Cave Creek Unified Education Foundation
Strategic Plan
Established in 2012

 

Background

In May of 2012 the Foundation embarked on a comprehensive planning process to develop a five year strategic plan based on the guiding principles established in 2009.  This document establishes the mission and vision for our Foundation, expresses our guiding principles and core values, and explains our goals and how we intend to accomplish them.  Our mission and vision will guide our actions as we hold ourselves accountable to deliver on our goals, and the supporting objectives and strategies, to meet the challenge of providing financial support to the Cave Creek Unified School District in the years to come.

Cave_Creek_Unified-CCUEFRTD2013

 Mission

Provide the Cave Creek Unified School District (CCUSD) with supplemental funding required to achieve its Vision through fundraising, donations, grants and endowments that support excellence in education in 4 primary areas; classroom resources (including technology), international learning, health and wellness, and  music and the arts.

 

Vision

A sustainable funding model that will close the ever increasing gap between public funding and CCUSD needs such that there will be no shortfall to the M&O budget required for CCUSD to succeed at its mission to “Inspire Excellence”.

 

Guiding Principles

  • All residents in the CCUSD (Community) benefit from a fully funded public education system
  • Public funding alone will not provide sufficient funding for the CCUSD to meet its budget
  • Opportunities must be made available for the Community to support excellence in education
  • Adequate resources are required for CCUSD to be successful in delivering on its vision to, “Inspire students to become life-long learners in order to succeed in a global economy”

 

Core Values

Integrity: We deal honestly and fairly with our Community, school and with one another.

Transparency: We openly share information so our actions are above reproach.

Stewardship: We are committed to being good stewards of the resources we manage.

Excellence: We strive for success in everything we do.

 

Goals

  1. Build awareness by creating a consistent and compelling fundraising message that is delivered through diverse strategies to a Community-wide audience.
  2. Promote a culture of giving that provides annual, sustained support through monetary donations from Community residents and businesses.
  3. Increase volunteer participation and utilize their talents in support of the Foundation.
  4. Enhance donations through public and private grant opportunities.
  5. Obtain endowments to provide stability and assure donors of the Foundation future.

Cave_Creek_Unified_CCUEF_RTD2012 

Focus Area:  Communications

Goal

Build awareness by creating a consistent and compelling fundraising message that is delivered through diverse strategies to a Community-wide audience.

 

Objectives

  • Increase awareness of the Foundation, its mission, funding goals, and accomplishments
  • Increase commitment and participation in the Foundation as evidenced by the number of new and repeat donors and number of volunteers

 

Strategies (Ongoing)

  1. Include consistent foundation communication in each school’s monthly newsletter
  2. Update Foundation’s website regularly to include information on past accomplishments, upcoming fundraisers funding goals and future priorities
  3. Develop and leverage relationships with local community media to promote fundraising goals of Foundation and need for community wide support
  4. Develop compelling story angles to pitch to the media
  5. Provide timely and personalized acknowledgement of all gifts
  6. Train all volunteers to speak effectively about the Foundation
  7. Capture names of event attendees, donors and silent auction purchases
  8. Provide report out on funds distributed and how they were used

 

Short term (1-1 1/2 years)

  1. Build communications committee to include sub-groups for message development, media, electronic communication, print materials and stewardship
  2. Develop a volunteer task force of communications professionals to develop fundraising message and create a general marketing plan
  3. Create Annual Report as the Foundation’s primary printed marketing piece
  4. Include fundraising message and call to action in the District Newsletters
  5. Develop Foundation talking points for every Foundation volunteer to learn
  6. Develop donor acknowledgment policies and procedures

 

Mid Term (1 ½ to 2 ½ years)

  1. Develop email distribution list and distribute a biannual electronic newsletter

 

Long Term (2 ½ to 4 years)

  1. Develop specific marketing and fundraising message and plan to target District residents who do not currently have children enrolled in CCUSD schools
  2. Develop and leverage relationships with the local community media to promote fundraising goals of Foundation and need for community support

 

 

CCUEF_Fundraising 

Focus Area: Fundraising

Goal

Promote a culture of giving that provides annual, sustained support through monetary donations from Community residents and businesses.  Enhance donations through public and private grant opportunities.  Obtain endowments to provide stability and assure donors of the Foundation’s future.

 

Objectives

  • Significantly increase the total funds raised through the Foundation’s two, annual events
  • Better utilize special events as “friend-raisers”, as well as fundraisers, by increasing attendance annually and focusing event activities around sharing the Foundation’s message
  • Grow the Foundation’s endowment through grant writing opportunities and corporate giving

 

Strategies (Ongoing/Annually)

  1. Create Annual Fund Campaign and Special Event Plans to include budget, volunteer needs, timeline, specific strategies and annual goal
  2. Build Annual Fund Campaign committee with specific position responsibilities
  3. Announce Campaign goal and fundraising priorities each fall
  4. Provide ongoing updates regarding progress towards goals and funding priorities achieved
  5. Include Foundation information and gift envelope in the “District Report” mailings
  6. Include information about the Foundation in Alumni newsletter or other communications
  7. Seek out and apply for grants on continual basis
  8. Provide report out on funds distributed and how they were used

 

Short Term (1-1 ½ years)

  1. Develop strategies at each event to promote the successes of the District, share the Foundation’s message and get people more engaged in the Foundation’s work
  2. Find and mentor grant writers with history of success in obtaining grants
  3. Send twice annual mail solicitations to all families with children in District schools
  4. Develop prospect lists of major donors, local businesses and non-parent District residents
  5. Develop application for schools to apply for funding and systems for evaluating applications

 

Mid Term (1 ½ to 2 ½ years)

  1. Send semiannual mail solicitations to District parents (segment by current, lapsed and non-donors)
  2. Send direct mail solicitation to all households in District area, including non-parents
  3. Create a committee to work on business partnerships and solicitations
  4. Develop comprehensive sponsorship benefits package for events and coordinate solicitation
  5. Create specific materials (i.e. brochure, website content) to talk about purpose of the Foundation for the school district

 

Long Term (2 ½ to 4 years)

  1. Create a task force of current non-parent donors to better understand motivations of this group for giving and develop effective strategies for solicitation
  2. Establish a “legacy society” to promote and recognize planned giving to the Foundation

 CCUEF_Rock_the_District_2012

Focus Area: Volunteers

Goal

Increase volunteer participation and utilize their talents in support of the Foundation.

 

Objectives

  • Increase the number of volunteers involved in Foundation work
  • Educate volunteer’s with regards to their roles and responsibilities
  • Create an environment where volunteers can enjoy their work with, and for, the Foundation
  • Have experienced, knowledgeable volunteers prepared to assume Foundation leadership positions

 

Strategies (Ongoing/Annually)

  1. Identify the number, types and expertise of volunteers needed for each specific area of responsibility
  2. Provide an annual volunteer orientation and ongoing volunteer training
  3. Create job descriptions for every volunteer position
  4. Promote the need for specific volunteer jobs in school newsletters and other communications strategies
  5. Conduct exit interviews with outgoing board members and other volunteers to get feedback about improving the volunteer experience
  6. Identify and recruit Board prospects with leadership potential

 

Short Term (1 ½ years)

  1. Update volunteer training
  2. Create job descriptions with clearly defined expectations for every volunteer position
  3. Assign new board members a mentor
  4. Launch focused volunteer recruitment campaign
  5. Implement President-Elect and Past-President positions on the Board to help with succession planning
  6. Establish a process for identifying, grooming, nominating and electing Board leadership
  7. Create succession binders to hand off to new, incoming volunteers

 

Mid Term (1 ½ to 2 ½ years)

  1. Host an annual event for volunteer recognition

 

Focus Area Organizational Chart

CCUEF_Chart