LAJF Strategic Plan 2021-2026
As we embark on the next strategic plan, we aim to build our “program ecosystem” with the Camp Rising Sun program at the core, adding new initiatives that strengthen and underscore the impact of the camp program.
On July 10th, our Board of Directors voted to adopt the strategic plan. The following introduces the six pillars of the plan, as well as the new program initiatives that we will develop and implement over the next five years. To download the plan as PDF click here.
For more information read our Frequently Asked Questions or watch a video presentation of the six pillars (online presentation given on June 19th).
Click the links above to browse the pillars of the plan
We will strengthen and continue to improve Camp Rising Sun.
With more than 90 years of history, Camp Rising Sun remains an innovative, high-quality educational experience. We look to further evolve our in-person programming to reflect the importance of contemporary world matters such as climate change and social justice, and we intend to grow the number of campers served in each of our two sessions from 60 to a maximum of 80, to widen the reach of our mission.
We aim to broaden our program offerings, increasing our reach of new populations and growing the ecosystem of programs at the LAJF.
The following initiatives will be piloted over the next five years and developed at a pace and scale that is incremental and achievable.
We aim to pilot and develop a camping program for middle school aged participants from NY state. The program, 1-2 weeks in length, will serve to expose young people to our program model and pedagogy, in a design that is developmentally appropriate. Funded by grants and sponsorships, the long-term goal is for the programs to be financially self-sustained.
We will develop and run an educator training/leadership fellowship program aimed at providing 12-15 participants annually, aged 18-25, with facilitation and educator skills rooted in the CRS pedagogy. The program will utilize both virtual and in person learning, offering the opportunity to utilize our campus and facilities at Clinton outside of the summer months.
Our virtual education programs are grounded in our mission and offered to youth aged 16-18, internationally. Each program is developed to encourage critical thinking, self reflection, global understanding, and reinforce youth’s role as change makers. This programs are open to youth ages 16 18 and is fee based with generous scholarships available.
We will continue to extend the impact of our programs and prolong the life-span of our Investment in alumni towards building a better world.
Our programs and events will aim to connect our global community of alumni and bolster the regional alumni in the continued support and achievement of our mission. With an increased emphasis on offering programs that help our alumni grow intellectually, ethically and emotionally, we will formalize, and further develop, existing initiatives such as the College Student Network, the Fellowship program, recent alumni virtual programs, and Virtual Alumni Instructions/Panels.
FAQ: What role will alumni play, and what is the relationship we aspire to have with alumni?
Financial and physical infrastructure to support our programs
Diversification of Revenue Streams: Over the next five years, LAJF aims to grow while becoming less reliant on the annual draw from the investment portfolio. We will diversify funding streams and invest in fundraising infrastructure to support the proposed program offerings.
Staff Infrastructure: To adequately and sustainably support our Camp, alumni and new programs, we will phase in 3-4 additional full time program staff.
Facilities: In the last strategic plan, major investments were made at Clinton to address deferred maintenance in order to secure the site as the long term home for Camp Rising Sun. At Red Hook, we completed essential projects to secure the roofs and safety of the buildings and basic grounds maintenance to continue using the property for our camping trips. The Building and Grounds committee is proposing an overall investment of $1,000,000 over the next five years in our two campuses.
Strategies for diversifying funding streams
Modeling the values of our mission throughout our organization
We will pursue expansive diversity among our staff, Board and committee members. We aim to evaluate our governance structure in context of mission. We will seek input from alumni from marginalized communities on alumni programming recommendations.
Developing processes to evaluate and measure our progress
In order to make this plan a success, we will continuously assess progress and report status annually to the LAJF Board. For each pillar we will define key performance indicators (KPIs), a scorecard for the six pillars and bridging that with SWOO. The Strategic Planning Committee will continue with to meet in lower frequency capacity, as the body that evaluates progress on opportunities in plan and new opportunities.
The work of our organization and achieving our ambitious goals for the next five years is only possible with the help of our many supporters. We are grateful for your continued contributions and excited to embark on this new journey with you!
Help us achieve the goals of our new strategic plan - go to www.lajf.org/donate or click the button above, to make a donation today.