Looking to expand the breadth of their services and ensure access to vital care for vulnerable New Yorkers, two leading not-for-profits made the bold decision to join as one organization, with Edwin Gould becoming a subsidiary of Rising Ground. The integration positioned Rising Ground to provide high-quality health, education, and wellness services to an even greater number of people each year, but a thoughtful approach was needed to ensure the combined organization was even stronger than the sum of its parts.
Family foster care was a primary area of focus during the integration. To place the foster care practice on the strongest footing for success, Bennett Midland was engaged to identify the best approaches from each organization and highlight critical areas for exploration, comparing program models, identifying high-need populations, and assessing staff capacity.
We designed a robust staff engagement strategy—including Rising Ground employees at all levels—to surface common values and perspectives through a series of interactive sessions. Our research uncovered best practices that contribute to outstanding results—from a collaborative approach to case review to a clear-eyed focus on finding permanent homes for children at all stages of a case.
Working iteratively with leadership over the course of several months, we helped Rising Ground translate insights from staff into a series of actions Rising Ground will take to ensure the best outcomes for youth, doubling down on current program strengths and exploring new opportunities for even greater impact.