Financial Sustainablity
Our Vision:
Financial sustainability will enable the programs needed to serve youth in South-Central Indiana.
Hoosier Trails Council Strategic Objectives and Goals
Objective 1: Develop key relationships in our communities that will further the Scouting movement.
Strategies to Achieve the Objective:
1. Implement a donor-centered culture of fund development.
2. Broaden community awareness of Scouting's impact on youth.
3. Develop fundraising manpower that is representative of our area and has the capacity to work within high levels of corporations.
4. Leverage the Board to enhance fundraising.
5. Ensure that the pubic and potential donors are aware of our mission.
Specific Goals:
1. Actively seek out volunteer leadership to drive our fundraising needs by annually adding 50% more Friends of Scouting campaign workers, enrollers, captains, etc. [Annually]
2. Establish Board leadership for the Friends of Scouting campaign. [January 2011]
3. Develop a donor marketing plan to help contributors to be better informed and connected to our organization. [May 2011]
4. Establish Board leadership for the Gifts-in-Kind campaign. [September 2011]
5. Establish Board leadership for the Popcorn Sale. [July 2012]
6. By [November 2012] develop a trained corps of speakers to give talks at Service Clubs and other community platforms.
7. Review progress seeking opportunities for continued improvement and set specific goals for the next year of the plan. [Annually]
Objective 2: Enable world-class programming by establishing a diversified and sustainable financial platform to support council programs and operations.
Strategies to Achieve the Objective:
1. Revitalize our Friends of Scouting campaign by broadening the base of supporters, training campaign workers, and implementing proven campaign disciplines.
2. Further develop popcorn sales as a mechanism for strengthening local unit programming and council operations.
3. Enhance customer service and improve Trading Post operations to generate additional revenue through Trading Post sales.
4. Diversify council income through the expansion of special events, such as golf tournaments.
5. Solidify the council's future by expanding our endowment.
6. Explore grants and foundations as a means of supporting programs.
7. Utilize gifts-in-kind to relieve cash outlays of the council, and explore cost-saving scale efficiencies.
8. Explore the feasibility of enhancing camping revenues and participation through expanded marketing.
9. Examine United Way relationships to ensure that we have the best possible partnerships.
Specific Goals:
1. Expand Trading Post inventory by 20% monthly until we achieve the recommended level of stock by national supply. [Monthly]
2. Develop units by expanding the Popcorn Sale by 6% annually, or 34% growth over the course of this plan. [Annually]
3. Annually build the Friends of Scouting support, ultimately raising $275,000 by the end of this strategic plan. [Annually]
4. Develop and implement a Trading Post marketing strategy to increase revenue. [January 2011]
5. Begin an annual plan to research, request, and secure grants to help fund council operations. [January 2011]
6. Institute a direct mail campaign to attract new donors. [February 2011]
7. Develop a task force aimed at improving United Way support to the council and improving United Way relationships. [April 2011]
8. By [August 2011], develop and implement an annual plan to obtain and utilize gifts-in-kind.
9. Actively grow our endowment base through promotion and through inclusion in the capital campaign. Targets will be determined based upon the outcome of the feasibility study. [December 2011]
10. Review progress seeking opportunities for continued improvement and set specific goals for the next year of the plan. [Annually]
Objective 3: Hoosier Trails Council is committed to the highest standards of stewardship, governance, and transparency.
Strategies to Achieve the Objective:
1. Ensure that the Council Treasurer is empowered to monitor and accurately report of the council's financial position.
2. Broaden the budget development process to involve additional volunteers and professional staff to ensure that individuals at all levels understand our finances and share ownership.
3. The Audit Committee will help develop the best possible methods of reporting our annual financial statements and actively work with auditing firm.
4. Provide the Board with an orientation of financial statements to increase their knowledge of our financial position and ensure that all financial reporting is transparent.
5. Create and implement staff development procedures to enhance operations and empower them to better serve the council.
Specific Goals:
1. Establish a monthly meeting between the Scout Executive and the Council Treasurer. [Monthly]
2. Recruit and empower a Council Audit Committee to further the impact we have on youth development. [January 2011]
3. Request proposals from several auditing firms and select one to conduct the 2010 Council Audit. [January 2011]
4. Conduct a Board Orientation on reading financial statements [June 2011]
5. Continue to develop the culture of building the annual operating budget from the ground up, involving sufficient volunteer and staff participation. [August 2011]
6. Review progress seeking opportunities for continued improvement and set specific goals for the next year of the plan. [Annually]
