The Central New York Community Foundation has announced a new five-year strategic plan to set focus and direction for its work in Onondaga, Madison, Cortland, Cayuga and Oswego counties.
“Our new plan will help to grow and deepen our existing work and take on new opportunities that will materially improve the region through inclusion, civic and community engagement, and growth in local philanthropy,” said Dan Fisher, chair of the Community Foundation Board of Directors.
The plan calls for the organization to:
- Be responsive to the region’s needs, play a strategic leadership role, and vigilantly assess impact of its community investments;
- Give all community members opportunities to participate in philanthropy;
- Maintain prudent management and investment of resources, including the deployment of financial strategies that support local communities;
- See students enter and complete college while bolstering relationships with students and families to help advance their success;
- Establish recognition and confidence in the organization;
- Enhance a commitment to equity throughout operations.
The new strategic plan was designed based on multiple feedback efforts including surveys and community forums with donors, grant recipients, partners and community leaders.
“We undertook a process of discovery and reflection to assess our current position and define our aspirations for the future,” said outgoing president & CEO Peter Dunn. “We heard clear support for the Community Foundation’s continued growth to meet challenges prevalent in our region, but to do so with a bolder and more amplified voice and vision.”
A noteworthy element of the new plan is the Community Foundation’s new Racial Equity Values & Commitment, which outlines specific action steps and measurable goals to address equity across all portfolios of the organization’s work.
“We believe that equity is imperative to our work because removing obstacles and creating access for everyone will make our community investments more impactful and effective,” said Bea Gonzalez, board vice chair. “A commitment to equity in everything we do is good stewardship for the resources that have been entrusted to us.”
The organization also released revised versions of its mission, vision and pledge statements. The entire plan can be viewed at cnycf.org/strategicplan.
