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Wings Begins First Strategic Plan
Wings was recently awarded an Organizational Effectiveness grant from The Philadelphia Foundation for strategic planning support. The grant covers engagement of a strategic planning consultant to guide Wings through development of its first formal strategic plan.
Wings has been providing women in need with work-appropriate clothing for more than a decade. After successfully navigating that start-up phase, we are preparing for our next stage of contribution and growth.
Mary Pat Knauss, Wings President-elect and Strategic Planning Committee Chair, sees this as a multi-faceted opportunity for Wings. “A strategic plan will help us better align our resources around common goals so we can serve our clients even more effectively and will demonstrate to the community, referral partners, and potential funders that Wings is positioned for long-term sustainability. Also, the planning experience itself provides a development opportunity for the Board as it moves from operational to strategic in its thinking and actions.”
The grant covers the services of Capacity for Change, LLC (West Chester, PA). Capacity for Change is a consulting firm that provides management, strategy and business planning services for non-profits, foundations and companies that serve the public interest. The strategic planning process will help Wings:
- Gain insights from various stakeholders and understand best practices
of other related organizations - Establish a vision for long-term community impact
- Set strategic priorities for the next three years in areas such as financial stability, organizational development and leadership, growth, government and political
alliances, and community presence - Generate performance-based action plans for each strategic goal, including
benchmarks, timelines and costs - Develop a first year operational plan that establishes a working document for
future years of the strategic plan - Establish an evaluation process for monitoring and celebrating progress
The strategic planning process began in April and will continue through this summer.
To stay up to date on the progress and outcome of this important planning work,
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About The Philadelphia Foundation
This specific grant to Wings was awarded from the Charles F. Judson Fund, the William J.
McCahan 3rd Fund in memory of Thomas C. McCahan and Florence M. McCahan, and the Effie May Beckett Fund – all of The Philadelphia Foundation. The Philadelphia Foundation, a public charity, is Southwestern Pennsylvania’s leading center for community philanthropic engagement and is committed to improving the quality of life in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties through funds established by its donors.
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The mission of The Philadelphia Foundation is as vital now as
it was in 1918, when it was first established. Today, with
more than $325 million on charitable assets under
management, The Philadelphia Foundation continues to
help donors harness their generosity and vision by providing
tools, knowledge and financial stewardship directed to help
maximize the strategic impact of charitable contributions.
Grants from more than 750 charitable funds strengthen the
effectiveness of non-profits and support programs that are
vital to the people of this region.
