STRATEGIC PLANNING FINAL REPORT. Prepared by: The Alford Group

Transcription

1 STRATEGIC PLANNING FINAL REPORT Prepared by: The Alford Group May 2010

2 Table of Contents Introductions... 1 Goal and Outcomes... 2 Mission... 2 Plan Overview... 3 Strategic Plan... 4 Appendices...14 Between Friends May 2010 Strategic Planning

3 Introduction In September 2009, Between Friends engaged The Alford Group to facilitate a Strategic Planning process. Over the course of eight months, The Alford Group facilitated a Board and Staff planning day, conducted a survey to assess current and future programmatic activities, met with the Strategic Planning Taskforce, and its work groups to develop and refine the Strategic Plan. The Alford Group is grateful to have had this opportunity to partner with Between Friends. We would like to thank Kathy Doherty, Executive Director; her wonderful staff; and all those who participated in this work. THE ALFORD GROUP TEAM Jill Zimmerman Vice President Cate Fox Consultant Between Friends Page 1

4 Goal and Outcomes To facilitate and oversee an efficient Strategic Planning Process that results in a Strategic Plan, articulating organizational goals and guiding Between Friends for the next three to five years. Outcomes of this project: Mission and vision statements developed and affirmed. Consensus of Board and staff built around mission, vision and positioning of Between Friends. A comprehensive three year Strategic Plan that includes strategic goals that will move the organization forward and a work plan that will achieve those goals. Mission of Between Friends: Between Friends is a nonprofit agency dedicated to breaking the cycle of domestic violence and building a community free of abuse. Mission Between Friends Page 2

5 Plan Overview The document created through this Strategic Planning process provides a framework for development of in-depth annual plans. The framework includes the following components: Organizational Objectives - Large-scale goals defining what Between Friends will achieve Strategic Directions - Broad plans for how Between Friends will achieve its Objectives Action Steps - Detailed descriptions of activities that will be undertaken in pursuit of the Strategic Directions Financial Implications - An assessment of the need for additional resources to undertake each action step: - Within current budget - Additional resources needed to fully implement - Additional resources needed to initiate Board - The volunteer leaders with oversight and involvement in each action step Staff - Between Friends staff members with oversight and involvement in each Action Step Annual Outcomes - Specific quantifiable annual results directly attributable to completion of an Action Step Staff and volunteer task groups will be charged with converting portions of the framework into detailed plans. Between Friends Page 3

6 Strategic Plan Between Friends Page 4

7 Organizational Objective I: Refine and implement an integrated set of programs and services. Evaluate Between Friends program/service offerings Analyze current program offerings in relation to service needs Year 1: Prioritize program areas to be evaluated (improved), specifically focusing on gaps and duplication of services Year 2: Annual evaluation and improvements Year 3: Annual evaluation and improvements Review participant evaluation data-relative to specific program outcomes Year 1: Identify which programs are meeting goals and review outcome measures to confirm that we are measuring the correct elements Year 2: Continue to identify which programs are meeting goals and review outcome measures to confirm that we are measuring correct elements Year 3: Continue to identify which programs are meeting goals and review outcome measures to confirm that we are measuring correct elements Develop a resource map Year 1: Define the map criteria, identify existing providers in Rogers Park and Rolling Meadows, and identify resources that are needed Year 2: Expand map to include larger Chicago area Year 3: Continue to expand map to include larger Chicago area Between Friends Page 5

8 Modify and improve programs and services Re-evaluate need and structure of a crisis line Year 1: Will have restructured the point of first contacts to Between Friends Year 2: Implement Year 3: Evaluate Improve quality of intervention programming for youth throughout the agency Year 1: Identify service gaps related to how youth are presently being served through the counseling and court advocacy programs Year 2: Complete any training and program modifications necessary to expand our intervention services for youth who are victims of dating violence within the counseling and court programs Year 3: Gather participant and program staff feedback to evaluate the outcomes of program changes and the sustainability of counseling and court services to youth Strengthen our capacity to provide comprehensive programming to youth through our REACH program Year 1: Examine present relationships with schools and explore the sustainability and feasibility of expanding the REACH program within priority schools Year 2: Expand REACH team by two facilitators in order to serve 50% North and 50% South/Westside schools Year 3: Evaluate sustainability/ability to replicate Develop youth leadership Year 1: Document and evaluate the outcomes, approaches, and activities of two peer leadership groups Year 2: Replicate peer leadership work in 2 additional schools/partnerships Year 3: Evaluate sustainability/ability to replicate Between Friends Page 6

9 Modify current partnerships and/or establish additional vibrant partnerships with organizations whose programs complement Between Friends Determine existing linkages/partnerships/referral sources Year 1: Identify a solid list of partnerships with roles clearly defined including what are we bringing to the partnership Year 2: Deepen/strengthen partnerships with at least two agencies Year 3: Leverage these partnerships to obtain resources 2 grant opportunities Identify new community based linkages Year 1: Define our community resource needs (concurrent with developing resource map) Year 2: Develop other partnerships based on program needs Year 3: Leverage these partnerships to obtain resources 2 grant opportunities Between Friends Page 7

10 Organizational Objective II: Expand the funding base and grow revenue. Develop a stronger individual giving program Refine and enhance internal prospecting (Analyze current individual giving patterns) Year 1: Create a report that will profile current donors and their giving behavior and offer recommendations Year 2: Optimize individual giving program Year 3: Increase the number of new donors and revenue Formalize active donor acquisition program Year 1: Create a document that analyzes current program and provides recommendations Year 2: Optimize donor acquisition program Year 3: Increase the number of new donors and revenue Formalize evaluation process Year 1: Identify internal benchmarks for evaluating all individual giving Year 2: Create an action plan based on the evaluation of all individual giving Year 3: Refine and implement evaluation measures Between Friends Page 8

11 Pursue additional funding from corporate partnerships Analyze how we: 1) Identify new corporate partners 2) Reach out and recognize existing ones, and make recommendations for improvement Year 1: Complete internal and external benchmarking of current practices and create a system to identify new partnerships and develop current ones Year 2: Practices are refined and enhanced and recognition levels are created Year 3: Increase in the number of new corporate partnerships and in the level of engagement of current partners Grow fee-based revenue Evaluate internal programs capacity for fee-based revenue Year 1: Assess our internal ability to charge for existing services and explore other domestic violence agencies fee-based revenue capabilities Year 2: Create and implement an action plan identifying fees per service and our billing process Year 3: Increase the amount of fee-based revenue Review various social enterprise concepts and determine whether there is a fit for the agency Year 1: Nothing in the first year Year 2: Benchmark social enterprise concepts and determine the fit for Between Friends Year 3: Pending the decision - do nothing at this time or move forward to create a business plan Between Friends Page 9

12 Organizational Objective III: More effectively identify and utilize volunteer leadership at all levels Develop a Board growth plan Develop ideal Board member profile and review current board skill metrics Year 1: Board member profile metrics defined Year 2: Review current board membership skill metrics and composition Year 3: Review current board membership skill metrics and composition Review and revise current Board member roles and responsibilities and provide ongoing training Year 1: Board member metrics established per roles and responsibilities Year 2: Annual review of Board meeting expectations outlined in roles and responsibilities Year 3: Annual review of Board meeting expectations outlined in roles and responsibilities Update recruitment plan and recruit board and committee members Year 1: Recruitment plan updated and expanded with 4 board members and 3 committee members recruited Year 2: 4 board members recruited and 3 committee members recruited Year 3: 4 board members recruited and 3 committee members recruited Develop individualized Board member plans establishing concrete deliverables Year 1: Determine a new process for creating and monitoring individual Board plans with 85% of individual Board member plans executed Year 2: 100% of Individual Board member plans are executed Year 3: 100% of Individual Board member plans are executed Between Friends Page 10

13 Review, strengthen and grow the young professional group and advisory council Young Professionals Group: Clarify Purpose, Structure, Roles and Responsibilities Year 1: Benchmark other agencies Young Professional's Groups (YPG) - defining the purpose, structure, roles, and responsibilities and determine the sustainability of the YPG or create a plan to integrate YPG members into other volunteer opportunities Year 2: Dependent on year 1 results Year 3: Dependent on year 2 results Advisory Council: Clarify Purpose, Structure, Roles and Responsibilities Year 1: Benchmark other agencies' Advisory Councils, clearly define purpose, structure, roles, responsibilities, recruitment plan created, modify current list Year 2: 5 Advisory Council members recruited Year 3: 5 Advisory Council members recruited Establish an active leadership council to raise money Clarify Purpose, Structure, Roles and Responsibilities Year 1: Benchmark other agencies leadership councils; create clearly defined purpose, structure, roles, and responsibilities, recruitment plan completed Year 2: 5 Leadership Council members recruited Year 3: 5 Leadership Council members recruited Between Friends Page 11

14 Organizational Objective IV: Become a more prominent resource on domestic violence, abuse prevention, and information related to these issues in Chicagoland Further develop media and communication plan Standardize communication materials in look and tone including messaging, case and client stories Year 1: Gather information about current perceptions of Between Friends. Develop a unified message that highlights how Between Friends is unique and irreplaceable Year 2: Staff and volunteers speak with a unified voice and written materials are consistent in look, messaging and tone Year 3: Between Friends is recognized as providing unique, irreplaceable services to the community Build stronger relationships with existing and new contacts (PR, media, political) Year 1: Between Friends media contact list is enhanced by leveraging press contacts from volunteer leadership, Advisory Council, YPG and other volunteers. From that list we will enhance our relationship with 3 media contacts Year 2: Refine media cultivation strategy and continue to deepen relationships with media representatives Year 3: Between Friends is featured more regularly in the media leading to increased donations, event attendance, and volunteer leadership Utilize media to proactively build credibility and interest in Between Friends Year 1: Current media efforts are evaluated, benchmarks are researched, and media strategy is created (based on current activities, best practices and goals), and activities are prioritized and selected for completion Year 2: Through increased interactions via the web and traditional outlets, Between Friends engages the community (define/prioritize) in an ongoing dialog regarding domestic violence issues Year 3: Visibility of the organization is increased, Between Friends is featured more prominently in local media, plays an active role in sourcing information for stories leading to increased donations and volunteer leadership Between Friends Page 12

15 Develop volunteer leadership s relationship building skills and capabilities to enhance their external role Volunteer leadership receive training in the value, process and technique of building relationships Year 1: Volunteer leadership understands the importance of networking and cultivating relationships on behalf of Between Friends Year 2: Volunteer leadership has demonstrated their networking and cultivation skills leading to increased giving to Between Friends Year 3: Annual personalized board pledge plans net increased contributions for Between Friends Cultivation events, hosted by board members, are held to introduce new people to Between Friends Year 1: Each board member makes a minimum of 5 new in-person introductions to Between Friends Year 2: Board members and other volunteer leaders proactively identify additional ways to make 10 new in-person introductions to new individuals and organizations to Between Friends and participate in solicitations as appropriate Year 3: Annual personalized board pledge plans net increased contributions for Between Friends Between Friends Page 13

16 Appendices Between Friends Page 14

17 Appendix A: Strategic Planning Committee Roster Kathy Carroll Christopher Corona Kathy Doherty Ann Oorbeck Friesema Geri Joy Terry Saunders Margaret Waugh Rhonda Woodard Carrie Villa Colleen Norton Community member Board member Executive Director Counselor former Board member Board member Board member Advisory Council member Associate Director Prevention & Education Manager Between Friends Page 15

18 Appendix B: Work Group Participants Bruce Behrens Kathy Carroll Bonnie Chan Alison Clarke Christopher Corona Tanya Cummings Lynn Diegel Kathy Doherty Amanda Espitia Andrea France Brittany Futterman Kelly Hinton Geri Joy Diane Jakubik Frank Kern Jennifer Lara Allison MacMunn Yesenia Maldonado Kathy Miller Colleen Norton Melissa Ressler Terry Saunders Diana Schonfeld Michele Stauff Margaret Waugh Rhonda Woodard Former Board Member, Member of Marketing Committee Community Member Board Member President of the Young Professional's Group Board Member Board Member Former Board Member, Chair of Marketing Committee Executive Director Development Director Board Member Grant Writer Board Member Former Board Member Board Secretary Board Chair Counselor Volunteer on Marketing Committee Program Director Court Advocate Volunteer Prevention & Education Manager Board Member Board Member Young Professional's Group Event Co-Chair Board Member Advisory Council Member Between Friends Page 16

19 Appendix C: Strategic Plan Components More Permanent Mission, Vision, Values Why we exist, what we aspire to be, principles that guide our work More Broad Organizational Objectives Large-scale goals defining what we want to achieve Strategic Directions Broad plans for how we will achieve our Objectives More Temporary /Adaptable Action Plans Detailed descriptions of timelines and responsibilities for carrying out our Strategic Directions More Specific Between Friends Page 17