case study: The Lemelson Foundation

Family Foundation transitions to global philanthropy

Challenge:

The Lemelson Foundation, established by American inventor Jerome Lemelson in 1994, supports inventors, invention and innovation, with a core focus on sustainable development in clean technology and renewable energy. Beginning with a dedicated core, small staff and partners in the educational field, by 2005, the Foundation had a network of programs all across the U.S. and projects being implemented all around the world. The Foundation’s board desired to expand and build operating capacity to increase their impact and global reach. Julia Novy-Hildesley, Lemelson’s CEO at the time, sought out Waldron initially for their talent acquisition and capacity building expertise to redesign the organization’s structure and internalize previously outsourced functions.

Approach:

Initially, Waldron was retained to conduct searches for several new positions, including CFO/CAO, Controller, Program Director, Senior Program Officer, Grants Manager, and Communications Manager. Aligning with Lemelson’s core values and organizational culture, new leadership and structure were established. The Foundation then leveraged Waldron’s deep understanding of their culture by engaging the firm’s organization and leadership development capabilities. Working with the new executive team members, Waldron created a personalized performance feedback process to facilitate team and leadership development within the organization. Utilizing the customized 360-evaluation and feedback program, Waldron provided individual, on-going coaching for the Foundation’s leadership team for nearly 2 years. The Foundation also retained Waldron to facilitate annual team building and strategy retreats and provide a framework for restructuring specific positions.

Impact:

Over a six year period of time, Waldron led efforts to acquire key talent for several positions critical to the expansion of the organization’s internal structure. Waldron has partnered with the Foundation’s leadership supporting the transition from a “check writing” foundation to an internationally respected philanthropy. Coaching provided to executive leadership team members further supported the successful creation of the professionalized operation necessary to expand it’s mission. Key ingredients to the Foundation’s successful growth included Waldron’s ability to align with their unique needs and culture, the firm’s domain expertise, and the comprehensive nature of the firm’s services. The Foundation continues to rely on Waldron for key talent alignment initiatives, including the search launched in 2011 for the Foundation’s second CEO.