Strategic Plan 2015
Mission and Values AWARE rehabilitates Georgia’s injured or orphaned wildlife
and educates the community on habitat preservation and peaceful coexistence Values:
We accept all native wildlife in need
We treat all wildlife in our care humanely and responsibly
We engage, educate and inspire our community to take action to preserve wildlife and its habitat
We embrace collaboration, partnering with other organizations to efficiently and effectively fulfill our mission
Operational Overview Founded by Michael Ellis in 2006 and qualifies as a 501(3)c organization Operates 365 days per year and is unique in accepting all species of native wildlife Treats approximately 1,800 animals and responds to 10,000 calls and emails about native
wildlife annually Resides on 7 acres at a facility in Arabia Mountain Park in Lithonia, GA Employs 5 staff members and more than 70 dedicated volunteers Increased revenue in 2013 by 38%, 2014 is up another 65% Receives governance from an active Board of Directors
2015 Strategic Focus Summary Continue building a strong foundation of financial
stability and organizational capability that will allow for greater impact
Improve fundraising initiatives and programs to reach a targeted but wider audience
Enhance education programs to inspire youth and the Georgia community to appreciate wildlife and be responsible environmental stewards, supporting habitat preservation
Improve organizational communications
Expand partnerships and coalitions to support rehabilitation and education efforts
Increase and equip the volunteer base to support higher levels of animal rehabilitation and education programs
2015 Strategy Continue building a strong foundation of financial stability and organizational capability that will allow for greater impact Five Focus Areas o Animal Welfare o Education o Fundraising o Communications o Organizational Capability
2015 Focus Areas Focus Area 1 – Animal Welfare
Continue to provide excellent animal rehabilitation and humane care
Grow the volunteer base and partnerships with allied organizations and rehabilitators (focus on greater Atlanta)
Maintain all policies and procedures to ensure up-to-date and humane treatment of animals in our care
Focus Area 2 – Education
Develop new education content and channels to equip and inspire the community to appreciate wildlife and support habitat preservation
Expand the education volunteer team to reach more people
Seek out partnerships with organizations to assist with program development and delivery
Continue to focus on young audiences and expand to reach the greater Atlanta community
2015 Focus Areas Focus Area 3 – Fundraising
Create an Advisory Board to improve access to foundations and high net worth individuals
Develop tailored messages and outreach to engage current donors
Continue to identify and engage high potential corporations and foundations
Develop a fundraising calendar, including grant applications and special events
Get $25,000 in grants
Research the requirements for a successful capital program and begin planning
Develop a marketing plan for recurring donations
Increase the number of successful special events
Attract $250,000 in the calendar year
Develop and, when needed, implement an investment strategy
Focus Area 4 – Communications
Develop a public relations strategy that includes branding, messaging and social media
Develop core messages to support fundraising and education activities; focus on specific calls to action
Write a series of high impact animal stories
Create a communication calendar coordinated with the fundraising and education calendars
Recruit a board member with communications expertise
Achieve 10,000 Facebook likes
Focus Area 5 – Organizational Capability
Increase the number of volunteers and the breadth of their skill sets
Improve volunteer orientation, training and engagement programs
Develop a plan for staff and volunteer succession and knowledge transfer
Create a facilities improvement and growth plan
2016 Strategy Increase AWARE’s capacity to handle larger volumes of injured or
orphaned wildlife so that no animal goes untreated
Continue to increase the number of volunteers and rehabilitation specialists to expand organizational capability and geographic coverage
Enhance and solidify partnerships with allied organizations
Significantly expand the impact of education and inspirational
programs
Become one of the most respected and recognized sources for equipping school-aged children, educators and the broader Atlanta community to appreciate and support wildlife and habitat preservation
Engage the broader Atlanta community to effectively advocate for peaceful coexistence with native wildlife and environmental stewardship
Begin capital campaign to expand or develop new facility
2017 Strategy Expand capabilities to support Georgia
Provide a larger facility and support satellite groups to expand wildlife care and minimize transportation of injured animals
Administer a successful capital campaign to expand the current facility or develop a new one
Provide facilities to support education and inspirational
programs
Youth
Community
Organizational events and team building