THE REID GROUP’S
SUSTAINABLE FUTURE AUDIT
FOR CONGREGATIONS OF RELIGIOUS
STRATEGIC
PLANNING
HEALTHY
ORGANIZATIONAL
CULTURE
FINANCIAL
VIABILITY
CREATING A
SUSTAINABLE
FUTURE
LEADERSHIP
RETENTION &
RECRUITMENT
CHANGE, LOSS &
GROWTH
YOUR EMERGING
CHALLENGES
STRATEGIC PLANNING
Indicators:
a. To what extent are your
Mission and Vision
statements widely known
and embraced by the
Community?
__ Strongly Embraced ___ Accepted ___ Minimally known
___ We need to put work into this area
Comment
b. What are the core values that
inspire you and your
Community?
c. When you think of Planning
for Sustainability, what are
your top 3 priorities related
to moving forward as a
Community?
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d. To what extent does your
action plan frame how your
top priorities will be
accomplished?
FINANCIAL VIABILITY
a. We operate from a balanced
budget based on…
Our action plan is:
___ Comprehensive
___ Acceptable ___ Needs attention
___ We don’t have an action plan.
___ operational income and over-all expenses
___ drawing from reserved funds
___ counting on bequests and or our annual fund
___ taking out loans
___ knowing we need to sell property in the near future
___ including assumed earnings from investments
___ we don’t have a balanced budget
b. To what extent are you fully
funded for retirement?
c. To what extent have you
allocated funds to continue
your mission and legacy?
(training, board
development, etc.)
d. What are your greatest
funding needs?
e. What are your greatest
funding sources?
f. When was the last time your
Community conducted a
capital campaign?
For what purpose?
Amount raised?
g. To what extent does your
planned giving program
support your mission and
Community?
h. In what ways does the use of
your properties/facilities
contribute to financial
sustainability or are they a
liability?
i. Are your sponsored
ministries self-sustainable?
j. Do you have outstanding
debt?
__ We raise about _______ annually.
__ We are struggling in this area.
__ We don’t have a planned giving program.
__ yes, they operate without financial assistance from the
community
__ no, they are financially subsidized by the community
__ yes, however, they rely on substantial annual fundraising
__ yes, we are paying it down at $________ per year and will
have it paid off by______
___no, we do not have outstanding debt.
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k. What are the challenges you
face in providing for assisted
living or skilled care needs
of your Sisters?
__ We have a licensed facility for skilled care.
__ We provide for assisted living at the cost of________.
__ We provide for skilled care in a non-licensed facility—not
eligible for government reimbursement—at the cost of _____.
__ This is an area where we need to focus and probably make
some changes.
l. Based on your current
financial situation and
projections for the future, for
how many years will you be
financially sustainable?
CHANGE, LOSS & GROWTH
a. What are the major changes
on the horizon for you and
your Community?
b. How is the past honored in
your Community?
c. What are your current
strengths as a Community?
Your greatest challenges?
Strengths
Challenges
d. Where in your Community
do you see the need for
addressing and healing past
hurts?
e. What is remaining the same
or continuing to grow
stronger in your
Community?
f. What are your top 2-3
dreams for your
Community’s sustainable
future?
g. To what extent as a
Community are change and
loss integrated into your
liturgical and spiritual lives?
1.
2.
3.
_ As a Community we are very aware that living out the
Paschal Mystery is an infinite source of helping us deal
with change and loss.
_ Our charism engages us in the spirituality of change
_ We try to deal with change and loss in our unique prayerful
and healthy ways
_ We could use more insights into how as a Community to
deal with change and loss.
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LEADERSHIP RETENTION & RECRUITMENT
a. What are you doing to
support your current
ministry and Community
leaders?
b. What kind of a succession
plan do you have for
ministry and Community
non-elected leaders?
c. How are you developing
non-vowed people to carry
on the legacy of the Sisters
when they are no longer
available?
d. What need do you have for
identifying new leaders in
the next few years to create
a sustainable future?
HEALTHY ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE
a. What are the current
communication challenges
in your organization?
b. To what extent do you use
electronic communication?
__ Our website is up to date
__ We use Facebook and Linked In
__ We could enhance our social media and electronic presence
__ Other
c. When conflicts arise, what
approaches do you take to
manage them?
d. What do you do to promote
dialogue and deeper shared
understanding?
e. To what extent do your
employment policies include
just salaries and benefits,
performance appraisals and
opportunities for continual
growth?
Our policies are:
___ comprehensive, fair and consistently implemented
___ adequate
___ need attention
___ we do not have formal policies
Comments:
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f. How are annual goals and
action plans set? Who is
involved? Who “owns”
them?
g. To what extent is team
building part of your
Community culture?
Team building is
___ deeply ingrained in our culture
___ used by our leadership team
___ not really part of our culture
___ other
h. To what extent do you
collaborate with groups
outside your Community to
accomplish your mission
and leave a sustainable
vibrant legacy?
___ We collaborate with the following to accomplish our mission:



___ We could do more in this area by…
___ We do little collaboration with other groups to accomplish our
mission
___ Other
YOUR EMERGING CHALLENGES
a. What is your most pressing
challenge at this time related
to being a Community that is
sustainable?
b. Where might you need
outside assistance to
continue to be or grow to be
a Sustainable Community?
c. On a scale of 1-5 with 5
being the most sustainable,
how would your rank your
Community?
d. What are the first three most
important steps you can take
to increase sustainability or
become more sustainable?
For assistance in using this Audit or for follow-up services, please contact
The Reid Group
Seattle, WA | Milwaukee, WI | Sarasota, FL
206-432-3565 | Fax: 206-432-3569 | 800-916-3472 | www.TheReidGroup.biz
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