I’ve had the privilege and pleasure of working with Marianne Policastro-Wik since September, 2020 in my role as Director of Programs at the non-profit human service organization Connecticut Council of Family Service Agencies (CCFSA). Marianne was hired by CCFSA’s CEO in mid-2020 to build a dashboard to measure the health of our business on an ongoing basis. The project has had 4 distinct phases: Phase 1 was gaining buy-in and acceptance of the business need for the tool from the management team. Phase 2 was to identify the key indicators of health that we wanted to track. Phase 3 was refining the data sources that would serve as “the source of truth” of our outcomes. Phase 4 was implementing the dashboard through self-service reports and a standing monthly Operational Performance Review (OPR) during which the management team jointly reviews the success measures and identifies actions to address gaps or adverse trends.
I’ve worked closely with Marianne throughout the project and find her to be a savvy business partner with years of business experience, knowledge and insights to help us achieve our goals. The tools she has built for us add a high level of value and provide us with the insights we need to be successful in the eyes of our funders and our Board of Directors. She is not an order-taker, but rather a strong consultant who is not afraid to ask the tough questions and test our paradigms. She is a strategic thinker who can look down the road and anticipate what is needed.
Marianne is a valuable contributor to our management team in areas ranging from communications, marketing, leadership and problem-solving, and has been an indispensable thought partner for me.
-Cynthia O'Neill, Program Director, Connecticut Council of Family Services Agencies
As the Board of Directors Chair for the Spiritual Life Center in West Hartford, CT, I have to say that we have struggled over the years in trying to launch our community's Strategic Plan. We needed someone to inspire us, motivate us, and basically get our feet off the ground and begin the process!
Then along comes Marianne Policastro. Marianne joined our Board over a year ago. After reviewing her credentials, we asked her if she would help us get our Strategic Plan started. Marianne took this upon herself as a true mission. With her guidance we began this process with a committee of dedicated volunteers and board members. We found that in working with Marianne, things happen. Our process of developing a Strategic Plan became something the committee looked forward to achieving.
Marianne has a tremendous sense and expertise in organizational strategies, a knowledge of computer technology, and effectiveness as a leader and problem solver. These skills have made her an asset not only to our community, but I can envision her taking these skills forward and providing her services to many organizations.
In hiring or consulting with Marianne, you will find the job gets done and the end result will be something that you and your team will be proud to display and use for years to come. Lisa Hudkins, Spiritual Life Center, Board of Directors Chair
Marianne led a project to build a Quality Improvement Program for the CT Council of family Service Agencies. Her talent and expertise allowed her to understand our business and operations to develop a program that will be used as an invaluable management tool to strengthen our business practices, productivity and accountability. The information generated from our QA program will allow us to approach the challenges of our social service business in a more proactive manner.
Bill Hass
President & CEO
CT Council of Family Service Agencies
These are challenging times for non-profits! How can we make use of modern business practices while fulfilling time-honored missions? Fortunately for us, Marianne Policastro knows how. Marianne helped us make the transition from the ways we’d always done things, to the most productive ways to operate today.
As the executive director of our organization, I benefited greatly from her coaching on how to lead teams in strategic and business planning. Marianne is efficient, focused, and knowledgeable. She is great at providing valuable feedback in patient and encouraging ways. She helped us see that more was possible than we had ever imagined, and she showed us how to attain our potential . Marianne has integrated our social media and email marketing efforts, and organized the system so that our communications are focused and timely.
I wholeheartedly recommend Marianne Policastro and MPW Enterprise to you. Oscar Brockmeyer, Executive Director, Spiritual Life Center, Inc.
Marianne brings great energy to the Spiritual Life Center with her work on the Board of Directors and as a consultant. As a board member, she led a project to update our goals and objectives. Her highly organized approach and the use of SWOT analysis kept us focused and on task. Thankfully, this effort was completed prior to the COVID pandemic and served as an extremely useful guide as we adjusted to our new environment.
Marianne has also been providing consulting services in Marketing and Communications. She has greatly advanced our on-line and social media presence. Again, her organizational skills and sound advice have been instrumental during this time of uncertainty. Marianne thinks strategically, is a strong contributor, and I highly recommend her as a leader, team player, and advocate.
Nancy Janiszewski, Business Manager, Spiritual Life Center