VADP Strategic Planning Meeting
4:00 pm to 8:15 pm, Friday, May 1, 2009
8:15 am to 4:00 pm, Saturday, May 2, 2009
Richmond Hill, Richmond, VA
PARTICIPANTS:
VADP Board of Directors
VADP Staff
NCADP Facilitator/s
VADP Allies
EXPECTED OUTCOMES FOR THE MAY PLANNING MEETING:
Begin Friday evening by reviewing VADP’s progress since the last planning
session. Highlight key goals and deadlines set (and met). Saturday’s
planning session agenda is once again designed to determine shorter term
goals from now through February 2010 - which incorporates the state
elections in November.
To provide the opportunity to discuss the Boards feelings on potential goals
for the next year, 2 years, 3 years, the Friday night dinner and discussion
afterwards gives time prior to Saturday’s planning - but should keep us
from getting too bogged down in potential details beyond Saturday’s
agenda design. But this discussion will help give us a context to discuss
shorter-term planning.
Time is designated on Saturday to review the Tides grant. Outside of the
Tide’s review, the day should focus on assessing and developing the
following areas of our program:
Membership and Coalition Development
Internal and External Communications
Fund Raising
Legislative Assessment
Board partnership
September’s meeting was designed to plan out 6-8 months to give VADP’s
new staff the time and flexibility to move forward with fundamental
organizational development tasks while becoming known in the state and
while making a complete and informed assessment of all aspects of VADP’s
assets, capacities and limitations as well as the legislative lay of the land.
Theses goals have been met and its time to move the bar forward.
The Friday discussions allow new board members to get acclimated and for
VADP to take stock of accomplishments to date and begin to frame longer
term, broad brush goals for the upcoming years. Because the statewide
2009 elections will certainly change the governorship and could
substantially change the legislature our focused planning will be for the
next 10 months.
SCHEDULE:
Friday, May 1, 2009
1:00 pm - NCADP arrives in Richmond and meet with Beth
3:00 pm - Beth/NCADP arrive at Richmond Hill for meeting set up
4:00 pm - Meet & greet - introductions/get acquainted
5:00 - 6:30 pm - Orienting new Board Members with past planning &
Progress Report
-- Review of progress & status since September 2008 planning
meeting
-- Sept goals determined & goals met (Membership, Coalition-
Building, Fundraising, Board Development)
-- Carry over projects & activities/outstanding tasks
-- Launch discussion of general long term goals for abolition
- Before meeting with allies, all board members should be up to date on
exactly what happened during the 2009 session, who we worked with
on advocacy and events - this will naturally fit with the update.
6:30 - 7:30 pm - Dinner (use table rounds as “small group” discussion on
long term goals)
7:30 - 8:15 pm - Overview of longer range hopes/plans (i.e. when do we
want to have a legislator introduce a moratorium or abolition bill? What is
our time frame for moratorium? Abolition? Types of reform?)
Saturday, May 2, 2009
7:00 - 7:15 am. - Opportunity to join Richmond Hill in Morning Prayer.
7:30 - 8:00 am - Breakfast
8:15 am - Welcome. Review of day’s agenda and outcome goals. Review
key categories for meeting and set up whiteboard/flip chart and place
information into categories that will be discussed during the day. NOTE:
Some can be framed prior to the Board’s arrival to help expedite the
process. If needed, 8:30-8:45 can be utilized for any additional feedback
from Friday evening’s discussion or to highlight any issues that should be
discussed prior to the arrival of coalition members at 10:00 am.
Discussion before coalition members arrive:
Worked very well to collaborate on events with ACLU, VCC and with
VICPP
During legislative session, worked most closely with the ACLU and
VCC (also a bit with the Friends Committee on Commonwealth
Legislation)
Legal Aid Justice Center - have not worked with them yet
Doug Smith of the Virginia Interfaith Center has said that they don’t
want the death penalty to be one of their main issues. They want us
to take the lead and if we need them in the end (i.e. Doug and I met
briefly with Senator morning of the veto session, but this is after we
had a constituent meetings, did all of the other components)
Doug has also expressed his preference that VADP opens up to
working on other criminal justice issues and he would direct any
criminal justice funding our direction
Joe Szakos of VOP has brought up VADP becoming part of the Virginia
c-3 table - there is the question of what do we do for them - voter
registration, etc. - Joe will bring this up and I think it is good for the
board to discuss it - because it is not something that I want to enter
into without their OK.
Do we want to have a formal coalition that regularly meets?
8:45 am - Review status of activities as it relates to Tides Grant
requirements. Add notes on flip chart/white board that need
addressing.
9:00 am - Membership
Tactics for developing new membership and setting goals for growth.
Membership contact and activities, including vigils
Speakers Bureau and other events for both fundraising and
membership expansion
Board participation in speakers bureau and connecting VADP Staff
with organizations
Staffing needs?
How can NCADP help?
Note any costs to be incurred/budget impact
9:45 am - Break
10:00 am - Coalition Development (Coalition members arrive)
Coalition - how to better coordinate going forward.
Would it be helpful to have a formal coalition with regular meetings as
was done in the past?
If so, who would be at that table?
If not, what does collaboration look like? Who would be there?
Types of collaboration - on fundraising with major donors, legislative
advocacy, educational events, etc.
What can we do for our allies? (501 c-3 table?)
Expanding the Coalition - who, how and when do we contact in weeks
ahead
Press contacts if we wish for someone outside of VADP to respond
Staffing needs?
How can NCADP help?
Note any costs to be incurred/budget impact
11:00 am - 12 pm - Legislative Advocacy (Coalition members)
Review of legislative session - what did we learn, what key
relationships were built?
Coalition coordination and outreach efforts (including outreach to
VADP membership) - what worked, what didn’t, etc.
Press generated - positive & negative
Enhanced coalition coordination - suggestions from Coalition Partners
going forward
Legislative action/concerns anticipated for next session
0 2009 elections - meeting with coalition partners after primary
and after Nov. elections?
Formally launching a “stop expansion” (another title) campaign for
2009/2010
Specific reform efforts that we should be looking into
Governor’s race
Coalition partners needs?
Staffing needs?
How can NCADP help?
Note any costs to be incurred/budget impact
General Feedback from allies on issues that have not been covered.
Noon-12:15: Opportunity to join Richmond Hill noonday prayer
12:30 - 1:00 pm - Lunch
12:45 pm - Fund Raising
Update on fundraising efforts (what has been done) - strengths and
challenges
Membership Development
Major Donor Development
Foundation Development
Board Participation
Creative fundraising ideas (i.e. bowl-a-thon, golf tournament, etc.)
Staffing needs?
How can NCADP help?
Note any costs to be incurred/budget impact
2:00pm - Break
2:15 pm - Internal and External Communications
Legislative contact - materials in-hand, update and additional needs
Discussion of response to execution dates and high profile cases
Plan for cost assessment report and roll-out, if appropriate (NOTE:
since we anticipate cost savings won't be as great as other states, do
we want to make a note about “arbitrariness”?)
Database update/upgrade
Regular contact with members - print and/or email newsletter,
quarterly video message, etc.
Materials - what VADP has and needs
Estimate budget expenditures needed to accomplish?
How will reactive and proactive press be handled?
Staffing needs?
How can NCADP help?
Note any costs to be incurred/budget impact
2:45 pm - Board partnership
Update on Advisory Board
Role of the Board in this plan reviewing specific responsibilities
Recruiting new board members - who needs to be at the table and
how do we get them?
Board development plan
Highlighting Board’s role in fund raising and identifying what they
need to effectively fund raise (i.e. commit to a training on fund raising
that would include the development of a board fund raising plan.)
What exactly will the board be responsible for regarding fundraising -
target #’s to raise, recruiting major donors, etc...
3:30 pm - Review, including revised needs assessment, budgeting, timeline
for check-ins, set future board meetings and tentative dates for long-term
strategic planning.
4:00 pm - END
Pre-May 1* handouts to Board attendees:
Tides Grant proposal
Notes from the September strategic planning meeting
Progress Report - notes from Sept. with updates
Overview Agenda for May 1% & 2nd
2008 & 2009 Donor Level Reports
Revised list of Donor Levels
Updated Fundraising work plan
When these documents are send to the board, highlight two things to be
thinking about - 1) working with Coalition & 2) longer range planning
Copies of press from past few months - not to hand out before meeting but
to have for board members to review
