Raben

Culture,
Strategy, & Organizational Design

Turn Vision Into Results

Culture, Strategy, and Organizational Design (CSOD) is built to help organizations that do good work do it even better.

We know that to succeed, organizations need a clear strategy, a culture that prizes equity, and the systems and structures to support the work. 

CSOD offers a comprehensive, integrated approach to building successful organizations. We offer a full suite of strategic planning; diversity, equity, inclusion and justice (DEIJ); and organizational design and development services. Most importantly, we recognize how these services complement each other. We can focus on one set of services or provide the full suite. Our approach is customized based on your organization’s needs.

We work closely with clients to develop the foundational elements to develop their strategy and their culture, then we help them design tools and frameworks that will allow them to maximize their impact. For us, this work is about measurable, sustainable results related to your people, your culture, and the causes you serve. Here’s a sampling of what we can do.

They Really Said It

Raben's strategic thinking and comprehensive suite of services has allowed us to expedite the growth of our organization.

Richard Castro Chairman of the CREEED Board

Client Results

  • We collaborated with the Nonprofit-Lawyers Committee, crafting a robust multi-year strategy following a leadership transition. We redefined their position in the current landscape and devised a resource-maximizing plan for impactful outcomes.

  • Revamping the National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute's culture was no small feat. Raben crafted a staff-driven strategic plan emphasizing collaboration, with months of inclusive work leading to an inspiring "ethos" statement envisioning the organization at its best.

  • For over a century, the NAACP's grassroots activism has fought inequality in criminal justice, healthcare, education, climate, and the economy. Beginning in 2016, Raben led a strategic plan, engaging staff and volunteers nationwide, resulting in revamped structures and a refreshed brand.

  • When AirBnB was looking to strengthen their DEI implementation, we helped them to shape internal and external nondiscrimination language, and developed a corresponding curriculum and training materials for their hosts.

How We Help

When you are looking to make big changes in your organization, from pivoting to a new strategic plan to nurturing a new organizational culture, we can help you on everything from communications to coaching. Change requires a methodical and consistent approach, otherwise those plans sit on shelves - expectations unfulfilled.

We help you see, define, and evaluate your organization’s culture including inequities and inefficiencies that may be hard to see without an outside perspective.


We will help you arrive at the foundational decisions that drive your work and that emphasize your commitment to equity.

We use a variety of tools to understand your organization, its brand/reputation, and your culture usually through a combination of survey instruments, focus groups, and/or interviews. We help you understand how you fit in the broader landscape of your work - key information for guiding your decisions.

Your internal equity and justice work won’t happen through plans alone. We come with you every step of the way as you do the hard work of making your organization a more just and equitable place.

We work with you and your team to effectively (and sensitively) facilitate discussions focused on race, religion, gender, LGBTQ+ status, disability, and other elements of identity.

We help ensure that your policies reflect your values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice.

We will work with your board, your staff, and/or organizational leaders to arrive at a clear, crisp guiding strategy for your organization.

We build and facilitate customized workshops to meet your needs on topics ranging from decision-making to challenging conversations.

We help you translate your strategic plan, your DEI plan, or your plan for shifting culture into clear, actionable steps and we work alongside you to ensure the change takes root.