Civitan Club

STRATEGIC PLANNING GUIDE

Civitan International

Club Mission“The mission of our Civitan clubs is to . . .

District Mission“The mission of Civitan districts and district officers is to

promote the long term health and vitality of its clubs through implementing growth strategies for building new clubs and recruiting members into existing clubs, serving as a conduit

of ideals between clubs and Civitan International.”

Strategic planning helps individuals, clubs, and districts develop a long-range vision and serves as a framework for establishing goals. This guide and the

accompanying worksheet provide clubs with a starting point for strategic planning. These resources can also be easily adapted for individuals or districts, and the

worksheet can be completed independently or as a group. Facilitators should become familiar with this resource and prepare an agenda before conducting a

strategic planning meeting. The agenda should allot the majority of time to the second and third steps of the process, which focus on the future, and less time to

the current state of the club. Online copy of this form: www.civitan.org (forms and literature then officer materials)

When conducting the strategic planning process, keep the following tips in mind:

* Include a wide variety of perspectives and consider all ideas.

* Involve past, current, and incoming club leaders.

* If possible, have an unbiased facilitator or a small group of facilitators run strategic planning meetings.

* Reflect on how your club’s goals align with those of your district and Civitan International.

The Strategic Planning ModelStrategic planning involves creating a vision, with supporting goals that can be regularly evaluated and adjusted as needed.

Regular Evaluation of All Components

CIVITAN CLUB STRATEGIC PLANNING GUIDE

VISION

3-YEAR GOAL

ANNUAL GOALS:

3-YEAR GOAL

ANNUAL GOALS:

3-YEAR GOAL

ANNUAL GOALS:

at

A strategic plan can be developed by completing the process below: Use this guide and worksheet to record your ideas. Begin by forming a club

strategic planning committee of 3-5. Include the President and PE each year.

1. Where are we now? Describe your club’s current state (be honest).

Candidly Brainstorm your club’s strengths and weaknesses.

2. Where do we want to be? Create a list of 5-10 characteristics that you would like to see in your club three years from now.

Draft a one-sentence vision statement describing your club three years from now.

Finalize the vision statement, making sure that all participants support it.

3. How do we get there?

Use the Honor Club application as a guide. www.civitan.org (awards/international)

Brainstorm and develop some three-year goals (long term) that will help your club achieve the vision, considering:

Strengths and weaknesses of the club

Programs and missions of Civitan International and the district

Involvement of all members

Achievability in three years

Prioritize the three-year goals based on participant consensus. As a group, decide on the top two or three goals that will have the

greatest impact as your club works toward the vision.

Develop annual (short term) goals that support each of the top three-year or long term goals.

Agree on the deadlines, resources, and people necessary for meeting the first annual goal for each of the three-year goals.

4. How are we doing? Regularly monitor progress and recommend revisions to the plan.

Allocate sufficient resources for the plan’s implementation.

Evaluate all club decisions to make sure they support the plan, providing feedback to the strategic planning team as they monitor

implementation.

Review the strategic plan annually, including the vision statement, three-year goals, and annual goals, and revise as needed.

Repeat the full strategic planning process every three years to create a new plan or affirm the current one.

PROCESS

A strategic plan can be developed by asking

these questions

1. Where are we now?

2. Where do we want to be?

3. How do we get there?

4. How are we doing?

Use the process outlined on the previous page to complete and create your strategic plan.

Club Name:

1. Where are we now?

Today’s date is:

Describe your current state:

Strengths: Weaknesses:

2. Where do we want to be?

Target date is:

CIVITAN CLUB STRATEGIC PLANNING WORKSHEET

Key characteristics of future state:

Vision Statement:

3. How do we get there?

In order to reach the vision, the following goals must be achieved.Three-year goals:

In order to achieve the three-year goals, the following annual goals must be achieved.Note: There is no limit to the number of three-year goals for your strategic plan.

Three-year goal #1:Annual goals:

*

*

*

Deadlines:

Resources Needed:

Three-year goal #2:Annual goals:

*

*

*

Deadlines:

Resources Needed:

Three-year goal #3:Annual goals:

*

*

*

Deadlines:

Resources Needed:

4. How are we doing?

List the actions that you will take to follow-up on implementation of the plan:

Civitan InternationalHonor Club Application

To complete this application in MS Word, save a copy to your computer, complete your entries and save your completed application. Email as an attachment to awards@civitan.org. If you wish to use a hand-written form,

print and mail your completed application to the address below.

Club Name:       District Name:       District Number:       Club Number:       Club President’s Name (for award year):       Application Completed by:       Daytime Telephone:       E-mail:      

Membership Increase:Beginning membership October 1:      Ending membership September 30:       Increase in Membership:      

As of the end of the Civitan year, our Civitan club has an increase in membership; has completed the requirements below; and

acknowledges that our Civitan club is considered a club in good standing including all officers trained, all dues and fees paid up-to-date; and are applying for (select only one):

Honor Club: Net increase of 1 to 5 members Honor Club of Excellence: Net increase of 6 to 14 members

Honor Club of Distinction: Net increase of 15 or more

members OR achieved net increase AND

sponsored a new Junior, Campus or adult

Civitan club

Club Building:

DeadlineDECEMBER

Charter/Sponsor a new Civitan club Name of new club       Charter Date:       Charter/Sponsor a new Campus Civitan club: Name of new club       Charter Date:       Charter/Sponsor a new Junior Civitan club: Name of new club       Charter Date:      

CATEGORY 1: Club Recruitment and Retention (Minimum of 5 items required)

Club Recruitment/Retention Activities (Club recruitment and retention is important to the longevity of the Civitan club):

1. Held at least two recruitment meetings 2. Held ongoing New Member Orientation

program 3. At least one member qualified as Member

Sponsorship Team (MST) * 4. At least one member qualified as

Distinguished Sponsorship Team (DST) * 5. Guests introduced during meetings 6. Follow-up letter or club bulletin/newsletter

sent to guests 7. Club successfully retained 85% or more, of

the members listed on the International

roster at the beginning of the Civitan year (October 1)

8. Achieved member additions equaling 20% of the total members at the beginning of the Civitan year (October 1)

9. Achieved Golden Circle Status during the year or maintained status at year end

10. At least one member sponsors his or her first Civitan member and receives a “First Member Pin” (Sponsor-a-Member program) *

* For more information: http://www.civitan.com/template.php?t=sr&id=288

CATEGORY 2: Service and Fundraising Projects (Minimum of 9 projects required, No. 11 may count up to 4)

1. Project Name:       Month/Year of Project:    /    2. Project Name:       Month/Year of Project:    /    3. Project Name:       Month/Year of Project:    /    4. Project Name:       Month/Year of Project:    /    5. Project Name:       Month/Year of Project:    /    6. Project Name:       Month/Year of Project:    /    7. Project Name:       Month/Year of Project:    /    8. Project Name:       Month/Year of Project:    /    9. Project Name:       Month/Year of Project:    /    10. Project Name:       Month/Year of Project:    /    11. And/or Civitan International promoted fundraisers: Candy Box Coin Box Claxton Fruitcake Paula Deen Fundraiser

CATEGORY 3: Knowledge, Fellowship and Club AdministrationKnowledge – Sections A and B (Minimum of 8 items required)

A. Speaker or Program: Description of speakers and/or club education program and the title or topic featured at club meetings:

1. Club Education Program/Topic:       2. Club Education Program/Topic:       3. Speaker/Topic:       4. Speaker/Topic:       5. Speaker/Topic:       6. Speaker/Topic:       7. Speaker/Topic:       8. Speaker/Topic:       9. Civitan Awareness (April):       10. Clergy Appreciation Program (February):      

B. District/International Educational Programs: Description of meeting/seminars attended outside of regular club meetings, i.e. international seminars, international convention, district convention, district-wide meetings, area meetings, district leadership meetings, Civitan computer based education. (Required officer training is not included)

11.       Date of Meeting

Attended:      

12.       Date of Meeting

Attended:      

13.       Date of Meeting

Attended:      

14.       Date of Meeting

Attended:      

Fellowship (Minimum of 6 items required)

1. Fellowship time before/after meeting2. Visits to other clubs3. Greeting Cards sent to members (mail or email) 4. Celebrate Club/Member Anniversary

5. Social Activities: Picnic/Cookout Game Night

Bowling Golf/Putting Progressive Dinner6. Additional Social Activities:

a.      

b.      

c.      

d.      

Club Administration/Marketing/Recognition (Minimum of 8 items required)Club Administration

1. Club had active Board of Directors2. Bulletin/newsletter published regularly3. Committee chairpersons appointed4. Printed agendas distributed at meetings5. Membership roster published by club6. Club-adopted operating budget7. Banner displayed at meetings

8. Bell and gavel used at club meetings

Marketing/Publicity9. Club-published marketing materials (brochures, flyers. meeting invitation cards)10. Maintained club web site and updated quarterly: List web address:       11. Articles in local or regional newspaper or magazine and/or PSA’s (TV or Radio)12. Billboards placed

Awards/Recognition 13. New VIP member(s)

14. New Civitan Creed Club member(s)

15. Annual awards installation banquet date:      

CATEGORY 4: Civitan International Charitable Support Activities (Minimum of 3 programs required)

1. Civitan Shropshire Fellow Contribution 2. Civitan Research Center Fellow Contribution 3. Civitan Freedom Fellow Contribution 4. Junior Fellow Program Contribution 5. Achieve Helmsman Level or above in Civitans at

the Helm 6. Club Member(s) in President’s Council

7. Club Member(s) in Legacy Society (Planned Gift/Will) 8. Junior Civitan Sno-Do Contribution 9. Junior Civitan Dance-a-Thon Contribution 10. Unrestricted Fund Contributions to Civitan

International