We love what we do
Every morning, our clients set out with a vision to make a difference. Ambitious leaders and evolving institutions share a common challenge—the future—and how to approach it in a thoughtful, organized way.
We work with those leaders and their institutions at the crossroads of today and tomorrow, where institutional strategy, the possibilities of place, and targeted fundraising efforts come together to make change that matters.
Diverse communities, broad ambitions
We serve leading independent educational institutions across the nation and beyond—large and small, boarding and day, coed and single-sex, in urban, suburban, rural, and historic settings.
The opportunities our clients pursue span a dynamic and ever-evolving landscape—each as ambitious as it is transformative. At any given time, we may be shaping initiatives that strengthen the role of place as an educational partner, reshape campus form to spark innovation, scale to meet emerging enrollment demands, adapt to shifting generational needs, define program growth and change, position the campus as a hub of family life, revive stalled capital campaigns, or balance the natural tension between tradition and progress—to name just a few.
Client stories, shared directly
Independent schools live and breathe through their community messaging, which is why we prioritize confidentiality when it comes to their plans for the future. Campus planning goes beyond space, facilities, and land use—it reflects each school’s unique messages, ambitions, and strategies.
Rather than sharing these messages publicly, we encourage peer-to-peer conversations. This approach allows our clients to speak authentically about the collaboration and impact of our work—how we’ve supported growth, fostered community engagement, advanced strategic initiatives, and guided Board leadership. We’d love to connect you with peer institutions to learn more.
People are the heart
Sorting out the future of remarkable institutions isn’t easy. Place and programs, needs and aspirations, culture and circumstances—all are big, knotty questions with interconnected parts, diverse audiences, and often competing stakeholders.
We approach every engagement with empathy for our clients’ unique circumstances, supported by hands-on practice leaders with extensive experience, strategic awareness, an inspired sense of placemaking, and the ability to collaborate across all facets of our clients’ communities.
Jeffrey Blanchard
The focus of Jeff’s 35 years of professional practice has been linking institutional strategy with the possibilities of a place. To each opportunity, Jeff brings the enthusiasm to engage and excite the communities he serves, the experience to translate ideas into action, and the leadership to advance his clients’ interests.
Patricia Tedesco
Patty is a people person and also fiercely analytical — rapport and report, a powerful combination. Patty has played lead and supporting roles at Blanchard Group over two decades, working with institutions on their campus development strategy. She conceives possible futures, and demonstrates these futures aren’t just inspired, but doable.
Janet Chandler
An engineer by training and a poet at heart, Janet has played lead and supporting roles on numerous campus planning and consulting engagements for over a decade. She is dogged about authenticity — how an institution’s vision, mission, and educational experience are reflected in its campus setting.