This past weekend, I (Liz) had the pleasure of Zoom-listening to UUA president Susan Frederick-Gray address the Annual UUA Southern Regional Assembly. Truly a comforting and inspiring speech, and several statements certainly require further reflection: “This is no time for casual faith…” “We need all the resilience and grounding we can muster…” “We are in the midst of generational shifts…” but also: “We are the people who keep showing up…;” and a favorite, in which she quoted Cornel West: “UUs punch above their weight…”
These and many similar sentiments and concerns are being voiced across our denomination with a mixture of both worry and determination – we are asking ourselves: how do we go forward in the midst of so much change and challenge? As we continue to hunker down and adapt to community building and caring without in-person joy, touch, conversation, and onsite meetings and meals, this is also an important time to revisit or create anew our congregational strategic plans and ensure they can guide and prepare us for the next two to four years and beyond.
A strategic plan is the meat on the bones of a congregation’s vision and mission. It has a number of key components:
- Vision Statement and Mission Statement
- Contextual Considerations (see below)
- Goals for each Mission Statement component
- Key Action Areas to achieve Goals
- Strategies to achieve Key Action Areas
- Measures of success
Before developing a plan: Take time to assess contextual considerations.
One of the best lessons we gained in our careers as a grassroots 
entrepreneur, social justice activists, and fundraisers is to start any planning process by understanding the external and internal issues that positively or negatively affect an organization’s success in actualizing values and purpose. We can’t think of a more compelling moment to ensure that we UUs take into account contextual considerations as we recast vision, mission and strategic plans. Contextual issues can be constantly changing and need to be monitored as a congregation contemplates its next steps.
- Examples of internal context: congregational culture; Pandemic; member demographics (age, gender identity, gender politics, white majority); buildings, grounds, and space; lay and ministerial leaders in transition; the meaning of virtual congregations and worship; lifespan education; technical capacity of members; technical resources.
What are top-of-mind internal considerations for your congregation?
- Examples of external context: Pandemic; changing geographic economic and employment base; demographic shifts; political shifts and local-national government; racial justice and white supremacy; climate change.
What are the key external factors affecting your community and congregation?
A strategic plan should include a summary of contextual considerations that have a direct impact on a congregation’s future.
Match your strategic planning with financial planning – Congregations often disconnect the budget priority setting process from strategic priorities. This is particularly apparent when a strategic plan prioritizes increasing membership growth, attracting more families, diversity, caregiving for aging members, or outreach and communications, but the budget doesn’t allocate funds for these activities. The working assumption is that volunteers will pick up the work, and this is not necessarily a viable solution. It is a critical time to align financial with strategic planning and work toward achievable ends representing our values and faith.
Comprehensive financial planning looks at all the financial resources, including annual budget, campaign proceeds, fundraising, special collections, and long-term funds such as endowments. If the congregation invests in an endowment and planned giving program, a congregation has a better chance of attaining not only mission, but also vision achievable. It’s also important to look at all expense categories including debt service and duration, long-term maintenance and upgrades, and the full range of ministries, programs, and activities.
Conducting Strategic Planning in the Time of the Pandemic – Yes, we can! Strategic planning is a collective effort, and while being together in person fosters a special energy for this work, technical tools such as Zoom, Survey Monkey, emails and phone calls can support a congregational planning process. There are more sophisticated online tools, such as Mural sticky note software, or Stormboard, though neither have a free option. Of course, a planning process does require committed volunteers with specific assignments and acceptable time commitments. The minister, board, and committees all play leadership facilitating roles to motivate, inspire, set examples, and participate in articulating each plan component.
Finally, a plan is only as good as its implementation and periodic revision. The board, Council, or specially assigned task force should regularly review accomplishments and measures of success, gathering information from staff and committees, and reporting back to the congregation.
“Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.” Alan Lakein, author, time management guru
We hosted a Webinar on this topic on November 20th. Here is the PowerPoint from that presentation: S4Us_Finding Your Congregation’s New Normal Presentation
Liz Coit, Kay Crider, Mark Ewert, Barry Finkelstein and Rachel Maxwell are part of the Stewardship for Us team. Please send your questions and topic suggestions for our blog or online Friday Forum discussions to team@stewardshipforus.com.
Over a 25-year career in resource development, Liz has led fundraising efforts including major gifts campaigns for Prosperity Now, Center for Community Change, Ms. Foundation for Women, and Legal Momentum (formerly NOW Legal Defense Fund). Liz has been a member of All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church in Washington, DC since 2003. Reach Liz at Team@StewardshipForUs.com