Strategic clarity empowered We Don’t Waste to grow food donations, expand programs, and scale its operations ensuring more food goes to people, not landfills.
We Don’t Waste was founded in the trunk of a Volvo. Their founder, Arlun Preblud, picked up food from restaurants at the end of each night that otherwise might be destined for the landfill and instead dropped it off at local shelters.
The organization grew over the next ten years with refrigerated trucks, a team of volunteers, and large warehouses. And from that success also grew an ever expanding mission But it was in desperate need of a strategic plan to guide its growth in a focused way that would actually increase its impact, not just its size. With so many opportunities, how should the organization prioritize?
Our research found that the clarity of their founding purpose, which had grounded the organization in its early years, had shifted into something bolder and broader—but undefined. Though logistics was their superpower, their real why and promise is as a collaborative partner addressing the big, intractable problems of food insecurity and food waste.
We partnered with We Don’t Waste to articulate an inspiring vision for their future, “Food goes to people, not landfills, and is accessible to all.” And because strategic planning and brand strategy should be inextricably linked, we also developed a tightly integrated brand strategy that sought to shift perceptions of We Don’t Waste from an operator to a visionary ensuring the health and sustainability of our communities and our planet.
Upon completion of the strategic plan, We Don’t Waste increased food donations from more food manufacturers, expanded distribution through mobile food markets, grew their education and advocacy programs, and moved into a larger location with greater capacity. Through a clear plan, meaningful commitments, and inspirational values the organization is succeeding in ensuring that more food goes to people, not landfills.
