Accelerator Program – Phase I

Client:

Grant Term:

10/2011 – 09/2012 Contact:

Jane Weiner

President & CEO jane@hopestoneinc.org 713.526.1907 www.hopestoneinc.org

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Organization logo here

Mission and Vision

MISSION

• Hope Stone, Inc. exists to unlock the innate creativity of young people and

adults through our dance and movement classes, our professional company Hope

Stone Dance, and our youth arts outreach program Hope Stone Kids.

VISION

• Art for all: expanding boundaries through engaging experiences.

Use of Funds Towards the use of engaging consultants for the creation of a multi-year strategic plan.

Consultant Selection

• Leadership Team brainstormed and identified required qualities and qualifications of a consultant • Leadership Team determined a corporate organizational model moving forward was desired • Board President and President & CEO interviewed potential consultant conveying expectations for Strategic Planning process and outcome • Negotiated a contract with consultant

Planning Process

• Conveyed current status and challenges of Hope Stone to the consultant • Engaged a diverse team of staff, board members, clients, HSD performers, HSK parents and students and Advisory Board members to attend the 2 day Strategic Planning retreat

Goal 1: President & CEO to focus more on programming and less on administrative tasks

• Objectives supporting the above goal:

– * Allocate administrative tasks to newly appointed Managing Director and Development Director

– * President & CEO focuses more time on growing programming for Hope Stone Dance and Hope Stone Kids

– * Expand the Hope Stone Kids Satellite programming

– * Shift some of the decision making to the executive staff to increase administrative efficiency

* Denotes objectives to address in the next 12 months.

Goal 2: Better manage clients, funders and audience

• Objectives supporting the above goal:

– * Identify and implement a CRM solution

– * Streamline internal reporting methods for increased administrative efficiency

– *New Website that is more user friendly and informative

* Denotes objectives to address in the next 12 months.

Goal 3: Create a Fundraising and Marketing Plan

• Objectives supporting the above goal:

– * Task Marketing Consultant and Development Director with researching and creating a Fundraising and Marketing Plan

– * Establish guidelines for branding and communicating who Hope Stone is to potential funders, clients and audience members

– * Create strategy to engage now donor groups to increase funding base

– * Create measureable goals that can be reported back to Board

* Denotes objectives to address in the next 12 months.

Goal 4: Expand Hope Stone Kids Satellite programming

• Objectives supporting the above goal:

•

– * Create a HSK Teaching Methodology and Teacher Training program

– * Determine approach for expansion including paying and scholarship based satellite partners

– * Secure 4 to 5 new satellite partners for 2013-2014 season

– * Hire an Education Director

* Denotes objectives to address in the next 12 months.

Keys to Success • List significant accomplishments and

strides made throughout your grant

– Engaging a diverse team of staff, board members, dancers, teachers, HSK parents and students, and Hope Stone Studio clients for the Strategic Planning Retreat

– Weekly meetings with Executive Administrative Staff

– Communication with staff and board of a clear trajectory of the organization

– Engaging a consultant who was experienced with many different types of organizations; i.e. big, small, for profit, not for profit

Lessons Learned

• What were your course corrections?

– Learning to let the experts be the experts and engage them for advice and guidance

– Not to “bite off more than we can chew” in terms of too much too fast

– The administrative staff is a team of leaders rather than a single point of leadership

– We have a built a strong staff with clear job descriptions and expectations

Business Process

Operate

Support

Optimize

Change

Summary of Future Plans

• We have lofty although attainable goals agreed upon by everyone in the organization and with clearer plans for the future and a way to measure our progress.

• Quarterly meetings take place to review our present status against the Strategic Plan with short term actions item put into place to ensure goals are met.

• The strategic planning process has created a platform on which the staff and board can work in tandem. This ensures accountability as we move forward to expand the organization’s reach both in the performing arts and in arts education.