Why Sightline?
Find the path from idea to impact.
Every successful initiative begins with a clear sightline — a strategic path from where you are to where you want to be. And yet, that path is often not so clear. The details are hazy, there are unexpected surprises, and reality sometimes fails to live up to the vision. I founded Sightline Strategies to help organizations and program teams find the sightline: to plan with more foresight, to adapt more quickly and strategically while remaining true to their goals, and ultimately to achieve better outcomes for the people they serve.
Megan Thibos
Founder & Principal
At heart, I am an innovator in service of a fairer economy that offers real opportunity to all. I love to dream big while also staying focused on “but how, exactly”. Over the course of my career, I have launched and refined more than fifteen pilot programs, partnerships, and strategic initiatives to expand economic opportunity. As a consultant, I leverage a broad methodological toolkit, deep expertise in household finances and the drivers of economic opportunity, and two decades of practical implementation experience turning promising ideas into effective programs.
Prior to founding Sightline Strategies, I served as Director of Community Impact Innovation at United Way for Southeastern Michigan, where I led strategic initiatives and supported dozens of partners at the intersection of economic mobility, financial empowerment, housing, workforce development, and transportation access. Previously, I founded a civic innovation team in the Mayor's Office at the City of Detroit, led the development of consumer-facing financial tools at the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, reimagined housing policy at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, researched community well-being, and worked on the front lines of nonprofits serving low-income populations.
I hold a Master's Degree in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School, where I focused on the economic and social forces that shape opportunity and perpetuate poverty. In 2022, I was honored by Crain's Detroit as a Notable Women in Nonprofit awardee. I currently serve as board treasurer for Higher Ground Abodes, a Detroit nonprofit working to transform a 100-year-old house into a co-op for youth aging out of foster care.
Selected Prior Work
I help organizations create better pathways to opportunity for the people they serve. Because people’s lives are complex and the barriers they face are interconnected, my work spans housing, workforce development, financial capability, transportation, and other fields that impact economic opportunity. Click into the examples below to learn more about some of the programs I have created.
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At United Way for Southeastern Michigan. I conceived and led a 4-year, 4-stage innovation challenge to support organizations in developing, testing, and launching game-changing new ideas to expand financial opportunity in Detroit. Read the report from the first two stages.
Detroit Financial Well-being Innovation Challenge
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At United Way for Southeastern Michigan. To address transportation barriers to employment, I shepherded a groundbreaking program from concept to execution to evolution. Over six years, I grew the annual budget 12x to $2.3M and transformed the program to more effectively address underlying barriers. Read one client’s story.
Ride United
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At United Way for Southeastern Michigan. In partnership with veteran financial coaches, I created and launched a new financial workshop curriculum focused on hands-on practice, real-world application, and concrete skill-building. Let’s talk if you’re interested in implementing the curriculum!
My Money Management System
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At United Way for Southeastern Michigan, in partnership with United Community Housing Coalition (UCHC). I supported UCHC over four years to design and implement a new program providing long-term coaching support to address underlying economic instability and reduce the risk of eviction. View an overview presentation of the model and lessons learned.
Keep it Home
My approach
What’s it like to work with me? These eight principles are my “how” — how I engage with partners and structure processes, the lenses I bring to my analysis, and the perspectives that inform my thinking and support for clients. Click into each one to learn more.
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Nothing about us without us is for us. From vision to implementation, I create inclusive, iterative processes to ensure staff, leadership, partners, and participants all have a voice and a sense of ownership.
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Programs work best when they are designed around the realities of the people they serve. I draw on human-centered design tools and practices to clarify needs, reduce barriers, and and create program infrastructure that works for real lives.
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Small design choices can have an outsized impact on outcomes. By applying insights from behavioral science, I help teams identify practical opportunities to improve participation, engagement, and results.
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Programs do not operate in isolation. I help teams understand how policies, institutions, incentives, and community dynamics shape participant experiences and influence program success.
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Strong programs balance creativity and new insights with what we know works. I draw on an extensive familiarity with existing research, data, and proven practices to give programs the best chance of success.
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Data should be a tool for learning and improvement, not just reporting. From the outset, I help teams develop practical measurement and data systems that support decision-making, demonstrate impact, and surface opportunities for ongoing refinement.
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The right technology can dramatically improve efficiency, participant and staff experience, and program effectiveness. The wrong technology ends up being a waste of time and money. I help teams identify and implement tools that fit their goals, capacity, and budget.
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A great idea is only valuable if it can be put into practice. I help teams go from concept to reality, flesh out the (many) operational details, and build the organizational muscles necessary to achieve and sustain meaningful outcomes.
“Our nonprofit worked with Megan to develop two distinct projects around Detroit’s home repair landscape and community ownership of commercial real estate. Megan has a kinetic intelligence that allows her to quickly grasp a project’s goals, connect seemingly disparate ideas, and turn complexity into clarity. She is one of those rare strategic thinkers who can provide advice that is both thoughtful and immediately actionable.”
~ Sam Butler
Executive Director,
Doing Development Differently in Metro Detroit
Let’s chat
Have an idea, a project, or a problem that needs some extra support? Let’s chat about it and explore how Sightline Strategies may be able to help.
