Civic Impact Strategies, LLC

Veteran-Owned Public & Nonprofit Consulting

Civic Impact Strategies is a veteran-owned consulting firm delivering high-impact strategy, fiscal analysis, and leadership support to public, nonprofit, and private sector partners. We help leaders navigate complexity, align resources, and drive measurable outcomes.Strategic insight for civic leaders, grounded in experience and built for impact.

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© Cayce Pollard. All rights reserved.

Work

Civic Impact Strategies offers a comprehensive suite of services across the public, nonprofit, private, and educational sectors.In the public arena, we specialize in fiscal modeling, tax increment financing (TIF) analysis, capital and infrastructure planning, budget forecasting, long-range financial strategy, and legislative policy support. We advise on zoning, land use, housing policy, and comprehensive planning, while also providing strategic facilitation, executive recruitment, compensation studies, and public-private partnership evaluation.For nonprofits, we deliver capital campaign and grant strategy, mission-aligned financial modeling, board-focused planning, stakeholder engagement, impact measurement, and advocacy-driven communications.Our private sector services focus on development navigation, entitlement guidance, intergovernmental coordination, and TIF structuring, acting as a strategic liaison between developers and government agencies.In the educational and research space, we contribute through guest lecturing, curriculum design, applied research collaboration, program evaluation, and the translation of data into actionable policy models.

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Scope of Services

Public Sector
• Fiscal modeling and tax increment financing (TIF) analysis
• Capital planning and infrastructure strategy
• Budget forecasting and levy impact evaluations
• Long-range financial planning and scenario development
• Economic and demographic trend analysis
• Policy research and white paper development
• Zoning, land use, and housing policy consulting
• Legislative analysis and issue briefs
• Comprehensive plan and ordinance review
• Strategic planning and facilitation for elected bodies and staff
• Executive recruitment and selection support
• Compensation and classification studies
• Survey design, data collection, and interpretation
• Public-private partnership planning and evaluation
• Executive coaching and municipal leadership development
• Public sector communications and outreach strategyNonprofit Sector
• Capital campaign strategy and fundraising alignment
• Grant strategy, positioning, and narrative development
• Mission-driven financial modeling and budget planning
• Strategic planning for program growth and board alignment
• Stakeholder engagement and facilitated planning sessions
• Program evaluation and performance benchmarking
• Organizational capacity assessment and leadership support
• Survey research and impact measurement
• Advocacy-focused policy briefs and external communicationsPrivate Sector (Government Liaison Services)
• Public sector liaison for development and entitlement projects
• Strategy and communications planning for developers engaging with local government
• Pre-application review preparation and guidance
• Coordination with zoning, permitting, and planning staff
• Intergovernmental navigation across municipal, county, and state agencies
• DNR, DOT, and utility coordination support
• Assistance with TIF project structuring and public-private partnership development
• Representation or preparation for plan commission, council, or regulatory board meetingsEducational & Research Sector
• Guest lecturing on local government, finance, and economic development
• Curriculum design and instructional partnership
• Data-driven research collaboration and white paper development
• Program evaluation for university-community initiatives
• Survey design, analysis, and interpretation for applied research
• Training module development for government/nonprofit staff
• Conference presentations and keynote preparation
• Research-to-practice translation and applied policy modeling

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About

Civic Impact Strategies was founded by John S. Weidl, a decorated United States Air Force combat veteran and nationally recognized leader in economic development, municipal finance, and public-sector strategy.John has been honored as one of Development Counsellors International’s “40 Under 40 in Economic Development” and received multiple national accolades from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), including the 2020 Gold Award for Business Recruitment, the 2020 Silver Award for Multi-Year Economic Development, and the 2016 Young Economic Development Professional of the Year. In Wisconsin, his leadership has earned recognition from the Wisconsin Economic Development Association (WEDA) and the Wisconsin City/County Management Association (WCMA), along with three consecutive GFOA Distinguished Budget Presentation Awards for the City of Whitewater.John’s expertise extends beyond municipal government. As a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom II, he was awarded the United States Army Commendation Medal for meritorious service during joint combat operations. In the nonprofit sector, his early work at Camp Edwards—a year-round residential camp operated by the Geneva Lakes Family YMCA—shaped his passion for youth development and team leadership. There, he led staff training, performance evaluation, and mission-driven programming focused on outdoor education.Civic Impact Strategies reflects John’s commitment to mission-focused leadership, data-driven decision-making, and results that create lasting civic value.

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Recognition & Presentations

• 2020 Gold Award – International Economic Development Council (Business Recruitment & Expansion Programs)
• 2020 Silver Award – International Economic Development Council (Multi-Year Economic Development Programs)
• Young Economic Development Professional of the Year – International Economic Development Council, 2016
• 40 Under 40 in Economic Development – Development Counsellors International
• Finalist, 2020 – Public-Private Partnership Award, Wisconsin Economic Development Association
• Outstanding Program Award – Wisconsin City/County Management Association, 2015
• Three-time recipient – GFOA Distinguished Budget Presentation Award
• Army Commendation Medal – United States Army, awarded for meritorious service in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II
• Presenter – League of Wisconsin Municipalities (LWM), Wisconsin Economic Development Association (WEDA), International Economic Development Council (IEDC), Walworth County Economic Development Alliance (WCEDA), Thrive Economic Development - Jefferson County, WI (ThriveED), and the Illinois City/County Management Association (ILCMA)
• Lecturer – Local government courses at undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as professional organizations, service organizations, 501(c)(3)s and 501(c)(4)s