Clean Air Council Strategic Plan 2010
In the last few years, Clean Air Council has identified the need to create a formal Strategic Plan. Thus, in April 2008, Clean Air Council applied for assistance from the Institute for Conservation Leadership’s Organizational and Leadership Effectiveness Program to help the Council develop such a plan. In June 2008, thanks to a grant from the William Penn Foundation, the Institute awarded the Council funding for a consultant to assist with the creation of a Strategic Plan. A Strategic Planning Team (Team) was formed comprised of staff and Board members. With the consultant’s guidance, the Team began meeting regularly to develop a process for the Plan’s creation.
The Team’s first step was to establish the Council’s current status through information-gathering and benchmarking from the perspective of its staff, Board, and external stakeholders. During the summer of 2008, the consultant surveyed staff and Board members, both former and current, for their assessment of the Council on a variety of issues, including vision and planning, programs, fundraising, staff, Board, media, volunteers, and diversity. Additionally, during the fall of 2008, the consultant and Team members conducted interviews with external stakeholders to ascertain how individuals and organizations outside of the Council viewed the organization. These stakeholders were asked where they thought the Council was most effective, what its particular niche was in the environmental movement, who the Council ought to be working with, and what challenges lay ahead for the organization, among other considerations.
The data were used to design an organizational retreat in December 2008 for staff and Board members. Nine staff members and six Board members participated in this collaborative process, which spanned one and a half days. Two significant items came out of the meeting related to Clean Air Council’s mission: 1) the substantive focus should remain on air quality and 2) the geographic scope should be expanded to encompass the Mid-Atlantic Region, starting with expanded activities in Delaware and New Jersey. Additionally, the retreat resulted in a list of organizational values and beliefs and a set of strategic directions to serve as a springboard for the Strategic Plan.
With the conclusion of the retreat, the Team’s final responsibility has been to develop Clean Air Council’s first ever formal written Strategic Plan. After many months of diligent work and regular meetings, the Team is pleased to present the following document to provide guidance and direction for the Council. The Team believes this Strategic Plan embodies the beliefs, values, desires, and expectations of the Council’s staff and Board. The Team also believes that the organization can continue to grow and succeed with this Plan in place.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| CAC Strategic Plan 2010.pdf | 1.58 MB |
5K Run for Clean Air
Over the past three decades, The 5K Run for Clean Air has grown into Philadelphia’s largest Earth Day Celebration, a certified green run, and much more. Located on the beautiful banks of the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia, the 5K Run for Clean Air is a community effort to decrease the air pollution that triggers asthma and other respiratory problems in our families, as well as support programs that reduce waste in favor of increased recycling and composting and slow down global warming.
The 5K Run for Clean Air is Philadelphia’s premier green run, an environmentally responsible event certified by Athlete’s For a Fit Planet. Last year the Council implemented a series of sustainable practices so that participants could enjoy a sense of accomplishment, not only from finishing, but from being environmentally conscious– something no other run in the area offers. Paperless registration eliminated the printing and mailing of over 25,000 Run brochures. Runners were urged to take public transportation, walk, or bike (bicycle valet provided!). All of the Run’s trash was either composted or recycled!
