner engagement by connecting lessons to real outcomes. Asynchronous online learning is paired with synchronous “summits” where the team comes together in person or via video to discuss and apply their learnings to their organization. Teams brainstorm with and learn from Bridgespan coaches and cohort peers.
The Impact
Launched in 2019, the Leadership Accelerator program was a beachhead for digital transformation at Bridgespan and continues to be a successful offer.
Lower operating costs
The online program set the stage for continued growth by significantly cutting Bridgespan’s costs compared to in-person consulting and training services.
Global expansion
Once the first program gained traction with nonprofit clients, Bridgespan built out three additional programs on the same platform, expanding their offerings even further. Studion supported the program’s expansion to Asia with localized content and technical support, enabling Bridgespan to reach global audiences that were not a good fit for their traditional consulting offerings. The organization later launched programs in Africa.
Brand-building quality
Reception of the program was extremely positive, with 95 percent of participating CEOs saying they would recommend the Leadership Accelerator to their peers. The Leadership Accelerator delivered a high quality experience on par with Bridgespan’s reputation for excellence.
Real-world outcomes for learners
The Leadership Accelerator has helped Bridgespan have a greater impact by supporting more nonprofit leaders than previously possible. Learners from well-known nonprofits including Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Friends of the Children report positive outcomes directly related to their challenge areas.
- 95% of leaders agree that their executive team is more aligned on the work that they need to accomplish as a team. (Strengthening the Executive Team participants)
- 95% of participants felt better equipped to develop direct reports as a result of this program. (Investing in Future Leaders participants)
- 95% of participating leaders feel more equipped to lead through the uncertainty of 2021 after the program. (Creating an Adaptive Plan participants)
- 90% of participating leaders agree that their leadership team is better aligned on their organization’s strategy as a result of the program. (Achieving Strategic Clarity participants)
