Our Strategic Plan

The strategic plan is our vision for the future of the Y. Our strategic planning committee worked closely with Y staff to determine how we will expand on the footprint we have created in our 168 year history. This framework is our roadmap to 2027, establishing clear goals and tactics that all of us can use to help our Y succeed.

FRAMEWORK METHODOLOGY

The YMCA of Central Ohio (YCO) and Benefactor Group engaged in a strategic planning process between October 2022 and April 2023.

DISCOVER

In November and December 2022, Benefactor Group and YCO’s Strategic Planning Committee engaged more than 1,300 individuals in the following activities.

Materials review: financial reports, annual reports, program descriptions, marketing materials and strategy documents
Discovery interviews: with senior leadership, program staff, key partners, volunteers, community leaders and funders
Focus groups and surveys: with the YCO Advisory Board, branch members, community partners, corporate and foundation funders, Board of Trustees members, senior staff, general staff, YMCA program participants and members

DREAM

Benefactor Group presented comprehensive findings to the Strategic Planning Committee. In January 2023, YCO gathered senior staff members and key board members for a strategic planning retreat, which focused on the development of a shared understanding of YCO’s mission, vision and plans for the future.

DESIGN

Benefactor Group and the Strategic Planning Committee developed a draft of the Strategic Framework, which was presented to the Board of Trustees Executive Committee. The Framework includes:

Mission, Vision, Values; Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement; and Safety Statement: foundational elements that define YCO and its purpose
Strategic Priority: area of focus for the plan
Strategic Objective: measures to evaluate progress and success

DELIVER

The Strategic Framework was presented to, and approved by, the Board of Trustees in April 2023. Moving forward, the Framework will be integrated into organizational planning for 2024 and beyond. Implementation will include the development of a dashboard to track progress on Strategic Objectives and. Priorities, which will be monitored by senior leadership and the Board of Trustees.

MISSION

We serve the whole community through programs expressing Judeo-Christian principles that build a healthy spirit, mind and body.

VISION

We envision a future with strong communities where all people reach their full potential.

VALUES

We do our work while honoring our core values of Caring, Honesty, Respect and Responsibility.

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

Empower young people to reach their full potential

Strengthen the well-being of children, youth and teens.
Increase academic success and social and emotional learning of children, youth and teens.

HEALTHY LIVING

Improve individual and community well-being

Strengthen individual and community health.
Serve as a center of our communities.
Prevent and treat chronic diseases through evidence-based programs.
Protect the health, wellness and safety of everyone in our facilities and programs.
Expand our impact through collaborations and partnerships.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Support and inspire action to meet the greatest needs of the communities we serve

Reduce homelessness through housing stability
Convene community conversations around important issues affecting youth, healthy living, housing, homelessness, equity and inclusion.

OUR PEOPLE

Recruit, retain and develop committed team members and volunteers and strengthen the systems that support them

Strengthen our ability to serve through intentional professional development.
Recruit and retain staff who are committed to advancing the Y’s mission.
Cultivate a strong organizational culture that centers on our mission, vision and values.
Increase volunteer engagement and capacity.
Strengthen our ability to work with diverse groups and viewpoints.

OUR RESOURCES

Ensure we grow and steward physical and financial resources to create a resilient organization

Improve financial stability.
Optimize physical assets.
Increase philanthropic support.

OUR STORIES

Tell the stories of our work and the people we serve to drive collective problem solving and impact

Courageously share our Y story in Central Ohio.
Increase awareness of YCO’s programs and services.

ANTI-RACISM, DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

We are committed to strengthening communities to effect lasting, meaningful changes. The execution of our mission requires substantial engagement of our entire community and is only attainable when anti-racism, diversity, equity and inclusion are core to our planning, programming, staffing, messaging, organizational structure and partnerships. To this end, our ADEI Plan provides a detailed set of goals for how we will live up to our promise through critical tasks, intentional cross-functional teams and work, and indicators of success.

SAFETY

We are dedicated to fostering a safe and secure environment for our employees, members, guests, participants and volunteers in every aspect of our operations; from facility design to comprehensive policies and procedures. We recognize that an effective risk management and safety program is mission critical and ensures the well-being of our communities. We prioritize the identification, assessment and mitigation of potential risks to minimize incidents and create a culture of safety in all our operations.

Page updated

Report abuse