Strategic Plan Strategic Plan

Strategic Plan 2015-2019

Background:

• Started in 1974 as WUTA • Urban fixed route systems

• Expanded base to most public transit forms

per 2000 strategic plan

• Changed name from WUTA to WURTA

2015-2019 Strategic Plan Deliverables:

• Tax status report

• Director and officer insurance report

• Transit coalition organizations status and

Strategic Planning Process

• Creation of SP Committee also used as focus

group to identify planning issues (June)

• Research on tax status, insurance and coalition

organizations (June and July)

• Member survey (Mid July)

• One day visioning session (end of July)

• Plan written and reviewed by SP Committee (mid

August)

• Board review and recommendation (September) • Presentation to members (Today)

Tax Status

• Issue raised in relation to applying for grants • 501c3 – Charitable organizations

– Beneficial to receive grants and donations – Limits political and legislative activities – Official IRS designation – must apply

• Other options 501c4 – social welfare organization and

501c6 – business league

• Report reviews advantages and limitations of each

• Issue complicated by lack of documentation of current status • Report recommends hiring a tax attorney to advise and assist

Director and Officer Insurance

• No coverage currently

• 63 percent of NP’s are sued

• Legal defense alone can drain organization’s

financial assets and reserves

• Directors and officers could be held personally

liable

• D&O insurance comes in many forms and levels -

$1 Million minimum recommended

• Hire an insurance professional with non profit

Focus Group Format and Topics

• SP Committee engaged in interactive discussion. • Topics discussed included:

– Why does your organization belong to WURTA – Describe one accomplishment of WURTA

– Describe one benefit of WURTA membership – What are the three most important reasons for

WURTA to exist

– Discuss legislative effectiveness – Internal and external relationships

Focus Group Takeaways

• Many reasons to belong but center on lobbying/advocacy.

Relationships, professional learning and information exchange

• WURTA has key accomplishments

• Membership helps in numerous ways

• Committees are fine, but more participation is important

• Legislative effectiveness is high with improvement possibilities • Results used to formulate the member survey

Survey Method and Format

• 85 members surveyed. 35 completed (40%) • Survey Monkey on-line tool over10 day period • Used issues and language from focus group • Goal: Quantify and rank issues and attributes

• Multiple choice, rankings and comments permitted • Nearly all respondents completed all questions

Survey Takeaways

Top reasons for WURTA to exist:

•

Lobbying (most important)

•

Knowledge sharing

Survey Takeaways

Top reasons for member’s

organizations to belong:

1. Knowledge sharing

2. Legislative advocacy

3. Strength and Unity

Survey Takeaways

Key weaknesses:

•

Member participation (46%)

•

Legislative Effectiveness (34%)

•

External (31%) and Internal (29%)

communications

Survey Takeaways

Attain improved organizational

effectiveness in next five years by:

•

More/better opportunities to learn and

exchange information (54%)

•

Expand partnership/coalition (49%)

Survey Takeaways

Survey Takeaways

What defines WURTA’s success in the next five years?

• Funding (stable or increased) • Effective organizational change

Strategic Visioning Day

Methodology:

• Open to all members (17 showed up)

• Background presentations on tax status, D&O

insurance, coalition organizations and survey results.

• Strategic Visioning exercise • Two voting exercise

Strategic Visioning Day

THE “BIG”QUESTION:

In 2019, why is WURTA the nation’s most improved and

outstanding state association? Because of actions taken to:

• Pursue it’s vision

• Make organizational structure changes

• Be effectiveness in government relations and lobbying • Improve internal and external communications

• Assure sufficient financial resources

• Improve knowledge sharing among members

• Partner with transit related and other supportive

Strategic Visioning Day: Voting

In answer to the “BIG” question, action proposed by all participants were complied and readied for voting

exercise:

• All action ideas are good…none discarded • First round narrows down actions

• Second round leads to most effective actions and

final consensus.

Strategic Plan Review: Final Steps

• Plan written to reflect Visioning Day

consensus

• Strategic Planning Committee review and

comment

• Board review and comment • Board recommendation

The 2015-2019 Strategic Action Plan

Consists of Five Action Categories:

• Foundational Steps • Financial Resources

• Organizational Staffing • Legislative Initiatives

• Member Engagement and Support

The 2015-2019 Strategic Action Plan

Foundational Steps:

• Update By-laws

• Hire tax attorney to resolve non profit status • Hire an insurance professional and purchase

Director and Officer insurance

• Devise system to preserve organizational

documents and records

The 2015-2019 Strategic Action Plan

Financial Resources:

• Study grant availability

• Developed organizational budget to

accommodate staffing needs

• Review dues structure in order to maximize

member revenue

• Charge close coalition organizations to recover

The 2015-2019 Strategic Action Plan

• Hire an executive director

– Day-to-day WURTA business

– Internal and External communications – Carry out key pieces of the strategic plan

• Education

• Recruitment and member services • Relationship building

• Hire a lobbyist

– Passion

– Political savvy

The 2015-2019 Strategic Action Plan

Legislative Initiatives(In order of action):

• Funding stays in Transportation budget thru

2020

• Secure long term stable operations funding

• Secure increased capital funds (State/Federal) • Secure statewide RTA enabling legislation

The 2015-2019 Strategic Action Plan

• Design and implement welcoming and mentoring

program

• Develop document sharing system using web site • Include leadership building session at annual

conference

• Encourage more peer to peer discussion using

remote meeting technology

• More transit members involving more staff

The 2015-2019 Strategic Action Plan

Organizational Structure and Partnerships:

• Continue merger discussions with close coalition

partners

• Solidify relationships and develop consistent contacts

with “friends” organizations. Work together to develop unified messaging and partnering on grants.

• After base relationships are solidified and messaging

refined, reach out to non traditional partners.

• View regional leadership opportunities on transit

The 2015-2019 Strategic Action Plan

Conclusion:

• Extensive, comprehensive and straight

forward

• Member generated plan through engagement

and responsiveness

• Process fully documented for reference

• Resulting plan is challenging and ambitious • Gets WURTA to the next level of effectiveness