The Work Department
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References
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Libby Cole
Owner, director
she/her/hers
Services & Endorsements
Assessment
Facilitation
Program Evaluation
Research
Strategic Planning
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References
Have you worked with The Work Department?
Your experience matters!
Nonprofit Experience
Yes, I primarily work with nonprofits and/or community organizations
Years of Nonprofit Experience
6-10 years
Nonprofit Clients
Nonprofit Experience
Board Member
Paid Staff
Volunteer
  • Activate Fund
Organization Type
For-profit Service Business
Sectors
  • Arts and Culture
  • Education
  • Housing and Homelessness
Professional Affiliations / Licenses
Geographic Area
National / International
Languages
  • Other
Demographics of Provider
  • Black or African American
  • Other
  • White
Fees
  • Flat fee by project
  • Hourly rate
  • Installment based on project schedule
  • Not to exceed
Addional Pricing Information
We are flexible to clients’ needs with regard to grant and payment schedules, each project budget and billing schedule is unique.
Mission Statement
The Work Department is a people-centered design and strategy studio in Detroit. We partner with organizations across sectors and industries to develop communications, programming, and operational strategies that help them do more. We seek clients whose values align with ours – those who prioritize access, equity, and shared respect.
Why do you think it’s important for your business or organization to support nonprofits and community organizations in Southeast Michigan and what kind of positive impact do you think your work could have?
In ten years of working with Detroit nonprofits, we have learned from organizations small and large who have worked tirelessly to ensure community-led, grassroots change in a city undergoing rapid transformation. We’ve seen the impact of their work at the neighborhood level, city wide, and across the region. In that time, we have learned about the variety of ways in which they grow and evolve, what their technical needs may be throughout that evolution, and how complexities within the ecosystem impact that growth. We also understand that in this moment there is greater need than ever for nonprofits to advocate for social and racial equity, as well as for improved quality of life for communities that are grieving in the wake of great personal and economic loss. Our team includes four women who bring backgrounds in graphic design, community development, historic preservation, public health, cultural anthropology, media, and public policy. We leverage these experiences to work collaboratively as strategists, facilitators, and content creators. We listen and learn from people by inviting those with different experiences, especially those often left out of the design process, to create along with us. We facilitate conversations that bring people together to build understanding. We strategize and consult to improve how organizations work. We co-create deliverables to help organizations connect with the people they serve. Through this process, we build trust and strengthen relationships between organizations and those they serve, while also adding to the organization’s ability to effectively fulfil their missions.