Summer break is approaching and while many students will take time off from academics, there is no break for education foundations. In fact, the summer months are when many education foundations dedicate time to strengthening their efforts, examining programs and funding priorities, creating strategic plans for new initiatives and conducting retreats to improve board relations.
While dedicating a day or two (or three or four) to planning and strategizing may not pop out on paper as hours as summer fun, your board retreat or strategic planning session doesn't have to be stale. It can be an excellent opportunity to let the personalities of your board members shine and also let their voices be heard.
Board meetings are often devoted to swift action and updates without many opportunities to network and build rapport between directors. A win-win for your organization can be strengthening the ties between board members and staff and also creating dynamic goals and plans to take your organization to the next level. It's team bonding and team building for a stronger organization to provide real impact and change for your school district.
Did you attend a summer camp as a child? Think of the fun activities that were incorporated during those camps that let you fellowship and work. The same type of approach can be applied to your summer Strategic Planning Session or Board Development Retreat.
Foundation Innovation can help you facilitate an impactful Strategic Planning Session or a Board Development Retreat. We also offer training for School Boards.
Strategic Planning Session
Foundation Innovation helps your organization develop a Strategic Plan through three phases. Before your meeting, we work with staff and the district to collect data through surveys of key stakeholders (teachers, staff, parents, community members) in areas that will help you paint a picture of the perceptions around your organization. On the day of the meeting, we begin with a team bonding exercise to help directors open up before we begin the work of analyzing survey results and identifying areas of strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for your organization. This open discussion can be a healthy activity for your directors to allow their thoughts and ideas to flow. We work with you to review your programs, mission and goals and to determine if your organization is still on the right track. It is amazing the creative and unique ideas that directors can vocalize when given more time and a laid back environment to speak. After your meeting, we take the information and ideas developed and provide you with a written report so that you can get started on your new goals!
Board Development Retreat
Are your board members happy? Are they being utilized in a capacity that best serves their skill set and area of expertise? Do they feel like they are an active voice in the goals and outcomes of your education foundation?
Foundation Innovation recognizes the effectiveness of having board members who serve with clear expectations and are also trained to better serve your organization.
Board Development Retreats are a great opportunity to help directors become engaged and effective and also help with director retention.
We help you facilitate a retreat to identify committee members and skills, define board member relationships with the staff and each other, define expectations and train directors while also team building and team bonding.
If you have not made plans for a summer Strategic Planning Session or Board Development Retreat, set a date on the calendar!
Review what FI has to offer your team: Strategic Planning or One-Day Training.
For support and help with the process, let the consultants of Foundation Innovation help you facilitate these worthwhile sessions to build a better and stronger education foundation. Give us a call at (512) 535-2046 or email us at information@foundationinnovation.com.
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