Misty Meadows Equine Learning Center
Strategic Plan 2024 - 2027
Strategic Vision
Misty Meadows Equine Learning Center will develop clear operating systems, creating a strong organizational structure on which to build sustainable practices to protect our ability to implement our mission into the future.
Focus Areas
Sustainability - The ability to maintain operations with ample resources in all areas.
Systems - Replicable procedures, policies and organizational best practices that are understood and utilized by all personnel.
Visibility - Wider brand recognition including an understanding of our mission, programs and the support needed to operate sustainably.
Development Strategic Goals
Sustainability
Lay the groundwork for a Capital Campaign in 2027. Increase donor retention and individual donor giving levels through personalized relationship building. Increase the number and diversity of individual donors that contribute to Misty Meadows annually.
Systems
Finalize a replicable, transparent, year round calendar of development tasks, events, grants, marketing, outreach and budget timelines. Establish a planned giving system and launch with annual report in the spring of 2025. Create simple, transparent, access to donor data and giving trends for board and committee members to drive decision making and enhance donor relationship building.
Visibility
Build relationships with existing and additional grant funders at all levels through outreach and participation in community events. Explore new outreach opportunities in partnership with the Program Committee. Build vendor partner relationships through sponsorship and other giving opportunities
Facilities Strategic Goals
Sustainability Goals:
Evaluate available space usage for more habitable office/ meeting space. Decrease reliance on propane. Formalize lease agreement for Log Cabin. Evaluate feasibility of staff housing project. Conduct assessment of accessibility of facility (entrances, parking, ADA bathroom etc) with community partners.
Systems Goals:
Identify and create tracking/software systems for property management. Establish soil evaluation and pasture maintenance systems. Evaluate property management staffing needs.
Visibility Goals:
Complete Mindfulness/Sensory Trail. Improve farm house management.
Finance Strategic Goals
Sustainability
Improve overall financial sustainability. Cover operating expenses from annual revenue without any draw from the investment account. Increase the investment and deferred maintenance funds.
Systems
Complete entities merger, consolidate banking and investments; adjust accounting and property ownership. Stabilize financial management: in-house bookkeeper/CFO; increased in-house competency in financial and technical resource management. Improve reporting metrics by developing and implementing forecasting tools.
Visibility
Evaluate marketing materials, annual report, website, social media for consistency and understanding of operating cost. Create consistency in optimal percentages of expenses for operations versus development and administrative costs.
Governance and Human Resources Strategic Goals
Sustainability
Evaluate and implement corporate requirements for combined organizations.
Further develop board structure.
Adopt a long term staffing model.
Program Strategic Goals
Sustainability
Develop a succession plan for program staffing including instructional staff, equines and volunteers. Maintain a yearly net gain of community partnerships through retention of current partners and outreach to new partners. Evaluate and restructure the volunteer area of Misty's operations to ensure day to day volunteer needs are being met. (see detail of Volunteer SubCommittee Goals below) Continue to diversify program offerings to meet the changing needs of the community.
Systems
Enhance data collection to inform program development and volunteer management. Establish instructional staff mentorship systems to ensure ongoing program quality and achievement of PATH Intl., State of MA and other Equine Assisted Services certifications. Build a replicable academic year calendar that allows for consistency for students and partners fall through spring sessions. Create a replicable curriculum based on student skill cards to ensure instructional consistency of fundamental horsemanship principles and facilitate student progress with documentation.
Visibility
Clarify program focus as therapeutic in nature to a broader audience, consistently. Develop in house training and education workshops as well as clinics that can be delivered to both on and off island audiences. Add our core values to marketing materials and website for increased transparency.
Volunteer Area Strategic Goals
Sustainability
Establish a system for volunteer retention as a two-way outcome. Use data and regular volunteer feedback to identify strengths and weaknesses.
Systems
Continue to improve flow from point of contact to regular volunteer participation. Continue to improve the scheduling system. Ensure that program and horse care needs are being met with appropriate and skilled volunteers.
Visibility
Establish ways for Misty’s volunteer program to be recognized in the community.
Equine Area Strategic Goals
Sustainability
Establish goals and actions steps by March 1, 2025.