2019 2023
JCI Strategic Plan
Accelerate Transformation
INTRODUCTION The world is changing fast. Are we keeping up? Our global population is growing, but the world is getting smaller. We’re more connected with more access to information than ever before. Technology is transforming the way we work, create and communicate. Governments fall overnight, and fortunes are made in a weekend. Change happens faster in 2019 than it did in 2014, and faster on Tuesday than it did on Monday.
Acceleration is undeniable. Adaptability is not a luxury. It’s a necessity for survival. But who decides our future? If young people do nothing, we risk a world controlled by fear, hatred and greed. As young people, we must stake our claim on the future we want. A future that will be just and inclusive. A future that is driven by rapid change. Young people are vital to and thrive in this transformation. We are better equipped than any generation before us. Inaction is not an option. We cannot wait for others to act. We take responsibility for shaping the future. We know our role and we know our power.
JCI is where our power unites. We bring together all sectors. Together we create sustainable impact. We are active in the halls of government, on the streets of our communities and in the boardrooms of business. We are not witnesses to change. We accelerate change. We unite ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things. We transform ourselves to transform our communities.
We are everyday changemakers. We are JCI.
CONTENTS Core Philosophy
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Strategic Positioning Statement
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Impact
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Motivate
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Invest
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Collaborate
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Connect
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Conclusion Appendix | Possible Tactics
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CORE PHILOSOPHY To successfully create sustainable impact in a dynamic world, an organization must be guided by its principles. Practices, strategies and structures may evolve over time, but this core philosophy remains.
JCI’s core philosophy is to inspire confidence, unite communities, enhance equal opportunities, establish justice, embrace cultural diversity, and create sustainable impact. Guided by our core philosophy, we are empowered to create sustainable impact. JCI is a grassroots movement of young active citizens ages 18 to 40 who are dedicated to creating positive change in our respective communities around the world. We empower young people by developing their skills, knowledge and understanding. These young people have the confidence to stand up, make informed decisions and lead their communities to take concrete action towards sustainable impact. In 5000 communities across nearly 120 countries, our members are recognized for embracing new ideas, collaboration and diversity, and are equipped to address the most critical challenges of our time. As we empower and inspire young active citizens, our global network will grow and create a better tomorrow.
Our Mission To provide development opportunities that empower young people to create positive change.
Our Vision To be the leading global network of young active citizens.
Our Values That faith in God gives meaning and purpose to human life; That the brotherhood of man transcends the sovereignty of nations; That economic justice can best be won by free men through free enterprise; That government should be of laws rather than of men; That earth’s great treasure lies in human personality; And that service to humanity is the best work of life.
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STRATEGIC POSITIONING STATEMENT By aligning all activities with its strategic concept, an organization reaches its strategic position. An organization defines its strategic position by how it desires to be perceived in society and the world. A strategic positioning statement defines a specific need and how the organization is uniquely positioned to address this need.
JCI will be the organization that unites all sectors of society to create sustainable impact. JCI achieves sustainable impact through the collective action of active citizens across local communities. As active citizens, empowered young people take responsibility for local challenges and identify targeted, sustainable solutions. Motivated by the passion to transform their lives and the world, JCI members have the courage to address the most critical challenges of our time. Collaborative ownership of both challenges and solutions is critical to produce sustainable impact. Designed to address all types of community challenges, the Active Citizen Framework™ outlines a methodology for taking grassroots action that engages stakeholders across all sectors to build sustainable solutions addressing a community’s most urgent need, ultimately creating sustainable impact.
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JCI will focus the power of young people to advance sustainable impact. • • • •
Use evidence-based metrics to measure impact. Align organizational design at all levels to accelerate impact. Leverage the collective impact of young people to shape policy. Expand the deployment and reach of the Active Citizen Framework™.
Our 2023 Vision JCI is recognized around the world for our powerful story of impact. The Active Citizen Framework™ is well known as the methodology to create positive change. JCI and the young people who form our movement shape policy and effect change. Our organization’s flexibility allows us to adapt and respond to the changing needs of young people and the world.
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JCI will unite the passion of young people to motivate bold action. • • • •
Transform events to align with relevant trends. Drive the dialogue of young active citizens toward sustainable impact. Cultivate a mindset of global citizenship. Be the platform that enables empowered young people to create sustainable impact.
Our 2023 Vision JCI is the community for young global citizens. JCI motivates young people to exchange ideas, inform issues, drive dialogue and showcase youth-led solutions. The voice of young people is heard and sought after to inform decisions that affect the world. Through JCI, young people lead the implementation of solutions to create a better future.
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JCI will accelerate transformation by investing in technological, financial and human resources. • • • • •
Leverage technology to strengthen and accelerate impact. Align human capacity with strategic objectives at all levels. Reimagine how we secure resources for the organization. Effectively allocate resources to achieve strategic objectives. Develop the JCI brand to distinguish JCI as the organization that unites all sectors for sustainable impact.
Our 2023 Vision JCI invests in the world’s greatest resource: young people. Investments in all resources follow clear strategic priorities and are not decided by tradition, habit or politics. The discipline to focus on mission-driven actions and investments permeates the organizational culture. We enable ourselves to fund impactdriven initiatives and accelerate positive change, and stakeholders across the organization own the strong JCI brand.
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JCI will foster a collaborative culture in a dynamic world. • • • •
Maximize the capacity of the Global Youth Empowerment Fund to foster collaboration. Capitalize on the emerging mindset of active citizenship across all sectors. Engage all sectors of society to collectively advocate on issues that affect young people. Position collaboration as central to positive change.
Our 2023 Vision Collaboration is central to JCI’s activities at the local, national and international levels. The Global Youth Empowerment Fund drives local impact and empowers young people. Collaboration fosters innovation in how we address the greatest challenges of our time. Young people come to JCI to effect change in businesses, governments and their communities.
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JCI will connect young people to drive the world in a positive direction. • • • •
Convene and mobilize young people for collective action. Expand and strengthen connections throughout the organization. Create an inclusive environment that fosters diversity among young people. Be at the forefront of innovative methods to engage young people to create a meaningful experience.
Our 2023 Vision JCI has ignited a youth-led movement to change the world. Young people unite around the issues that inspire them. JCI is an inclusive body of young people where respect is the baseline. JCI is deeply interconnected, convening organizations and young people around the causes that drive their passion and ensuring our seat where decisions are made.
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CONCLUSION In today’s world, adaptability is not an option, it is a necessity for survival. In 2009, JCI made the bold move to redirect the organization’s focus and align it with the vision of our founder. The 2009–2013 JCI Strategic Plan established a foundation that united the organization at all levels to achieve one shared mission and vision. The 2014–2018 JCI Strategic Plan built upon this, setting JCI in the right direction to achieve this mission and vision with the ambitious goal to be the organization that unites all sectors of society to create sustainable impact. In 2019, the time has come to accelerate transformation. The 2019–2023 JCI Strategic Plan calls for audacious action to focus and align all aspects of the organization to our strategy. We know the direction we’re taking and the foundation we’re building on. In the previous two strategic plans, our priorities were unity and focus. Now, we must adapt to the dynamic needs of young people and create momentum to stay relevant and meaningful in our changing world.
Together, we will continue to create positive change by accelerating transformation in our organization, our communities and our world.
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2019 2023
JCI Strategic Plan APPENDIX: POSSIBLE TACTICS
APPENDIX: POSSIBLE TACTICS
JCI will focus the power of young people to advance sustainable impact. 1. Use evidence-based metrics to measure impact a. Establish a system to quantify our collective impact monetarily. b. Establish metrics that define our impact and use these metrics to showcase our impact. c. Develop innovative systems that incentivize the collection of data on the Active Citizen Framework™. d. Build the capacity for organizations to engage on both traditional and social media platforms to showcase grassroots impact. e. Use evidence-proven impact to collaborate with the media and influence a positive narrative of young people. f. Collect data on the tangible impact of the Active Citizen Framework™. 2. Align organizational design at all levels to accelerate impact. a. Review the roles and responsibilities of JCI officers, appointees and staff to align to strategic objectives and maximize impact. b. Share best practices for how to effectively organize and activate young people to create grassroots impact with other likeminded organizations. c. Undertake a systematic overhaul of the current JCI governance documents such as the Constitution and Policy Manual to reflect the transformation toward accelerated impact. 3. Leverage the collective impact of young people to shape policy. a. Leverage the data collected and the human stories to advocate for relevant causes and policy change. b. Identify and engage advocacy experts inside and outside the organization to expand our voice and further our impact. c. Collaborate with other grassroots organizations to maximize local impact. 4. Expand the deployment and reach of the Active Citizen Framework™. a. Position the Active Citizen Framework™ as the methodology to advance sustainable development. b. Educate young people on the ability of the Active Citizen Framework™ to further the development of active citizens, social innovators and entrepreneurs. c. Make the Active Citizen Framework™ more accessible by expanding translation of related tools and experiences. d. Identify Active Citizen Framework™ ambassadors to bring the framework into local communities. e. Communicate the benefits of the Active Citizen Framework™ to external audiences in academia.
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APPENDIX: POSSIBLE TACTICS
JCI will unite the passion of young people to motivate bold action. 1. Transform events to align with relevant trends. a. Redesign local, national and international events to ensure maximum engagement. b. Use research on expectations of young people and the issues most relevant to them to influence the design of JCI Events, including General Assembly. c. Use events to showcase JCI and create promoters of the organization. d. At all levels, ensure events stay current with trends by changing content, framing and formats each year e. Standardize the use of professional event organizers at JCI Events to ensure professionalism and efficient use of resources. 2. Drive the dialogue of young active citizens toward sustainable impact. a. Share inspirational stories of success to attract young people to the organization. b. Use technology to stimulate engaging conversations among young people. c. Facilitate the crowdsourcing of ideas to inspire young people. 3. Cultivate a mindset of global citizenship. a. Mobilize young people to become global active citizens. b. Create awareness about the importance of being an active and responsible global citizen who understands local challenges. c. Transform members and young people to be active promoters of JCI. d. Encourage systematic thinking and awareness about the world. 4. Be the platform that enables empowered young people to create impact. a. Collect real-time data to determine the personal motivates that drive young people to create positive change. b. Create avenues for government, business and communities to participate in activities that empower young people to create impact. c. Use innovative channels to engage young people to increase impact. d. Create a path for people to move from ordinary to extraordinary by developing active citizenship.
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APPENDIX: POSSIBLE TACTICS
JCI will accelerate transformation by investing in technological, financial and human resources. 1. Leverage technology to strengthen and accelerate impact. a. Engage in user research to understand how young people use tech and align our investments with those habits and needs. b. Invest in platforms, collaborations and tech solutions to achieve strategic objectives. • Connect people, programs and issues in real time. • Collect and analyze data. • Connect JCI at all levels • Share stories of impact. • Increase resources. • Attract project-driven funding, possibly through crowdsourcing. • Gamify to incentivize engagement and giving. c. Increase social media capacity. 2. Align human capacity with strategic objectives at all levels. a. Develop advocacy tools and skills to take responsibility in a changing world. b. Create tools for JCI Organizations to grow and diversify funding. c. Align World Headquarters structure to strategic objectives, including regional support centers to assist National Organizations without resources for their own secretariats. d. Build an actionable database of members’ skills. e. Provide space for prototyping innovations and testing ideas within the organization. f. Invest in organizational management trainings with focus on impact and empowerment. g. Develop practical skills modules specific to the five strategies. h. Allocate human resources, including JCI Board of Directors, to build collaboration with corporations and organizations. i. Engage external experts at all levels of the organization to inform decision-making. 3. Reimagine how we secure resources for the organization. a. Establish a professional task force to design and implement a financial plan b. Activate creative fundraising centered on the impact of the Active Citizen Framework™. c. Introduce Active Citizen Framework™ facilitation and certification for companies to advance social responsibility. d. Engage with and support social entrepreneurs. e. Create a nonprofit management training. f. Engage non-members to participate in JCI Events. g. Introduce a corporate membership. h. Organize theme-related concerts that address issues, entertain and fundraise. 2 019 – 2023 JCI STR ATEGIC P LAN: A P P E NDIX
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APPENDIX: POSSIBLE TACTICS
JCI will accelerate transformation by investing in technological, financial and human resources. 4. Effectively allocate resources to achieve strategic objectives. a. Align the JCI budget to reflect key strategic priorities. b. Evaluate JCI Officer travel to optimize efficiency. c. Restructure and repurpose staff, including increasing dedicated program staff and full-time staff in regional offices. 5. Develop the JCI brand to distinguish JCI as the organization that unites all sectors for sustainable impact. a. Engage experts and invest resources to develop the JCI brand. b. Incentivize adoption of and consolidation to one unified JCI brand and hold organizations accountable. c. Create area-specific marketing strategies to enhance brand. d. Build the capacity to establish control over the JCI brand.
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APPENDIX: POSSIBLE TACTICS
JCI will foster a collaborative culture. 1. Maximize the capacity of the Global Youth Empowerment Fund to foster collaboration. a. Share success stories of grantees and their projects. b. Study and develop best ways to fundraise for the Global Youth Empowerment Fund. 2. Capitalize on the emerging mindset of active citizenship across all sectors. a. Identify and build strategic alliances with other organizations that are driven by active citizenship. b. Design programs that support and expand the capacity of young people related to community change and social entrepreneurship. c. Build alliances with organizations measuring social investment and social entrepreneurship to find where JCI can provide value. d. Expand collaborations with multilateral organizations. e. Work with businesses to influence or change corporate practices to be more socially responsible using the Active Citizen Framework™ to foster the change. 3. Engage all sectors of society to collectively advocate on issues that affect young people. a. Seek expertise to educate young people and develop tools that support them as they embark on advocacy. b. Create initiatives that connect local members with policy makers. c. Share examples of young people who have successfully advocated on relevant issues locally, nationally and regionally. 4. Position collaboration as central to positive change. a. Make collaboration systematic throughout the organization by: • Developing and deploying related tools and resources to members at the local and national levels. • Educating members about the philosophy that collaboration leads to greater impact. • Sharing best practices and success stories to exemplify why collaboration is vital to positive change. • Measuring feedback. b. Build the capacity of members, officers and staff at international, regional, national and local level to effectively collaborate. c. Support regional-level partnerships through tools and expertise.
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APPENDIX: POSSIBLE TACTICS
JCI will connect young people to drive the world in a positive direction. 1. Convene and mobilize for collective action. a. Be the home for young people by building mechanisms to attract, capture and share the voices of young people. b. Connect young people to issues by: • Identifying the issues most relevant to young people. • Highlighting these key issues to attract young people. • Empowering young people to take action on these issues. c. Leverage technology to connect and empower diverse young people. • Rethink how members share their projects to be more dynamic. • Research innovative ways to engage young people, including gamification, incentives and digital platforms. • Capitalize on communication platforms young people already use to reach young people where they are. • Expand the use of the JCI app outside of JCI Events to integrate into young people’s daily experiences. 2. Expand and strengthen connections throughout the organization. a. Create a knowledge sharing platform to connect all stakeholders, including national secretariats. b. Facilitate connection among national secretariats and also to JCI World Headquarters to exchange knowledge, possibly digitally and in person. c. Increase paid Headquarters staff to support national secretariats and strengthen connection with JCI World Headquarters, possibly to include staff focused on key areas like administration, communications, fundraising, partnerships or programs. d. Find resources to support countries that can’t afford paid staff, possibly by demonstrating the value of sharing resources and creating incentives for organizations to connect. e. Connect and group organizations based on life stage instead of geography. 3. Create an environment that fosters diversity among young people. a. Engage experts to educate young people about the importance of diversity. b. Actively recruit diverse groups for JCI leadership positions. c. Incorporate the principle of inclusion into the Active Citizen Framework™. 4. Be at the forefront of innovative methods of engaging young people to create a meaningful experience. a. Explore alternatives to traditional membership to engage wider groups of young people. b. Become a resource center for young active citizens to collect data, gather opinions and build capacity. 2 019 – 2023 JCI STR ATEGIC P LAN: A P P E NDIX
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