The Girls’ Coalition of Greater Boston Completes Business Plan:
The Leadership Council, of The Girls’ Coalition of Greater Boston is pleased to announce the completion of our 2007-2011 Business Plan for Sustainability. The first Girls’ Coalition strategic plan, developed in 2001, was completed in 2006 under the able stewardship of Executive Director Katie Wheeler. The 2007-2011 business plan is designed to capture the momentum created by the many GC accomplishments, and launch us into our next phase of growth and leadership.
The Leadership Council (LC) concluded this past summer (2006) that the “Where are the Girls?” (WAG) report, released in early 2006, had provided us with a blue print for action. WAG had also illuminated the need to further develop the capacity of the Coalition in order to address the needs facing girls and those who serve them. The LC approved the development of a three-five year business plan, to be finalized by January, 2007
The Strategic Goals of the business plan are, “to strengthen the long term sustainability of the Girls’ Coalition and increase our ability to address the emerging capacity building needs of the girl serving community.” A core planning committee of the LC, met regularly over six months to oversee the process.
The process of developing the plan was seeded in the vision and commitment of the Leadership Council, Girls’ Coalition members, consultants, funders, partners and other stakeholders. The plan leverages the existing strengths of The Girls’ Coalition community. Some key features include:
o Restructure GC governance to diversify volunteer leadership in order to achieve fundraising goals and institutionalize cultural competence;
o Implement balanced fundraising plans resulting in sustainable revenues from institutions & individuals;
o Achieve cost effectiveness and quality in programs through partnership with strategically compatible member and nonmember groups;
o Leverage the strengths and visibility of the 500+ GC membership to project a unified vision for girls.
o Link GC initiatives to major challenges facing girls and communities, health, violence and education/economic development and to helping our constituents achieve results for girls and communities.
GC will continue our tradition of high quality professional development, networking events and publications, linking research with promising practices. We will continue to build our website as a central asset along with the list serve carrying news of events, job postings, legislative news and more.
The Girls’ Coalition is the only organization of its kind working solely to advance the interests of girls and understanding about gender. Our fifteen year partnership has resulted in unprecedented sharing of ideas and leadership. Now we envision moving further beyond our own counsel and expanding our sphere of influence to a broader audience. We will identify ways to invite new voices into the conversation about girls and seek to build a critical mass of informed adults advocating on behalf of girls and all young people. To read the executive summary, go to www.girlscoalition.org and follow the links. Portions of the plan in their entirety will be posted through January on the website. You will also begin receiving schedules of Girls’ Coalition ‘07 events.
Mary Jo Kane to remain as Girls’ Coalition Executive Director
Mary Jo Kane, who was first hired last spring to serve as “interim” Executive Director for The Girls’ Coalition after the departure of Katie Wheeler was recently named Executive Director by the Leadership Council of The Girls’ Coalition. The removal of “interim” from the title is effective as of January 1, 2007.
MJ oversaw the transition of fiscal agency to Third Sector New England, stewarded us through the departure of Katie Wheeler in the spring and worked closely with The Leadership Council on developing the business plan. She is familiar to many of us from her eight – plus yours as Director of Corporate Relations and Development for Patriots’ Trail Girl Scout Council, she received her MBA from the Simmons SOM. Previous to that, she spent nine years in the private sector as a training consultant, then later as a small business owner. MJ has demonstrated her commitment to girls and youth. She will work tirelessly to help us achieve our vision for girls.
Thank you for your support and for your leadership on behalf of girls. MJ (mj@girlscoalition.org) is happy to assist you with any questions. Finally, we owe a debt of gratitude to Pat Driscoll, Chair of the Sustainability Task Force along with members, Diane Hammer, Sumru Erkut, Laureen Scibinico, Deb Dickerson, Jodi Silverman, and Marie Turley who devoted extraordinary time and commitment into the Girls’ Coalition, and to the Business Plan.
Laura Watkins
President
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