We are currently in the third year of a three-year strategic plan that launched in the fall of 2020. We are proud of what we have accomplished within that plan, including our diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) recommendations that were integrated into the plan last spring after being approved by the board of directors.

This year, a small subgroup of the board of directors was tasked with developing a new, updated strategic plan to guide Women’s Impact Fund for the next three years, from the fall of 2023 through the spring of 2027. I have been guiding this effort as Immediate Past Board Chair. This group has spent time reflecting on accomplishments against our current strategic plan, our DEI recommendations and last year’s listening sessions, and feedback from the current board of directors to create the new strategic plan that will be launched by this June.

The first step in our process was to revisit our mission, vision, and values to determine if they continue to be in line with our organizational hopes and aspirations. The board felt that our mission and vision continued to be aligned, but that we should consider a refresh of our values. Following a brainstorming session with the board, the strategic planning group presented updated values to the board of directors in February, where they were approved. Those are shared in the graphic shown here, at the top of the blog post, and on our website.

Following our updated values, we moved to define strategic plan goals through a working session with the board of directors and input from committee chairs. In addition, to streamline and focus our strategic plan, we removed those goals and tactics that were more operational or part of the “regular course of business.” Those will be reflected in a separate operating plan, allowing our strategic plan to remain just that – strategic! It will have fewer, more targeted goals with a focus on outputs and outcomes that we can measure against.

And now…drumroll…another reason to attend this year’s Annual Meeting is that we will be sharing a preview of our new strategic plan goals at this year’s event. The final approved plan will be shared more broadly with the membership via this newsletter and our blog once it is approved in early summer.

As I step down from my time on the board after serving as your first two-year board chair, I do so with immense gratitude for this organization and all the thoughtful women who make our work possible. Being able to lead the strategic planning process this year has only highlighted how deeply I believe in our collective impact and what is possible when women come together. I look forward to sharing it with you!