Strategic Planning

MEESINGW

STRATEGIC PLANNING ‘A LIVING DOCUMENT’

November 2017

Our Inaugural Year
It is our hope to take initial steps in our inaugural year to realize a strategic path that honors our organizational values as we begin to move us towards truly understanding and visualizing our organizations mission statement. Our mission statement is as follows:

Our mission is to develop and establish programs, employment and projects for environmental conservation, protection, development and restoration. This organization will develop and deliver educational programs and take on stewardship responsibilities of environmental projects directly related to the Eelunaapeewi Laakeewit community through the securing of partnerships, funding and other revenue generating initiatives.

We understand that as a new organizations we face many challenges in creating awareness and establishing confidence of our capacity to offer meaningful activities that meet our organizations goals and objectives. We feel that the current membership of our Board of Directors brings a lot of experience and a great attitude of team spirit to project management and implementation, as well as wealth of knowledge in the environmental conservation field.

The Meesingw Board of Directors is made up of culturally diverse intergenerational team with many networking resources to establish strong partnerships with local, regional and provincial environmental organizations. This team is very aware of the potential we have to connect the youth of Eelunaapeewi Lakeewiit (Delaware Nation) with their culture and their natural environment of their community, which is a very vibrant, and flourishing native ecosystem of the Carolinian Forest.

We have set for ourselves the following specific targets for this inaugural year of our organization:

  1. To develop a cultural practice of smudging when beginning every meeting and activity,
      • Step 1: Through BOD Motion assign a Board of Director to smudge
      • Step 2: Provide smudge bowl and smudge to designated Board of Director

  1. To develop a partnership with Delaware Nation through the signing of a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU),
      • Step 1: Through BOD Motion assign the Director of Operations to draw up draft MOU
      • Step 2: DOO and Board Member make presentation to Eelunaapeew Lakeewiit (Delaware Nation Council at regularly monthly Chief and Council Meeting
      • Step 3: Through motion assign Director of Operations to negotiate MOU
      • Step 4: formal community signing ceremony and dinner

  1. To have our organization registered as a charitable status organization or to become incorporated,
      • Step 1: Through motion assign Director of Operations to seek funding and hire legal counsel to begin the process to purse registration of Charitable Status and Incorporation for Meesingw
      • Step 2: Finalize registration

  1. To have secure liability insurance for both our Board and organization’s activities,
      • Step 1: Through motion assign Director of Operations to seek quote for Board of Director and Organizational liability insurance.
      • Step 2: Identify funding (proposal, fundraising) to purchase insurance.

  1. To acquire short term funding through proposal writing, fundraising and charitable donation,
      • Step 1: Adopt standing agenda item for proposal writing,
      • Step 2: Assign Director of Operations to coordinate proposal search, writing and submission

  1. To develop a realistic operating budget for our organization as we move into year two,
      • Step 1: Conduct Board of Director exercise to develop an estimated yearly, quarterly and monthly operating budget for the coming year inclusive of start date of organizational fiscal year.
      • Step 2: Through motion pass tentative operating budget for coming Fiscal Year and plan fund raising planning workshop to meet requirements of 2018 operating budget.

  1. To develop an organizational brand,
      • Step 1: Through motion assign Director of Operations to seek quote from consultant company to design brand for organization inclusive of logo, website/social media, brochure, letterhead, business cards and other signage
      • Step 2: Identify funding and hire brand consultant
  2. To develop and implement a strong marketing plan,
      • Step 1: Through motion assign Director of Operations and interested Board of Director(s) to work on a marketing plan (or hire a consultant to devise plan)
      • Step 2: Implement marketing plan developed.

  1. To develop a strong network of partners,
      • Step 1: Through motion assign Board of Directors to seek out three (3) potential partner organizations/businesses for Meesingw to pursue.
      • Step 2: Designated Board of Directors lead activities to meet and establish partnerships with identified potential partners (possible partnerships include proposal, donations, letters of support and other networking activities)

  1. To established a project for tree planting and prairie development along our river bank,
      • Step 1: Actively become involved with Eelunaapeewi Laakeewiit (Delaware Nation) AFSAR project planting of Thames River buffers zones (Board of Director participation and call for volunteers through Meesingw social media outlets)

  1. To establish and be working on a few small projects.
      • Step 1: Identify and post proposals submitted on social media
      • Step 2: Identify and post all Meesingw activities on social media
      • Step 3: Follow through on all work plans and deliverables of all projects/proposals granted


Visioning the big picture past year one:

Although we are a young organization we do have big dreams in the bigger picture of our organizations existence. The following goals are what we are working towards past our inaugural year:

  1. To develop an alternative Meesingw Traditional school for our community,
  2. To develop a calendar of seasonal events,
  3. To become a well known environmental advocacy group,
  4. To establish a Meesingw Environmental Center,
  5. To develop projects and venues that are based in environmental tourism,
  6. To develop various business opportunities and employment within our community for our families,
  7. To establish an annual Meesingw Gathering/Fair,
  8. To acquire land base for permaculture projects,
  9. To establish and offer environmental/cultural consultant services,
  10. To develop our organization into a stewardship group,
  11. To become a community hub for environmental volunteerism,
  12. To develop a strong network of partners - Friends of Meesingw,
  13. To develop projects, activities and services that hire youth,
  14. To develop a Meesingw fish hatchery,
  15. To establish a Meesingw Administration Office,
  16. To increase our public relations in a positive manner,
  17. To build capacity in volunteerism by establishing a volunteer force called the Meesingw Rangers

In looking forward at the identified goals, whether they for the coming year or the coming years, it is important the the Meesingw Board of Directors review their approved Strategic Plan quarterly with the approach that it can be revised as needed. In addition in our strategic planning exercise we identified the following best management practices for our Board of Directors. These BMGs were voiced by our Board of Directors:

  • We need to reach out, to network through social media,
  • We need to attend historical events,
  • We need to develop written materials such as brochures,
  • We could promote our organization by selling or giving away t-shirts,
  • We can use our personal contacts
  • We need to follow through with deliverables on proposals/projects,
  • We can set up booth and attend events to promote our organization,



Appendix A

Strategic Planning Exercise Notes


SWOT Analysis
The following are the notes from the SWOT Analysis exercise that our Board of Directors conducted the current status of our organization:

Strengths:
  • We are well connected for partnerships with agencies that are federal, provincial and municipal, provincial as well as communities,
  • We are a culturally based organization,
  • Our Board of Directors carries a wealth of knowledge and experience in the environmental field
  • Our members have a strong passion for the environment,
  • Our organization includes very ambitious youth,
  • Our organization was created at a time where there is a strong trend in public awareness and activity in environmental conservationism - perfect timing,
  • Our organization has lots of room to grow and learn,
  • Our Board of Directors has a good team spirit,
  • Our Board of Directors is a diverse group, culturally, gender, ages,
  • Our organization is non political,
  • We have partners with charitable status

Weaknesses:
  • No core funding,
  • We are still a start up organization,
  • We have a challenge in attempting to change public mindsets,
  • As our organization is new we have no public awareness,
  • No home base or central office yet,
  • No government funding and a mistrust of the government in our community,
  • Where we are geologically located it is difficult to impact agricultural change,
  • No charitable status number,

Opportunities:
  • There are a number of species at risk funding opportunities,
  • We have a chance to change perception especially of the public on environmental conservation,
  • We feel we have a lot of opportunity for youth training and employment,
  • We can align our projects with the phosphorus reduction targets that are being set by other stakeholders in the Great Lakes water system,
  • There seem to be a lot of project based funding opportunities for organizations like ours,
  • We can impact multiple benefit to species within strategically designed projects,
  • Our community is a unique species community,
  • There is a public movement towards reconciliation with First Nations
  • Our work will be combining environment and culture,
  • Our work can benefit the Thames River which is part of our community
  • Our community has a very high Species At Risk Count,

Threats:
  • Politics within our community has the potential to dampen our efforts,
  • Our communities political stance has potential to affect our activities ,
  • There is the potential for competition for funding Meesingw versus Delaware Nation
  • Vandalism is a threat to environmental development,
  • There may be community resistance to specific projects and activities depending on mindsets

Looking Forward – Strategic Planning Exercise
The following are the notes from the short strategic planning exercise that our Board of Directors conducted. We asked ourselves the following questions:


Where do you see Meesingw helping the most?
  • Awareness and education,
  • Community support,
  • Community pride,
  • Youth involvement,
  • Project implementation
  • Benefits from volunteerism,

What can we do this year – By October 2018?
  1. In a partnership with Delaware Nation through a the signing of a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU),
  2. To be registered as a charitable status organization or to become incorporated,
  3. To have insurance for our Board and activities,
  4. Acquire short term funding,
  5. To have developed an operating budget,
  6. To have a well developed organizational brand and marketing plan being implemented,
  7. To have a strong network of partners developed,
  8. Established a project for tree planting and prairie developed along our river bank,
  9. To establish and be working on a line up small projects,

Who can we become - What is the bigger picture for Meesingw:
  1. To develop a Traditional school
  2. Smudge with every meeting,
  3. To be hosting seasonal events,
  4. To become a well know Advocacy group,
  5. To establish an Environmental Center,
  6. Our events are open to everyone,
  7. To become involved in tourism,
  8. To have various business opportunities and employment,
  9. To be hosting an annual event such as a traditional pow wow and/or spring bush skills fair,
  10. To acquire more land base for permaculture projects,
  11. To grow our organization to offer consultant services,
  12. To develop into a stewardship group,
  13. To become a hub for environmental volunteerism,
  14. To develop a strong network - Friends of Meesingw,
  15. To develop projects, activities and services where we are able to hire youth,
  16. To develop a fish hatchery,
  17. To have a Meesingw Administration Office,
  18. To increase our public relations in a positive manner,
  19. To build capacity in volunteerism - ex. Meesingw Rangers,

What are BMPs as BODs in creating partnerships and networks for Meesingw?
  • We need to reach out, to network through social media,
  • We need to attend historical events,
  • We need to develop written materials such as brochures,
  • We could promote our organization by selling or giving away t-shirts,
  • We can use our personal contacts
  • We need to follow through with deliverables on proposals/projects,
  • We can set up booth and attend events to promote our organization,







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