STRATEGIC PLANNING

Dear Ancora:

Thank you so much for considering how Ancora might benefit from a Strategic Planning process. As some of you know, I rather enjoy this kind of work because of the generative effect it can have on nonprofits. Please know that I want to be mindful of our “member founded, member informed, member led” mindset, and want to promote that by having the strategic planning process include ALL the active members. As the fundamental stakeholders in Ancora’s success, the membership should be where the conversation about our future takes place. I appreciate having the chance to sit *with* you in this conversation as our board treasurer, Andrea Stern, leads the process.

Here then, are the three “domains” or subject areas for us to consider. We will be invited to discuss and record our ideas for each during the session, and then we can vote (using a “dot” system) to determine which represent the prioirtites of the group. It will then be the job of the board and executive committee to determine how to achieve those goals, and to help ensure that the group doesn’t pursue anything that would jeopardize the group financially (that’s the fiduciary responsibility of the board):

  1. Artistic Goals: Includes ideas for growth, change, and direction about our artistic practices, performance, and choir learning areas.

  2. Organizational Goals: Includes ideas for growth, change, and direction in our board, staff, program, and financial development.

  3. Membership Goals: Includes ideas for growth, change, and direction for our social and group health, membership policies and procedures, membership retention, and new member welcome.

Our job between now and the April strategic planning session is simply to contemplate these three areas and what our goals for each might include. Jotting a few things down and bringing them to the session is a great idea.

There’s much more to discuss, including what or how to work with our mutual artistic goals (which I’d like to keep as something to base evaluations on). For now, let’s hold these in our thoughts and work on learning the new music and polishing the concert repertoire for Vashon.

Warmly,

Scott