Building Regional Prosperity: Strategic Growth Planning for the Northeast Indiana Fund

The Northeast Indiana Fund was created with a bold purpose: to fuel the long-term capacity of regional initiatives aligned with the vision of the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership. Through a region-wide visioning process, five strategic pillars were identified to guide economic development efforts:

21st Century Talent | Quality of Place | Infrastructure | Entrepreneurship | Competitive Business Climate

To ensure its ability to lead and invest in these priorities, the Fund partnered with Sturtz Public Management Group to chart a path forward.

Strategic Planning for Impact
SturtzPMG led a comprehensive planning initiative focused on strengthening the Fund’s capacity and sustainability. This work included:

• A deep dive into the Fund’s history, culture, and governance
• Stakeholder interviews with advisory committee members and regional leaders
• A comparative benchmark analysis of similar regional development organizations
• Strategic recommendations for organizational structure and fund development
• A clear, actionable roadmap for implementation

The result was a focused, future-ready strategy to ensure the Fund could not only sustain its work — but expand its regional impact.

Turning Strategy into Results
Following the success of the planning process, the Fund retained SturtzPMG for on-call advisory services from 2010 to 2012. During that time, SturtzPMG played a key role in advancing the Fund’s development efforts — leading to the successful acquisition of over $1.2 million in both single-year and multi-year grants from regional and local philanthropic partners.

From strategy to execution, SturtzPMG helped the Northeast Indiana Fund strengthen its foundation, grow its funding base, and amplify its role as a catalyst for economic progress in Northeast Indiana.