How Nature Sacred is Utilizing Operational Support to Expand Access to Nature

Nature Sacred's mission is simple and expansive at the same time: ensure that the healing power of nature is accessible to everyone, especially in the communities where you might least expect to find it. Think urban farms nestled inside city neighborhoods, labyrinths next to schools, a sacred space behind the walls of a correctional facility. They started as a foundation giving money to organizations doing this work–and they've since transitioned to a really active implementer, expanding their reach both in Baltimore and nationally.

That kind of growth is meaningful. It's also operationally complex.

As Nature Sacred expanded–working with dozens and dozens of partner organizations–the behind-the-scenes work got harder to manage. How do you coordinate the rehab of benches across every site when each one uses local artisans and different materials? How do you onboard and offboard team members consistently as the organization scales? How do you identify where technology could make life easier for a dedicated staff whose energy belongs in the mission? These aren't glamorous questions. But they're the ones that determine whether a growing organization can keep growing without breaking.

That's where an operator comes in. E.TBD installed a fractional operator to work alongside Nature Sacred's team–not to redirect their mission, but to make it easier to implement. The work focused on operational improvements, a cleaner onboarding and offboarding process, and identifying opportunities to expand their systems and technology. Nature Sacred is a team that leads with their values, shows up with clarity and care, and is deeply steeped in their mission. The goal was simply to help the back office keep pace with the vision.

That's where an operator comes in. E.TBD installed a fractional operator to work alongside Nature Sacred's team–someone dedicated to clearing the operational friction so the mission could move more freely. The work focused on operational improvements, a cleaner onboarding and offboarding process, and identifying opportunities to expand their systems and technology. Nature Sacred is a team that leads with their values, shows up with clarity and care, and is deeply steeped in their mission. The goal was simply to help the back office keep pace with the vision. 

To learn more about the Nature Sacred, check out their website, watch their films here and join their Little Yellow Journal Tour here. If you’d like to support the work directly, consider donating here.

We shared this piece about Nature Sacred in E.TBD’s newsletter, along with the Ops Term of the Month, Operator. You can check out the full issue here and subscribe here.