Village Temple Strategic Planning Task Force
February 25, 2013 meeting notes
Participants: Bill Abrams, Craig Albert, Emily Hacker, Betsy Krebs, Jill Wilkinson (Deb Seidman unable to attend)
REVIEW OF FIRST DRAFT SECTIONS
ENGAGEMENT WITH KEY STAKEHOLDERS
1. Rabbi: Important to meet with her soon. We want to hear her vision for VT (rather than have her react to our draft). Bill will ask her for possible dates for a dinner with committee. Emily will draft framing questions, such as:
How can we reach out to members? Set up interview stand at March 10 blood drive? Each strat plan committee member do 2-3 one-on-one interviews, especially with regular (non-board) members? Meet with religious school or other committee?
Craig to work on a plan and help organize March informal outreach. Needs to move quickly as start of Passover (and school vacations) on March 25 gives us a very limited time window for this.
3. Alex Tansky: How can we hear his vision and observations on current state of VT?
4. Board meeting on 3/19: Can we get 45-60 minutes on board agenda for some kind of structured discussion that goes beyond the April meetings? Can Deb facilitate?
5. Plan for April feedback meetings: To discuss at our next meeting
6. [Strat plan website: Bill forgot to mention that Barb G has volunteered to build one and they will work on it.]
Next steps
1. Deb and Jill to revise mission, vision, values
2. Betsy to do further refining of key trends document. Which ones seem most interesting and thought-provoking for us? Can be useful tool to stimulate dialogue.
3. Craig to do analysis of VT member data.
4. Betsy to begin competitive analysis. Bill will send her suggested list (with input from Don Kent)
5. Bill and Emily to continue drafting goals and initiatives.
6. Bill and Barb G to begin building strat plan website. Committee will review before it goes live.
7. Bill to schedule a dinner with Rabbi and SPTF. Emily to draft framing questions for her.
8. Craig to develop plan for member outreach in March: how to outreach, set of guiding questions.
9. Bill to talk with Deb and co-prexys re March 19 discussion.
Next meeting: Tuesday March 12 at 7 pm at Bill Abrams
- Mission, vision, values
- First draft of vision/mission (combined) is very strong. Various comments to Jill for consideration in next revision. General questions to use in testing the M/V statement include (i)what elements differentiate us from other synagogues, (ii)how well does it describe VT today? (iii)are the aspirational elements realistic within the next few years?
- Values also a solid start. Comments to Jill for next version.
- Strategies: While this wasn’t part of the original assignment for Jill and Deb, their four high-level strategies seemed to be in the right direction and can be a useful set of 4 or 5 high-level aims under which the more detailed goals list (from Bill & Deb) can sit under. No further work required by Jill/Deb on this right now.
- Trends
- Data on downtown and NYC Jewish populations give us useful big-picture context, as well as some surprising findings (50% of married couples are interfaith) and reminders of important facts (mixed economic status). This data can be a stimulus for dialogues with members and others, and also may help us zero in the few (2 or 3)biggest opportunities for VT (such as large percentage of single-adult households)
- Kesef hasn’t yet delivered data on VT members, so Craig hasn’t yet been able to start on his analysis. [Note: Kesef sent the data on 2/27]
- Betsy will start on competitive analysis – initially with area shuls. (See below on next steps)
- Goals Goals matrix combines notes from town hall and other meetings, including the “desired future” outline made by board this spring. 8 is probably too many, so maybe use something like the 4 strategies suggested by Deb and Jill as the high-level goals, with the more detailed goals hanging below them. Bill and Emily to do revision.
- Other Discussion (general)
- What is balance of our goal between more money and more members? Probably more members more important, in terms of mission achieving (engaging more people), ensuring well-attended programs, broader financial base.
- Is 300 members – often cited as desired membership level – really the right number? Can we model what our financials would look like at that level? What implications are there for our capacity needs? (For example, could our current office staff handle 300 members, which is about a 30% increase from today)? What would a 30% increase in B’nai Mitzvahs mean?
- How should we pursue question of alternative dues structure (e.g., voluntary dues)? Too much to tackle in next few months and needs a well-organized task force to research, do analysis, etc.
- “Sacred Strategies” is book about “functional” vs. “visionary” congregations. Bill highly recommends and will circulate first two chapters to committee. http://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Strategies-Transforming-Synagogues-Functional/dp/1566994012
ENGAGEMENT WITH KEY STAKEHOLDERS
1. Rabbi: Important to meet with her soon. We want to hear her vision for VT (rather than have her react to our draft). Bill will ask her for possible dates for a dinner with committee. Emily will draft framing questions, such as:
- What is your vision for VT future?
- What are 3 things that would dramatically change our trajectory?
- What do you see as our biggest barriers and challenges?
- In terms of demographic segments, what are our opportunities?
- What lessons can we adopt from other rabbis & shuls you know? What innovative strategies excite
How can we reach out to members? Set up interview stand at March 10 blood drive? Each strat plan committee member do 2-3 one-on-one interviews, especially with regular (non-board) members? Meet with religious school or other committee?
Craig to work on a plan and help organize March informal outreach. Needs to move quickly as start of Passover (and school vacations) on March 25 gives us a very limited time window for this.
3. Alex Tansky: How can we hear his vision and observations on current state of VT?
4. Board meeting on 3/19: Can we get 45-60 minutes on board agenda for some kind of structured discussion that goes beyond the April meetings? Can Deb facilitate?
5. Plan for April feedback meetings: To discuss at our next meeting
6. [Strat plan website: Bill forgot to mention that Barb G has volunteered to build one and they will work on it.]
Next steps
1. Deb and Jill to revise mission, vision, values
2. Betsy to do further refining of key trends document. Which ones seem most interesting and thought-provoking for us? Can be useful tool to stimulate dialogue.
3. Craig to do analysis of VT member data.
4. Betsy to begin competitive analysis. Bill will send her suggested list (with input from Don Kent)
5. Bill and Emily to continue drafting goals and initiatives.
6. Bill and Barb G to begin building strat plan website. Committee will review before it goes live.
7. Bill to schedule a dinner with Rabbi and SPTF. Emily to draft framing questions for her.
8. Craig to develop plan for member outreach in March: how to outreach, set of guiding questions.
9. Bill to talk with Deb and co-prexys re March 19 discussion.
Next meeting: Tuesday March 12 at 7 pm at Bill Abrams