YMCA of Oakville

Strategic Plan2012-2016

Building healthy communitiesFor more than 50 years, your YMCA has been dedicated to strengthening people in spirit, mind and body. Today we are building on our experience, strengthening our voice, reinvesting in our people and programs, and launching new and innovative initiatives which will be deeply embedded in the fabric of our neighbourhoods.

Over the last year, we embarked on a strategic planning process to chart our course for the next five years. We reached out to ask Oakville’s community leaders, partners, youth, new Canadians, and our YMCA members, program participants, staff and volunteers to dream of new and innovative ways to engage and strengthen our community – and share their vision for our YMCA.

We asked you to identify the most significant challenges facing the Oakville community and here is what you said:

You told us Oakville is changing and that together we need to ensure our community is prepared to meet these challenges.

This feedback was invaluable and it helped us create a new, five-year strategic plan with a vision to be at the forefront of positive change in the health and well-being of our community. It is an ambitious, yet realistic plan that focuses on engaging more children, teens and young adults in more neighbourhoods in Oakville and it recognizes that when we help young people grow up healthy, our entire community becomes stronger. We also believe that children, teens and young adults are more likely to succeed in a community which is home to healthy families and adults.

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The Community We All WantImagine a community where we nurture the full potential of our children, teens and young adults. By giving our children the opportunities and support they need to grow up strong, confident and resilient, we can help them succeed throughout their lives. Together, we can create a foundation for a healthier, more vibrant future – for every individual in our community.

The YMCA We NeedThe YMCA we need is deeply rooted in the Oakville community. For generations, we have come together to help strengthen our community. Now we need to do more. We need to extend beyond these walls to respond to Oakville’s changing demographics and to the unique needs of our neighbourhoods. We need to encourage and support our children and families to become healthier in spirit, mind and body. Finally, we need to ensure that all community members are included and that everyone has the same opportunities to succeed – now and in the future.

Our Commitment We are committed to strengthening the foundations of our community: nurturing the potential of children, teens and young adults; promoting healthy living; fostering a sense of social responsibility; and delivering lasting social and personal change.

Program Principles• Alignment with Mission, Vision and Values • Commitment to quality and excellence• Potential to deepen YMCA involvement • Competency to lead• Relevant and significant in impact and scope • Capacity to operate and sustain

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Strategic Plan 2012-2016Our new strategic plan focuses on four key strategic directions. From these directions come a set of strategies that will guide our work for the next five years.

We invite you to join us over the next five years as we work together to build a stronger, healthier Oakville.

Guiding Principles• Member involvement • Collaboration and partnership• Diversity and inclusion • Ethics• Accountability and stewardship • Volunteerism and professionalism

Build our Brand and Philanthropic

Capacity

Strengthenour Impact

DevelopCommunity

Extend our Reach

Develop CommunityWe will collaborate and partner with others to advocate for the health and well-being of Oakville residents so that every individual and family has the tools and knowledge they need to live a healthier lifestyle.

Strategies Tactics

Collaborate and partner with others to advocate for the health and well-being of Oakville residents

• Be “at the table” to provide a YMCA perspective and influence policy development on key issues which impact the health and well-being of Oakville residents

• Deliver five community signature events per year focused on the health and well-being of Oakville residents

• Focus on two community/societal issues that will allow us to build advocacy, philanthropy and partnering skills

• Develop a cause marketing strategy focused on identified community/societal needs

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Strengthen our ImpactWith a focus on achieving excellence in all of our core program areas and building our staff and volunteer capacity, we’ll strengthen our assets – and impact our community in new and significant ways.

Strategies Tactics

Achieve excellence in all core program areas

• Reinvest in YMCA facilities to maintain “as new” condition

• Implement new national program frameworks that define the YMCA’s unique approach to program delivery

• Implement new YMCA Canada minimum requirements, training and quality assurance systems to ensure consistent, quality delivery of core programs

• Adopt federation-wide systems to measure outcomes, evaluate success and report on impact

Build staff and volunteer capacity

• Implement federation shared services and support systems and investigate regional shared services

• Design and implement a competency-based HR framework for staff and volunteers

• Develop and implement an association diversity and inclusion plan

• Create a continuum of staff development opportunities focused on strengthening association and management competencies

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Extend our ReachBy expanding YMCA programs and services in North Oakville, developing new programs in underserved neighbourhoods and exploring partnership opportunities for new facility development, we’ll extend our reach to even more people.

Strategies Tactics

Expand programs and services in North Oakville

• Research new ways of providing programs and services to residents of North Oakville

• Implement new programs and services in North Oakville

Develop new programs and services in low-income, underserved neighbourhoods

• Secure multi-year, core funding for priority neighbourhoods initiative

• Conduct a comprehensive assessment to identify four priority neighbourhoods

• Work with local leaders and partners to deliver targeted programs and services

Explore partnership opportunities for new facility development

• Complete a feasibility study on new facility development in North Oakville

• Initiate planning process for new facility development

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Build our Brand and Philanthropic CapacityWe will strengthen our brand by demonstrating how our charitable work makes a personal and powerful impact on our community. By creating new philanthropic opportunities, we will invite our community to join us in transforming the lives of more children and families in Oakville.

Strategies Tactics

Strengthen and advance support for our charitable work

• Develop and implement a new association Case for Support focused on increasing awareness of the YMCA of Oakville’s reputation as a charity of choice

• Adopt federation philanthropy strategy (eg. Future strategy and direction of YMCA Strong Kids campaign)

• Develop and implement a strategic philanthropy program focused on enhancing the donor experience and securing sustainable funding

Develop a strong brand which reinforces our charitable position and the role we play in strengthening community

• Implement federation brand strategy

• Implement a member/participant marketing and communications strategy

• Develop and implement an external marketing and communications strategy

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YMCA of Oakville 410 Rebecca StreetOakville, Ontario L6K 1K7Tel: 905-845-3417 Fax: 905-842-6792info@oakville.ymca.ca

ymcaofoakville.com

facebook.com/YMCAOakville

@YMCAOakville

Charitable Registration # 11906 4400 RR0001

MISSION The YMCA of Oakville is a charitythat strengthens community in spirit, mind and body.

VISION The YMCA of Oakville will be at the forefront of positive change in the health and well-being of our community.

VALUES • Caring • Health• Honesty • Inclusiveness• Respect • Responsibility

Acknowledgments Thank you to the hundreds of individuals and community partners who generously shared their insights and contributed to the development of our strategic plan.

A very special thanks to our Strategic Planning Committee.Neil Lester, Chair Daniel Gonsalves Donald Peat Lindsay Williams Kris Copeland Peter Kolisnyk Brenda Ridgway Kevin Yates Gail Cosman Darryl McKenzie Richard Stahl