Canucks Autism Network - Strategic Plan: 2016-2021 by Canucks Autism Network

CANUCKS AUTISM NETWORK | STRATEGIC PLAN 2016-2021

our goals

To realize our vision, CAN is focused on five goals: 1. Provide Programs Deliver high-quality sport and recreation programs to more individuals and families living with autism in urban areas of British Columbia. 2. Create Community Capacity Provide training and tools to community leaders across BC that inspire the creation and enable the delivery of more accessible opportunities for individuals and families living with autism. 3. Foster Awareness and Acceptance Build awareness and understanding of autism in community spaces across BC so that families living with autism will feel understood, supported, and included in a range of activities and outings within their community. 4. Build Sustainable Funding Secure a sustainable and diverse financial resource base that supports ongoing stability and growth of CAN programs. 5. Achieve Operational Excellence Establish a culture of continuous improvement to increase efficiencies, minimize costs, foster employee engagement, and model excellent business practices.

our values

CANUCKS AUTISM NETWORK | STRATEGIC PLAN 2016-2021

goal #1 provide programs Deliver high-quality sport and recreation programs to more individuals and families living with autism across BC.

CANUCKS AUTISM NETWORK | STRATEGIC PLAN 2016-2021

strategies | 1.1

Define and deliver a set of core programs in major population centres across BC that provide CAN members with a low or no-cost, introductory level experience in sport and recreation opportunities.

Targeted Outcomes by 2021: Measuring Our Success • Establish a framework of core programs for children, youth and young adults that CAN will deliver consistently across urban centres by 2017. • In communities where CAN programs exist, provide equitable access to opportunities that set the stage for life-long participation in sport and recreation. • By 2018, establish program offerings in the Lower Mainland that reflect the core program model. • By 2021, balance program delivery to reflect the ASD population in urban centres (percentage of diagnoses in the region guides percentage of overall CAN program offerings, budget allocation etc.). • By 2021, provide the full suite of CAN core programs in targeted emerging regions.

strategies |1.2

Develop and implement a membership recruitment strategy to increase the number of individuals and families living with autism in BC who are CAN members.

Targeted Outcomes by 2021: Measuring Our Success • By 2021, attract 750 new CAN members and market to underrepresented populations to increase member diversity. • By 2021, increase the membership retention rate to 60%. • Create a membership benefits program by 2017 to support member retention. • Develop a strategy document and score card by 2018 to benchmark and track the progress of membership recruitment and retention efforts. • Enhance recruitments efforts on Vancouver Island, in the Okanagan and in the Interior to reach 35% of the ASD population of each region. • By 2018, establish a program enrollment policy and implement a placement matrix that ensures that all CAN members living in urban centres have equal opportunity to participate in a base number of programs and/or family events annually.

CANUCKS AUTISM NETWORK | STRATEGIC PLAN 2016-2021

strategies |1.3

Achieve and maintain high standards across all CAN programming to ensure program participants have the opportunity to learn skills, build confidence, and feel engaged in their community.

Targeted Outcomes by 2021: Measuring Our Success • Create a standardized, outcomes-based program evaluation framework that involves feedback from multiple stakeholders to determine the impact/benefits during and after participation in CAN programs. • Complete a program evaluation on all core programs being delivered by 2021. • Improve the skills and competencies of program staff through increased minimum education, training, and certification standards for all positions. • By 2018, ensure that 100% of staff working in CAN programs hold a valid first aid certification. • By 2021, ensure that 100% of CAN program coaches are NCCP trained and/or certified. • Align all sport and recreation programming with the Canadian Sport for Life framework.

goal #2 create community capacity Provide training and tools to community sport and recreation leaders across BC that inspire the creation and enable the delivery of more accessible program opportunities for individuals and families living with autism.

CANUCKS AUTISM NETWORK | STRATEGIC PLAN 2016-2021

strategies | 2.1 Create, deliver and promote a high-quality training program that provides sport and recreation staff and leaders with knowledge and skills to help make community programs more welcoming and accessible for individuals living with autism.

Targeted Outcomes by 2021: Measuring Our Success • Develop a clear product portfolio with a defined pricing structure and invoicing system for both standardized and customizable sport and recreation training products by 2017. • Deliver 200 live training workshops to 5,000 new sport and recreation leaders across the province by 2021. • CAN is positioned as the “go-to” for sport and recreation leaders seeking training and resources in supporting individual with autism. • Evaluate the current training environment supporting sport and recreation leaders, identify gaps in autism knowledge and support skills, and develop best practices and resources that attract coaches and leaders to CAN training products. • By 2019, build regional teams of 2-4 highly skilled learning facilitators/presenters to effectively and efficiently deliver CAN training products across BC. 19

strategies |2.2

Establish capacity-building partnerships that form pathways and increase opportunities for individuals living with autism to participate in community programs.

CANUCKS AUTISM NETWORK | STRATEGIC PLAN 2016-2021

Targeted Outcomes by 2021: Measuring Our Success • By 2017, define and implement a partnership application, standardized contract and review process that aligns the selection of new partnerships with CAN’s organizational values, strategic goals, and financial sustainability model. • By 2017, review all existing program partnerships and transition agreements to meet the criteria of new partnership framework by 2018. • Conduct an environmental scan of already existing adapted community programs and identify strategic partnership opportunities that could help build pathways for individuals with autism to access more programs and activities in their community. • By 2021, partner with 10 provincial/national sport organizations to deliver training to coaches across the province and make sport programs more consistently accessible to individuals living with autism.

goal #3 foster awareness and acceptance Build awareness and understanding of autism in community spaces across BC so that families living with autism will feel understood, supported, and included in a range of activities and outings within their community.

CANUCKS AUTISM NETWORK | STRATEGIC PLAN 2016-2021

strategies |3.1 Partner with businesses, establishments, and community and emergency services across BC to help them meet specific criteria conducive to a welcoming and supportive environment for individuals and families living with autism.

Targeted Outcomes by 2021: Measuring Our Success • Develop and deliver workshops and educational resources that empower communities to create more inclusive environments for individuals living with autism. • By 2021, consult with and establish Autism Aware partnerships across five different community industries. • By 2021, provide information and resources to a minimum of 35 different BC-based businesses, establishments, or community organizations with over 40% located in communities outside of the Lower Mainland. • By 2018, develop a clear product portfolio for Autism Aware with a defined pricing structure and invoicing system. • Deliver 200 live training workshops to 5,000 first responders and/or community-level service staff across various community sectors by 2021. • Evaluate the current training environment supporting first responders and develop best practices and resources that attract emergency services to CAN training products. • Evaluate the current training environment supporting community-level businesses/industries and develop best practices and resources that attract businesses, establishments and community services to CAN training products. • By 2019, build regional teams of 2-4 highly skilled presenters to effectively and efficiently deliver CAN’s Autism Aware training products across BC. 23

strategies | 3.2 Develop and promote a Member Benefits Program that engages community businesses and organizations by offering CAN members exclusive offers and improved accessibility to a range of services and activities.

Targeted Outcomes by 2021: Measuring Our Success • By 2021, secure a minimum of 30 member benefits partners who actively offer CAN members discounts, enhanced services or special benefits, with a minimum of 40% of partners providing benefits to families living outside the Lower Mainland. • By 2018, develop and implement a strategy that converts suppliers/venues for family events, autism aware partners, and CAN training program participants into active member benefits partners. • By 2018, create a strategy for promoting and tracking the value and success of the Members Benefits Program within the CAN membership base. • By 2021, convert a minimum of 10% of the Member Benefits Program Partners into active CAN supporters/sponsors/funders.

CANUCKS AUTISM NETWORK | STRATEGIC PLAN 2016-2021

strategies | 3.3 Support teachers and schools in creating inclusive learning environments for individuals living with autism through resources and tools that promote awareness and understanding of autism and help foster relationships in the classroom.

Targeted Outcomes by 2021: Measuring Our Success • By 2021, ensure that over 750 elementary schools across the province are accessing We CAN Be Friends (WCBF) resources online. • Increase the referral rate of CAN members, staff and volunteers through the schools or teachers who participate in the WCBF program. • By 2017, develop and promote a standardized and customizable product portfolio for WCBF with a defined pricing structure and invoicing system. • Deliver live training Pro-D workshops to 1,000 teachers across BC by 2021. • Increase fundraising initiatives in WCBF schools by 50% by 2021. • Increase participation rates of schools in local CAN events and Autism Awareness Month initiatives by 50% by 2021.

goal #4 build sustainable funding Secure a sustainable and diverse financial resource base that allows for the ongoing stability and growth of CAN programs and services.

CANUCKS AUTISM NETWORK | STRATEGIC PLAN 2016-2021

strategies | 4.1 Implement a diverse fundraising strategy that steadily increases the annual funds raised to sustain ongoing program growth while ensuring that no one funding stream accounts for more than 25% of total revenues.

Targeted Outcomes by 2021: Measuring Our Success • By January 2017, produce a five-year strategic fundraising plan that outlines the activities, tactics and goals for increasing major gifts, grants, sponsorships, fundraising events, and annual giving campaigns. • Increase the annual fundraising revenues by a minimum of 20% to reach a $4.3 M dollar annual target with a $1 M reserve for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. • Measure and analyze the ROI and cost of dollar raise for all funding activities to establish optimal performance benchmarks and ensure the most effective fundraising strategies are undertaken. • Engage more communities across the province and outside of the Lower Mainland in fundraising events, activities, and campaigns. • Diversify funding streams to ensure that no one source accounts for more than 25% of total revenues by 2021. • Create a benchmark percentage of programs to fundraising dollars per region. • Conduct an annual SWOT analysis to better prepare for possible funding threats and opportunities. 27

strategies | 4.2 Create a financial model for family events, programming and training that offers some cost recovery or income generation while ensuring little to no financial barriers to participation for individuals and families living with autism.

CANUCKS AUTISM NETWORK | STRATEGIC PLAN 2016-2021

Targeted Outcomes by 2021: Measuring Our Success • By 2018, develop and implement a program user fee policy that balances the need for reasonable and equitable subsidization of program costs with the goal of minimizing financial barriers to participation. • By 2018, secure and maintain a funding partner or sponsor for a minimum of 50% of family events delivered annually. • Develop a competitive, value based pricing strategy for CAN training programs and Autism Aware that supports the financial and strategic goals of the organization. • Maintain a Fee Waiver Program that provides partial or full coverage for program fees that pose a barrier to participation for CAN members.

goal #5 achieve operational excellence Establish a culture of continuous improvement to increase efficiencies, minimize costs, foster employee engagement, and model excellent business practices.

CANUCKS AUTISM NETWORK | STRATEGIC PLAN 2016-2021

strategies | 5.1

Develop and implement an effective risk management plan that ensures strategic objectives are being met while identifying and managing both internal and external risks across the organization.

Targeted Outcomes by 2021: Measuring Our Success • By 2021, increase the operating reserve funds from 19% to 25% of the total annual expenses, or approximately $1.0 M dollars. • By 2018, implement a new standardized agreement and contract process to be used for the procurement of sponsorships, member benefits partners, program partners, and training program users. • Develop and maintain a comprehensive asset management system that maximizes the lifespan of assets and ensures assets are used in the most efficient and low- cost manner. • By 2017, complete CAN Policies & Procedures document

strategies | 5.2

Enhance access to and the use of data to create measurable improvements to organizational performance and operational efficiencies.

CANUCKS AUTISM NETWORK | STRATEGIC PLAN 2016-2021

Targeted Outcomes by 2021: Measuring Our Success • Control administrative expenses to maintain 10% of total annual expenses or less • Streamline and/or automate program registration process to reduce the time to enroll participants by 25%. • Centralize program staffing and volunteer data in a comprehensive HRIS to reduce the number of hours spent during the scheduling process by 15%. • Utilize technology to create leaner processes that reduce the number of hours spent collecting and disseminating key information across the organization.

strategies | 5.3 Create a healthy and high performing workplace focused on continuous improvement of the organizational and people capabilities which will enable the achievement of the strategic goals.

CANUCKS AUTISM NETWORK | STRATEGIC PLAN 2016-2021

Targeted Outcomes by 2021: Measuring Our Success • Increase program staff and volunteer retention rates by more than 5% by 2021. • By 2018, develop and implement an internal communications plan that ensures staff and volunteers have access to critical information and clear performance benchmarks required to achieve the strategic goals. • Broaden staff and volunteer recruitment efforts to engage new audiences and increase the diversity of the CAN workforce. • Create a mentorship program and succession plan for all positions in the organization from volunteer through to CEO. • Develop a staff selection matrix for each program staff position that objectively compares an applicant's qualifications to the responsibilities and functions of the job, while factoring in established job-related criteria to provide equal employment opportunities and to ensure optimal staffing decisions. • Establish a competitive compensation system for staff that includes a balance between internal and external competitiveness and encourages the productivity and job satisfaction of employees. • By 2018, establish a strong core regional support team to lead programming and support fundraising, marketing and HR recruitment in targeted emerging regions.