Board members of a youth camp affiliated with the United Church of Canada were contemplating how to improve the competitive positioning of the camp. The organization recently received a relatively large donation and the Board Chair viewed it as an opportunity to revisit the organization's direction and positioning relative to other camps in the area. The organization faced competition from a number of faith based and non-faith based camps, most of which offered more diverse programming or were positioned with a stronger Christian message. The Board needed to determine how to improve the organization's competitive position without jeopardizing its Christian roots and core mission. It also had to decide how the donated money could support this, whether through a new building or other means.

Susan Thibodeau, Executive Director of Bridge Adult Service Centre, contemplated how Bridge Adult could provide additional services and improved programming to current and new clients. Bridge Adult was a not-for-profit organization that aimed to enhance the lives and promote inclusion of intellectually challenged individuals in communities. There were 27 other service centres similar to Bridge Adult located throughout Nova Scotia, Canada. Funding from government sources remained relatively stagnant over the years but demand and programming needs had changed significantly in most of these centres. In order for Bridge Adult to continue to improve their current client offerings, programs that generated revenue while simultaneously provided meaningful experiences for clients were essential. Thibodeau, in collaboration with the Board, needed to determine strategic priorities for the next three years, her role in that process and who would be responsible for the various aspects of the implementation. This case was formulated for university undergraduate students in their fourth year of study or graduate students in a MBA program. It is intended to challenge students to consider the similarities and differences in strategy formulation and implementation and governance between for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. It should therefore be taught as a corporate governance or strategic planning case and ideally after students have been exposed to financial analysis, competitive analysis, value chain analysis, governance, SWOT analysis, and growth strategies.