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Strategic Plan 2000: Surfrider Foundation Is Poised for the New Millennium MAKING WAVES, Feb.-March 1999 |
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In less than a year, we will be starting a new century. The need for Surfrider's work to create a better world in the new millennium is great. The need for Surfrider to be successful at our mission, an organization "dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world's oceans, waves and beaches, for all people, through conservation, activism, research and education", is great. A year ago, members of the Board of Directors and the staff decided to examine Surfrider's strategic direction, were we effectively fulfilling our mission? We began a process to create a strategic plan to guide Surfrider's efforts over the next five years. The year-long planning process was a challenging and richly rewarding experience for Surfrider, enabling us to take a step back and look at where we had come from (including our successes and our challenges), and where we want to go. We conducted numerous interviews with stakeholders and people who had knowledge of our organization. We got input from our chapters and engaged in a process of creating and revising strategies to direct the future of the Surfrider Foundation. The finished plan details four strategies, listed below and includes specific actions and milestones to ensure progress toward fulfilling our mission as an organization. What We Learned The Surfrider Foundation is a very unique organization; no other organization exists that has our focus on the beach environment and surf zone. No other organization can mobilize such a diverse group of activists; our members are surfers and ocean lovers of all ages from all walks of life. We are much more than a surf club and much more than just another environmental group. Our capacity for local, community-based activism on coastal issues is unparalleled. We are successful because we have over 40 chapters across the country and are able to create change on a local level. The Strategic Plan Surfrider's Strategic Plan provides a clear direction for the Surfrider Foundation for the next five years. In it, we describe our vision for the future. It is a future where the Surfrider Foundation is a recognized leader in coastal resources conservation, education and activism; coastal water quality is improving; waves are recognized as vital forces in coastal ecology, recreation and culture; and surfing areas are protected for future generations. The strategic plan also outlines goals for the organization over the next five years. Our goals for the future include upgrading our current educational and water quality testing programs and introducing two new programs - the Beachscape coastal mapping and Surf Site Stewardship local conservation efforts. We will also work to improve organizational communication and to build partnerships with other groups. We are already beginning to see some of the benefits of our strategic planning effort: We have created the blueprint to ensure our work will lead to our goals. We know where we are headed and what to say yes (and no) to. And, ultimately, we will increase organizational responsiveness and improve our performance. The strategic plan shows us the path to become a more effective organization - and to create the kind of world we want to live in. It is like paddling out to where we think the waves are breaking, allowing us to successfully ride into the new century. The Surfrider Foundation Strategic Plan is posted on Surfrider's website: http://www.surfrider.org/strategic_plan/strategic_plan1999.htm Surfrider Foundation will:
Many individuals helped to create and review this document. Thanks especially to Eve Kliszewski and Chad Nelsen, who wrote the bulk of the plan; and the Strategic Planning Team who got us to where we could produce a plan and then edited many times (Nancy Gardner, Marty Fujita, John Earhart, Larry Manson, Michelle Kremer, Pierce Flynn and Ed Mazzarella). Others who helped out at critical points in the process were Don Elder (of the River Network) Mark Cousineau, and Mike Walther. Finally, thanks to the board. |
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