Brand:
Sierra Club
Mission:
Focus:
Sustaining a movement from the inside out
To explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth
Solving for:
Resulting in:
Alignment to meet the needs of now
Sierra Club entered its next chapter with stronger people systems, more aligned leadership infrastructure, and an organization-wide strategy built to support its mission from within. The culture of Belonging, Dignity, Justice, and Joy (BDJJ) was not only upheld but operationalized—woven into how the organization leads, retains, and supports its people. By embedding deeply within the organization, we helped move Sierra Club from a moment of transition to a more grounded and future-ready foundation for impact.
From internal mission to integrated people strategy
An ecosystem of stakeholders
How does a legacy organization navigate internal transformation while staying true to its external mission?
Sierra Club has long stood at the forefront of environmental advocacy—but as the movement evolved, so too did the internal demands on the organization’s culture, systems, and leadership. In a moment of organizational transition, Sierra Club needed embedded, strategic support to align its people operations with its long-term mission—ensuring that internal practices kept pace with external commitments to justice, equity, and impact. We placed a senior member of our team in a fractional executive role to help steward that alignment from the inside out.
Working with:
Our team collaborated directly with Sierra Club’s executive leadership, board, and department leads—supporting day-to-day operations while advancing strategic transformation across the people function. Our embedded presence allowed for trust-building, real-time problem-solving, and long-view planning. Through a combination of stakeholder interviews, leadership advising, and operational audits, we worked to ensure the organization’s internal infrastructure matched its external values and future ambitions.
We delivered:
Operational support for long-term sustainability
We guided the design and execution of a comprehensive people strategy aligned with Sierra Club’s cultural commitments and organizational goals. We streamlined People Operations function with the recruitment and onboarding of a Senior Director of People, who then surfaced key inefficiencies and opportunities, integrated HRIS systems, and executed a strategic HR plan aligned with long-term goals and budget cycles. By refining the Resolutions process and supporting the development of EOP 2.0 policy, we enhanced accountability and internal trust. Our support and expansion of leadership development and employee engagement initiatives—anchored by the All Managers Meeting and Cultivating Community—strengthened internal culture and aligned teams around Belonging, Dignity, Justice, and Joy (BDJJ). Additionally, we advanced governance and equity by liaising with the Board Equity Committee, supporting legal processes, and communicating goals and staff supports clearly across all levels of the organization. The work positioned the organization for sustainable growth, improved retention, and deeper cultural alignment.