Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Our Vision for the Future, Our Path to Get There

Our Vision for the Future, Our Path to Get There:
Be a Part of YNPN San Diego's Goals and Strategies for 2012-2013



Earlier this month, the YNPN San Diego Advisory Board and committee members got together for our annual strategic planning retreat. Through a series of mental marathons, we developed goals and objectives for 2012-2013 and the organizational structure to get us there. We’re very excited about where we see YNPN San Diego going in the future and we wanted to share that vision with you!

First off, we have our own unique vision statement. It says why we exist and what value we bring to the community. Tweet this: YNPN creates a thriving San Diego by cultivating a highly-valued network of emerging leaders dedicated to serving the nonprofit sector. This goes hand-in-hand with the YNPN National mission statement
We’re inspired by the vision and we want to see it come true. We identified three strategic goals for the coming year that will bring us closer to making our vision a reality:
  •       Expand participation in the YNPN Network. Our network is our lifeblood. Our network of supporters has grown exponentially since our founding four years ago. It includes Subscribers, who access our services at no cost, and Professional and Associate Members, who pay an annual membership fee to receive exclusive benefits. We want to grow our network so that we can facilitate greater professional development opportunities and connections that will benefit our supporters and the community.
  •       Improve the infrastructure of YNPN. Form follows function. For YNPN San Diego to achieve our goals, we must ensure that our internal infrastructure is strong enough yet flexible to support a wide range of activities and promote innovation. This starts by having a talented and dedicated group of volunteers involved at the committee level and on the Board. We’ll be working hard at bringing in volunteers from across San Diego who want to both contribute toward the cause and gain excellent professional development opportunities. We’ll also be looking internally at governance and systems to see where we can strengthen the YNPN San Diego experience.
  •       Enhance communications with all stakeholders. Strong communication with the network is essential for our success. We want to hear from you about what types of programs you want, what skills you want to develop and who you want to meet in the community. We’re going to improve how we communicate across the organization and improve transparency so that everyone in the network is a part of our vision.
Achieving our goals will require a collaborative effort from our program and operational committees. At the retreat, we revised our organizational structure so that each committee, including some new ones, have a clear purpose and defined objectives:
  • Social Committee. Meet and Greets are our flagship networking program. It’s our time to mix and mingle with other nonprofit leaders from throughout San Diego. We’re excited to announce that we’ll be rolling out some other networking opportunities over the year, and the Social Committee will be leading the charge. Committee Chair: Courtney Sanwo 
  •  Professional Development Committee. The PDC provides a variety of professional development activities and resources with content and format relevant to YNPN members. Over the last six months, its monthly book clubs and workshops/panels have been paired with a community calendar and member-only resource center. It’s also rolled out a new Lunch ‘N Learn program, and will be building on this momentum to continue capacity building programs. Committee Chair: Jessica Kort 
  • Network Relations Committee. Developing a stronger network means we need to focus on providing value to every member and subscriber. The Network Relations Committee will work to grow and sustain YNPN’s network of emerging leaders, by recruiting new individuals, ensuring that each supporter has a positive and consistent experience, and maintaining a strong membership infrastructure. It consists of two subcommittees: Recruitment (chaired by Katelyn Hailey) and Retention (chaired by Bryan Banville). Committee Chair: Lauren Grattan
  • Communications Committee. The success of our programs hinges not only on their quality, but also on our ability to keep the network informed. The revitalized Communications Committee will handle our social media strategy and execution as well as lead the development of a strong and consistent brand across the organization. Committee Chair: Lucy Lu
  • Fundraising Committee. The Fundraising Committee makes sure YNPN San Diego has the resources we need to deliver great programs and services to the community. They develop and implement our fundraising plan and take the lead on all resource development projects. Committee Chair: Lisa Farnan
Are you inspired by our vision? Are you excited about developing your skills and connections to take your career to the next level? All of our committees are looking to grow. If you’re interested in joining a committee, get in touch with the committee chairs to learn about upcoming meetings and how you can become more involved with San Diego's nonprofit community. Please direct any general questions to YNPN San Diego’s Vice Chair, Efrem Bycer.

Thank you for being a part of YNPN San Diego. We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events!
~The YNPN San Diego Advisory Board