Posted by Jill Norcross on June 20, 2006 at 14:58:38:
Housing Association of Nonprofit Developers (HAND)
Strategic Plan 2006 – 2011
Prepared for:
Housing Association of Nonprofit Developers (HAND)
Facilitated and Prepared by:
Hilary Binder-Aviles
Emily Gantz McKay
Thanh Nguyen
Mosaica
1522 K Street, NW, Suite 1130
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 887-0620
June 2006
This strategic plan was developed by the Board and staff of HAND at a Board/Staff retreat held in February 2006. The plan covers the period 2006-2010.
Mission and Strategies
HAND’s mission is: to support a professional community of housing providers in order to increase the supply of affordable housing in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
Among the strategies HAND uses to carry out its mission are:
• Serving as a clearinghouse of information about affordable housing issues, efforts, and practitioners around the Washington, D.C. Metro region.
• Bringing diverse practitioners – nonprofits, for-profits, government – together to share information and ideas and explore ways to work together.
• Building the capacity of nonprofit practitioners through training.
• Raising public awareness of affordable housing issues.
Organizational and Program Goals
Program Goals
1. HAND will focus on maintaining and enhancing its current programs and services, and pursue limited, controlled growth to better meet the changing needs of its members. Enhancements will include:
• Providing advanced training that explores particular topics in-depth.
• Meetings and seminars that explore “cutting edge” models using a “case study method.”
• Improving the “News and Notes” email newsletter to make content more user friendly (e.g. with hyperlinks and graphics) and to link HAND members to other websites of interest
• Enhancing the HAND website to include a comprehensive “Affordable Housing Calendar of Events” and to link HAND members to each other and to other websites of interest
• Facilitating more networking opportunities for HAND members (including small group and “peer to peer” events)
2. HAND will play a limited role in advocacy, primarily serving as a clearinghouse of information about advocacy efforts and policy issues affecting affordable housing in the region. It will:
• Distribute information on advocacy issues, led by and affecting its members (e.g., bills, policies), through existing communication vehicles including the HAND website, newsletter, and regular meetings.
• Take positions on non-controversial housing policy issues based on clear written criteria.
• Link members to other organizations, institutions, and networks that are engaged in policy advocacy.
3. As part of HAND’s mission to raise public awareness of the need for affordable housing, HAND will hire a public relations firm to assist in increasing the visibility of members’ successful efforts to develop affordable housing (including expanded publicity for the HAND Annual Awards).
4. HAND will build strategic partnerships with organizations and institutions working on affordable housing, resulting in additional training opportunities and resources for its members.
Overall Organizational Goals
5. HAND will be widely known among affordable housing providers throughout the Washington Metro Region for bringing diverse sectors of the affordable housing community together to find creative regional solutions to affordable housing.
6. HAND will complete a review and refinement of its membership categories and fee structure.
7. It will increase membership from underrepresented jurisdictions, specifically D.C. and Prince George’s County. While it will accept members from outlying areas, it will maintain its focus on nonprofit organizations within its current target, which includes: Alexandria, Arlington, D.C., Fairfax County, Montgomery County, and Prince George’s County.
8. HAND will maintain its current staffing structure, and increasing the number of hours worked by the part-time Executive Director if necessary.
9. HAND will have an active Board of Directors that will provide strong leadership in policy, governance and fundraising. The Board will:
• Have a majority of nonprofit Board members as stated in its bylaws.
• Provide contacts and help create partnerships.
• Recruit new members who have expertise in marketing and public relations and are from D.C. and Prince George’s County.
• Maintain a “skills and expertise” inventory of its Board to further the goals of this strategic plan.
• Refine and strengthen committee structure, to include the following standing committees: Finance/Audit, Membership/Sponsors, Annual Meeting/Awards, Executive, and Programs.
• Develop and implement personnel policies and a financial plan that is consistent with the implementation of this Plan.
• Revise and approve new bylaws to reflect the outcome of this Plan.