The Work — in Practice
Brave Path Strategies brings practitioner-led expertise across gender justice, violence prevention and intervention, survivor-centered systems change, and strategic planning.
The Community Advisory Council on Homelessness, established by Governor Pritzker's Executive Order and codified into law, advises the Illinois Interagency Task Force on its mission to achieve functional zero homelessness. Brave Path Strategies led the engagement process to develop the Council's 2024 policy recommendations.
What we did- Created an engagement process to gather input from Council members, partners, and subject matter experts
- Facilitated meetings and working sessions to inform the 2024 recommendations
- Drafted the 2024 recommendations report (designed by Concentric Design)
- Developed presentation materials to bring recommendations to the Interagency Task Force
As part of OVC's Improving Outcomes for Child and Youth Victims of Human Trafficking project, Brave Path Strategies partnered with RTI International to support state and Tribal grantees in developing strategic plans for their coordinated community response.
What we did- Led a strategic planning training workshop at the national grantees meeting in Colorado, drawing on lessons from the Chicago citywide GBV strategic plan
- Partnered with RTI International to develop a strategic planning guide serving as a roadmap for grantees in their respective communities
A student-designed back-to-school campaign to ignite reproductive freedom activism on campuses nationwide, grounded in The Turnaway Study and designed in partnership with young people. The campaign combined abortion storytelling with science-based facts to equip young people to use their voices and power.
What we did- Facilitated a 22-person youth advisory group to gather input and insights for the campaign
- Created campaign vision, strategy, and design in partnership with young people
- Led development of all campaign assets, including a campaign toolkit, in partnership with Women Unite!
- Managed all partnerships and collaborations, including social media influencers
Following significant leadership transitions, CAWC needed to revise and update their strategic plan to align with new leadership values and goals — and to meet the moment given federal shifts affecting state and local funding and priorities.
What we did- Designed an engagement process to gather input from board, staff, and young leadership council members
- Facilitated a full-day board retreat to sharpen values, strategies, and priorities
- Partnered with the Executive Director to draft a new organizational strategic plan
Illinois is home to one of the largest populations of arts and culture workers in the nation. Building on an initial agenda from 2023, the Arts Alliance of Illinois engaged Brave Path Strategies to develop a refined creative worker policy agenda — moving the workforce from surviving to thriving.
What we did- Developed mapping resources to align current labor protections to the needs of creative workers — identifying opportunities and gaps
- Partnered with local advocates and State legislative champions to inform implementation strategy for the Freelance Worker Protection Act
- Created and led an engagement strategy with creative workers and arts organizations to develop a worker-centered policy agenda
- Conducted research and drafted a brief on portable benefits to inform future advocacy
- Supported Capitol Day planning and led advocacy on creative worker policy in Springfield
Testimonials
Brave Path Strategies was an exceptional thought-and-action partner for refreshing Arts Alliance's 2026–2028 creative worker policy agenda. Darci helped carry out a statewide, community-driven engagement process that included strategic insight, skillful facilitation, and a genuine commitment to ensuring freelance artists, cultural workers, and arts advocates across Illinois felt heard, valued, and reflected in our final set of policy priorities. Beyond delivering a strong policy strategy framework to accompany the agenda, Darci helped us activate in key areas by introducing us to coalitions and organizations and providing the thoughtful guidance we needed to clarify our approach, identify shared priorities and strengthen relationships across the creative worker advocacy ecosystem. We highly recommend working with Brave Path Strategies!
Brave Path Strategies has been extremely helpful with developing guidance on strategic planning for state-level governments. From in-person presentations and workbook pages to ad hoc consultation, all of Brave Path Strategies' support has been practical, focused, and trauma-informed. Darci has been an incredible resource for our team!