Financial, Planning and Strategy

The FY2021-2023 Strategic Plan

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Strategic Drivers

During the planning process in 2019, the Strategic Planning Advisory Committee agreed to build upon the Strategic Drivers from the FY18-20 Strategic Plan. The committee felt these drivers continue to be highly relevant for the coming years.

The breakout teams developed goals for each of the Strategic Drivers, guided by the commitments created in the design phase. As Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Baltimore nears its centennial year in 2023, these goals are designed to propel the agency forward into its next 100 years.

Strategic Driver #1

Expand and enhance our services to assist more people to achieve their God-given potential.

A) Expand and enhance delivery of person-centered services to assist people in becoming more independent and self-sufficient.

• • Improve internal access for a streamlined, positive client experience with lasting impact.
  • Accompany others on their journey through our services with greater knowledge of internal and external resources.
    • Ensure that 100 percent of colleagues gain access to client surveys and results from across the agency.
    • Ensure that 100 percent of “journey-walker” colleagues across the agency are connected and share expertise and resources to best serve clients.
  • Develop and leverage technology solution, integrating client record systems and enabling data-informed decision-making

    Outcomes:

• • Improve performance by 20 percent year-over-year on surveys of client experience; measure overall satisfaction with our services in their journey and their personal life journey along at least three additional points in client’s journey, beyond placement.
  • Increase use of person-centered, relationship-based virtual offerings (e.g. apps, webinars, telehealth) across the agency by 50 percent by leveraging more agile service delivery models.

B) Create economic opportunities that align with a person’s skills, interests, passion, and ability to earn a living wage.

• • Create coordinated and centralized workforce development outreach and programming across the agency that recognizes significant barriers for individuals (i.e. behavioral health needs, transportation, child care).
  • Evaluate opportunities to create, or collaborate towards, skill training programs that address market needs and/or internal labor needs and lead to a living wage and career pathway.
  • Identify and pursue avenues to improved economic stability via high-performing microenterprise nonprofit incubators across the region.

    Outcomes:

• • Leverage internal resources to address barriers and connect 450 individuals to living-wage level employment incrementally each year
  • Identify, access, or create 10 technical training programs, including nursing assistants, environmental services, and direct support professionals.
  • Ensure that 50 percent of clients placed in jobs remain continually employed in some manner for 12 months or more.

C) Develop partnerships in order to create and maintain safe, healthy and affordable housing.

• • Leverage expertise across the agency in different areas of housing; increase resource and knowledge sharing; improve client experience and potential to access and maintain permanent housing.
  • Identify collaborative partners and internal resources to best manage the preservation of existing affordable housing stock across the agency and maximize opportunities for growth.
  • Research successful housing models for persons experiencing homelessness and other vulnerable populations, and determine their possibilities in Maryland.

    Outcomes:

• • Place 600 additional individuals in permanent housing.
    • Ensure that 80 percent of those placed retain housing for 12 months or more.
    • Improve formerly-homeless-to-housed rate by 25 percent, with those individuals maintaining housing for 12 months or more.
  • Bring a new or innovative housing model to Maryland as an agency initiative or in partnership with others.

D) Create strategic partnerships based on emerging trends, gaps, needs, assets, and interests of those we serve and their communities.

• • Align with existing external interests to create healthier communities by impacting the social determinants of health.
  • Plan listening sessions with clients, colleagues, and community members to assess needs, trends, opportunities and assets.
  • In partnership with community leaders and colleagues, identify appropriate resources, solutions and innovative services and programs.
    • Prioritize new programming ideas surfaced during the Accelerate Baltimore sessions or other convenings.

    Outcomes:

• • Ensure at least 200 colleagues are connected to community-based workgroups or committees.
  • Meet the most pressing needs as defined by individuals and community partners:
    • Year 2: foster the generation of new resources to improve lives within three communities
    • Year 3: operationalize three opportunities for partnered action to improve lives

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 Strategic Driver #2

Become a model high-performing organization in service to our mission.

A) Develop diverse, strategic, results-oriented, leaders at every level of the agency who act with urgency.

• • Create clear expectations and milestones for developing leaders to master our leadership competencies and achieve operational goals.
  • Review proficiency in leadership competencies and progress towards operational goals as part of regular check-ins.
  • Ensure diverse representation and inclusivity during leadership development programming.

    Outcomes:

• • Improve employee engagement scores in three documented improvement areas (Encouraging New Ideas, Belief in Direction, Improving Efficiency) by two points on seven-point scale.
  • Ensure that leaders consistently achieve three stretch operational goals.
  • Improve retention by way of individual leaders’ documented and measured retention strategy.

B) Deliver leadership training and succession planning that develop highly effective future leaders.

• • Develop an effective way to measure leaders against agency leadership competencies.
  • Integrate the principles of Catholic social teaching into multiple modes of training.
  • Examining multiple aspects of diversity, determine gaps in hiring and succession plans, and create actions to address gaps.

    Outcomes:

• • Increase identified successors’ internal promotions and participation on internal and external committees.
  • Ensure that all leaders are well-versed in Catholic social teaching principles, especially as they relate to the agency’s vision, mission, values, and commitments.
  • Fill gaps in succession plans with talent development group participants.
  • Increase representative diversity in agency leadership roles.

C) Increase and diversify agency revenue sources.

• • Shift focus of Communications and Development efforts to cause-based marketing.
  • Internally map services that can be “purchased” within the agency.
  • Turn non-revenue-generating positions into revenue-generating positions.

    Outcomes:

• • Acquire 10 percent year-over-year net new donors (1,000, 2,100, and 3,300 net new donors respectively).
  • Convert three externally purchased service areas to internal provision (e.g. VMCR providing therapy to seniors in our communities).
  • Convert five agency-funded roles into revenue-generating roles (estimate additional $500k in revenue)

D) Leverage scale and operational efficiencies across the agency and eliminate redundant efforts.

• • Align organizational structure to increase collaboration and access, and to leverage operational efficiencies.
  • Identify opportunities to leverage purchasing power for agency-wide products and services (e.g. maintenance and security).

    Outcomes:

• • Save costs in infrastructure and capacity-building as a result of realignment and efficiencies.
  • Save 5 percent for consolidated purchased products and services across agency, net.

E) Develop and implement standardized metrics that measure the impact of our services.

• • Using an improved and standardized evaluation tool for existing and new programs, create an outcome review structure that ensures quality services and positive impact.

    Outcomes:

• • Improve agency accreditation scores for effectiveness and relevance.
  • Measure achieved outcomes against internal targets and industry standards.

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Strategic Driver #3

Provide an experience for our colleagues, volunteers, donors and community partners that promotes a sense of discipleship and enhances leadership.

A) Create an employee experience that gives colleagues the opportunity to develop personally and professionally by recognizing their needs, passions, interests, and potential.

• • Expand and broaden training opportunities and experiences at all levels within the agency.
  • Ensure all colleagues receive a baseline understanding of the six principles of trauma-informed care.
  • Ensure all supervisors are trained on trauma-informed supervision.
  • In line with becoming a trauma-informed care agency, offer health and wellness opportunities for all colleagues.
  • Expand and promote AWARE for colleagues.

    Outcomes:

• • Reduce colleague turnover regarding “opportunity for advancement” (as indicated in the agency exit survey) by 10 percent.
  • Increase colleague engagement in trauma-informed care initiatives.
  • Increase representative diversity in agency leadership roles.
  • Enable more equitable career path development and mobility by increasing development opportunities for entry-level positions by 50 percent (i.e. sitting on a committee, stretch project assignments, intentional training plans, etc.).

B) Create an environment of shared responsibility for consistent and routine communication and education that fosters a culture of hospitality.

• • Standardize internal and external communication so that each partner receives the same standard of excellence in customer/client service, information sharing, and engagement opportunities.
  • Develop standardized round-robin trainings and information sessions across the agency to fully equip our colleagues with knowledge and ownership.
  • Align tactics and strategy of internal partners to create a cohesive and streamlined experience for all, regardless of entry point.
  • Implement a biannual colleague-connecting initiative to learn and develop agency-wide relationships across program and service areas.

    Outcomes:

• • Decrease turnaround times for resolution of inquiries by internal and external partners to 48-72 hours.
  • Improve trends in external partners’ (clients; donors; volunteers; parishes) satisfaction survey results regarding information turnaround, accuracy, and customer service/experience.
  • Increase emphasis on stewardship activities; have at least one event or engagement per year to show gratitude for volunteers and donors at every level.
  • Increase colleague participation in internal events/initiatives, particularly new (under one year) and direct care colleagues.
  • Increase external partner participation in community-oriented events/initiatives.

C) Provide consistent and clear education about issues that impact people who are vulnerable throughout Maryland.

• • Build Ambassador Teams for volunteers, donors, and parishioners to proactively strengthen community presence and education.
  • Invest in a stronger virtual experience for internal and external stakeholders. (e.g. virtual tour of programs, live chat features on website for clients, online wish lists for donors and volunteers).

    Outcomes:

• • Engage 600 individuals in virtual tours and education programs and convert 25 percent of participants into new donors and volunteers.
  • Ambassador Teams will engage in three community events per quarter (e.g. university community service fairs).
  • Engage 80 percent of all donors each year with at least one form of personalized communication.
  • Redeploy 50 percent of current volunteers whose engagement activities are no longer possible to new areas/causes.
  • Engage 30 percent of existing donor base each year in virtual forms of agency participation (e.g. peer-to-peer fundraising, online wish lists, special events and virtual tours).

D) Serve as a resource to parishes and schools on issues of peace and justice.

• • Create opportunities to be an active participant in parish and school faith formation activities.
  • Offer training on the principles of Catholic social teaching to parishes and schools to strengthen the connection between scripture, tradition, and community action and volunteerism.
  • Provide in-person and virtual AWARE opportunities and experiences to educate and galvanize involvement in our mission.
  • Recruit volunteers to join our mission, expanding our definition of a volunteer.
  • Develop school partnership strategy to readily coordinate educational and volunteer opportunities and provide exposure for multiple causes.

    Outcomes:

• • Engage 50 percent of targeted parishes in our tiered program, including parishes with schools.
  • Provide AWARE experiences to 50 percent of targeted parishes and schools in our tiered program.
  • Convert 7 percent of AWARE participants into volunteers or advocates.
  • Increase coordinated school partnerships by 50 percent (from baseline data gathered from current volunteer managers).