STRATEGIC PLANNING | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT | EVALUATION
Why Us?
Sarah Keister Armstrong & Associates, LLC specializes in community needs assessments and strategic planning, program evaluation, and communications for libraries and nonprofit organizations.
We understand the challenges facing today’s public and nonprofit organizations and the changes in how communities interact with them. We also know that every organization is different, and our intentionally small size allows us to provide our clients with customized services and solutions.
The success of our work stems from our ability to design customized evaluation tools, effectively implement them, and analyze results intended to inform decision-making.
Our fresh perspectives and multidisciplinary backgrounds position us to help organizations chart meaningful progress for the future. We provide full-service, end-to-end guidance and support through the strategic planning process. From initial consultation to survey development and analysis to coordination of focus groups and development of goals, plan documents, and measures, this service reduces the additional responsibilities often assigned to staff during planning processes.
Our Team
Sarah Keister Armstrong has worked in a variety of private, state, and federal government offices and nonprofit organizations. She is experienced in using qualitative and quantitative measures to evaluate public policies and programs. Sarah has experience as a public library trustee, served on the board of directors of the Reaching Across Illinois Libraries System (RAILS), and currently serves on the board of the Illinois Library Association. Sarah holds a Master of Public Policy and Administration degree and Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Sociology and was a recipient of the federal government's Presidential Management Fellowship.
Beth Keister also brings a mix of technical expertise and library consulting experience to the firm. After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and a Master of Science degree in Statistics, Beth worked in various technical positions for commercial and nonprofit organizations, taught university level mathematics, and consulted with major educational publishers. She has trained the staffs of several libraries and library organizations on a variety of software packages and consulted with libraries on creating programs and reports that support daily operations. She also is experienced in using survey design and research methodologies for evaluation purposes.
Dan Armstrong is a skilled information professional with experience working in higher education institutions and nonprofit organizations. He is experienced in developing and implementing public relations, community engagement, and social media strategies. Dan holds a Master of Library and Information Science degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English-writing and Sociology and has been recognized for his accomplishments in writing and media relations.