As a result of their strategic planning work, Network of Community Ministries had the following results:

• They successfully implemented a virtual performance module to measure staff effectiveness.

• They created a development committee with staff, board members, and a stakeholder representative.

• They are working on formalizing the process of recruiting and maintaining volunteers.

• They are creating a board governance model, including training and documenting their processes for the board.

• They have streamlined their approach for communicating with stakeholders, including relevant information, collecting feedback, and facilitating program referrals. 

• They implemented plans for their new building expansion. This included weaning off of Covid-related programming and moving operations into their new building. 

• The marketing committee has set the cadence of developing quarterly goals for communicating with donors, utilizing SEO, and updating their website. 

Guided by their belief in helping the community, Network of Community Ministries has served Dallas County for 37 years. The nonprofit provides a vast number of programs and services to assist families in need in the community, like emergency services, seniors’ assistance, stabilization programs, youth programs, and a food pantry. In its lifetime, Network has benefited over 400,000 people’s lives, but they are always eager to expand programs in order to serve those in need. 

Where They Were

Before Fall 2020, Director of Programs Laurel Stanley-Abihabib had never completed a strategic plan, and the organization was not exactly enthusiastic about it. Many team members had a similar experience with strategic planning in their past work experience: it took time, it took money, and it rarely turned out how it was supposed to. 

However, Network of Community Ministries was about to make some major advances. The nonprofit had just acquired a new 50,000 square foot building, one that was four times the size of their previous space. They planned to drastically increase program capacity and engage in a $5.5 million capital campaign to fund the move. 

Big changes were on the horizon, and Network needed all hands on deck and a strategy.

The Help They Needed

For Network of Community Ministries to successfully implement a plan, they needed a mindset shift to believe that strategic planning was vital to their organization and that the process can be celebratory instead of dull and ineffectual. 

When Network began strategic planning, there was a lot that was changing within the organization. Therefore, what got the organization to shift their mindset around strategic planning was the idea that change is needed and can provide opportunities for incredible growth. Their staff knew that big things would be expected of them to maintain their new location, and strategic planning was another responsibility expected of them to foster success. 

Stanley-Abihabib and CEO Cindy Shafer were placed at the helm of the planning ship as the overall strategic planning co-champions. According to Stanley-Abihabib, overall champions need to get the team dedicated to the process by having enthusiasm and energy. The co-champions created a dynamic in which Shafer offers background support and Stanley-Abihabib serves as the logistics coordinator and the self-described “reminder of all the things.”

Where They Are Now

Since beginning their strategic planning process, the co-champions continue to bring enthusiasm to the effort and keep measurement on track. Like many co-champions, Shafer and Stanley-Abihabib have defined their roles and responsibilities based on their personal skills. As CEO, Shafer is able to serve as a high-level supporter of the process, while Stanley-Abihabib is more tactical in executing their goals. 

As a champion, Stanley-Abihabib organizes and plans meetings and serves as support for Focus Area champions. 

They meet quarterly to review goals, due dates, and give updates on their work. Meanwhile, the champions of each Focus Area have achieved autonomy to set their own meeting schedules with their team. Each team measures their own progress quarterly and meets monthly, and Stanley-Abihabib regularly checks in to keep their mind on the plan. 

Further, the strategic process is mentioned at every bi-weekly staff meeting. When serving such a large geographical area, it’s easy to let strategic planning fall onto the backburner. However, champions serve as a cheerleader to keep momentum going. 

Technology has also become a notable aspect of their planning process. The Focus Area teams independently measure their plan within Mission Met Center, their strategic planning software. They’re also able to share their plan with the board via the software, which has allowed them to communicate better with their board members. Stanley-Abihabib believes that the intuitive and simple software has helped her team track progress, send email reminders, while also providing strategic planning guidance along the way. 

What’s changed most notably is Network of Community Ministries' attitude towards their strategic planning process. Their staff have motivated each other by celebrating their success; therefore, Stanley-Abihabib arranged an activity in which Focus Area teams produced videos of what work they had done on the strategic plan in the past six months and noted what they looked forward to doing in the next six months. The organization gathered to watch the final product, socialize, and celebrate their progress together. 

Network plans to continue this tradition every six months. The focus area teams are determined to make the next video on their own, hoping that they will surprise the champions with some of the comments and success stories.

Laurel Stanley-Abihabib believes that the organization has been successful at strategic planning because the team cares about their mission. 

Due to the nature of their work, they are regularly reminded that their community—where the majority falls below the poverty line—struggles to survive and needs the programs and services that Network provides. The community creates the perspective they need to put in the work, and their strong guiding compass serves as a reminder as to what they have to do to help their community.

Strategic planning has provided Stanley-Abihabib the structure to be an effective leader and has projected Network of Community Ministries into a new era of growth, success, and teamwork. And Stanley-Abihabib hasn’t heard a grumbling about strategic planning, since.