CLHO Strategic Plan Summary Document
Presented at CLHO Board Meeting September 21, 2011
CLHO MISSION STATEMENT:
The Connecticut League of History Organizations builds connections among those who preserve
and share the stories and objects of our past. (Adopted March 15, 2011)
We strengthen and sustain our communities by sharing knowledge and experience, and
promoting best practices.
We practice our mission by
 Sharing best practices and contemporary trends that affect historical societies,
museums and libraries, with those responsible for Connecticut’s heritage collections.
 Serving as a communication hub by offering opportunities for peer-to-peer networking.
 Providing a consistent presence and long-term memory for those who promote and
safeguard Connecticut’s cultural heritage.
CLHO Identity Statement:
We advance our mission to unite, support, and promote historical interests and activities
statewide and seek to strengthen and empower the network of those who promote and safeguard
Connecticut’s cultural heritage.
We do this by serving the staff and volunteers of organizations that have history-related
collections in the state of Connecticut through a flexible and responsive array of programs and
publications.
We emphasize our competitive advantage of offering an accessible window to programs and
practices that sustain cultural organizations and promote peer-to-peer learning.
We are sustainable by the scope of our outreach and the excellence of our programs developed
and implemented by a dedicated staff and volunteers and currently funded by the Connecticut
Humanities Council and the Institute for Museum and Library Services.
Impact that the CLHO seeks to achieve:
The Connecticut League of History Organizations seeks to:
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Articulate professional museum standards and share them with the greater history
community through educational programs and professional development opportunities.
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Be the primary resource for small museums and the staff of larger museums in the state
of CT.
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Model best practices in the field
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Serve as a communication hub and social network for history museum professionals by
offering opportunities for peer-to-peer interaction
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Continue to provide a consistent presence and long-term memory for Connecticut’s
museum community
The CLHO’s competitive advantage
The CLHO’s top three competitive advantages are:
1. Offer high-quality professional development opportunities specifically designed for the
history museum/ heritage organization field;
2. Name recognition: the CLHO has sixty-year reputation for service to Connecticut history
museums;
3. The CLHO is not intimidating to our audience, but accessible and friendly
Other competitive advantages identified include:
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Strong internal communications
Narrow geographic focus
Continuity
A consistent presence, i.e. there is always someone to answer the phones, e-mail, etc.
The CLHO offers a local window to a national museum community
Taps into a high level of cumulative experience and depth/breadth of expertise
Through its programs and services, the Connecticut League of History Organizations will make
the following impact on its constituents, and on the people of Connecticut:
1. Develop and support lasting mechanisms that create self-sufficient networks of both the
people and the organizations that steward Connecticut’s material culture collections, in
order to combat the sense of isolation prevalent in our community and pass along best
practices for museum operation.
2. Broker, develop, and/or otherwise present geographically accessible, ongoing, affordable
and high-quality programs that share expertise and promote best practices.
3. CLHO is known state-wide as the “go-to” (first-responder) organization for guidance in
the field.
4. Connecticut residents demonstrate an increasing respect for the state’s history and
material culture, resulting in stabilized funding.
To further guide future decisions, all strategies will:
 Support our mission to build connections among those who preserve and share the stories
and objects of our past,
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 Prioritize the development of programs and services that have been identified as needed
or desired by our constituency,
 Base programmatic decision making on fiscally sound policies as guided by the CLHO
business plan,
 Discourage the creation of duplicative programs and services,
 Foster a greater cooperation and stewardship of resources between the existing
organizations that also serve Connecticut’s greater heritage, cultural, library/archival,
and museum communities.
Our Top Three Critical Issues:
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Who is the CLHO audience, what are their needs, and how do we best serve these needs?
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How does CLHO diversify, expand, become financially independent, stabilize, and
eliminate financial fears and the current year-to-year existence?
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CLHO needs to define, create and implement a board development plan that will include
succession issues for board and staff.
Issue 1:
Who is the CLHO audience, what are their needs, and how do we best serve those needs?
Strategies
1. The CLHO will use data collected in its audience survey, member roundtables and
additional available information resources to create a snapshot of its current audience.
2. Guided by realistic financial planning, the CLHO will think “outside the box” to explore
create ways to facilitate program development and delivery that is convenient, affordable
and responsive to the needs of our constituents.
3. The CLHO will continue to explore creative partnerships with organizations that have
similar missions, visions and goals.
4. The CLHO will develop and approve a membership plan, designed to increase retention
statistics and build a greater membership base.
Issue 2:
How will the CLHO create, define and implement a board development plan that includes
issues of succession planning?
Strategy:
In order to attract well-qualified CLHO board candidates in sufficient quantities, the CLHO will
change its board structure to significantly lessen the time that board members currently spend
filling the role of volunteer staff.
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The current nominating committee will review the CLHO bylaws regarding the role
of the board members. Bylaws revisions will be made as deemed necessary and
appropriate. (Donna Baron, Board Development committee, beginning June and
completed by October, 2011)
The nominating committee will review the Board Handbook; revising and creating
documents describing the roles and responsibilities of the CLHO board member, by
October board meeting, 2011.
The nominating committee will review any items prepared by past board members or
staff that involve job descriptions of any kind (during process, ongoing)
New job descriptions for CLHO Board of Directors and staff are created, identifying
and prioritizing tasks for paid staff, board members, and volunteer staff. Liz Shapiro,
Donna Baron, leads. Board, approved by October, 2011; staff, approved by August,
2011.
Lists for potential board members are updated, fall, 2011, Donna Baron, lead.
Talents and skills needed for CLHO board members identified, Board Development
committee, Donna Baron, lead, by December, 2011.
Issue 3
Is there a model of future, long-term sustainability for the CLHO?
Strategy
In order to evaluate and make informed decisions on the sustainability of the Connecticut League
of History Organizations, members of the board working in conjunction with the director, will
prepare a business plan that will examine income (membership, program and grant,) and
expenses in light of program services and any measurable impact. Future program directions will
be examined in light of the financial bottom-line, the capacity of the organization using several
models of operation, and the alignment of CLHO goals with those of the Connecticut Humanities
Council and other cultural and heritage service providers.
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Create a basic business plan, Liz Shapiro, Bruce Reinholdt, Charlie Dickson, Donna
Baron, Ginney Dilk, Sandy Elgee by August 30, 2011
Staffing priorities, job descriptions, etc. will be decided by July 31, 2011.
Make a prioritized list of program and services that match various scenarios as
outlined in the business plan, with special attention to magnifying CLHO strengths,
diminishing CLHO weaknesses, meeting external needs and providing measurable,
public benefits, PET committee, summer, 2011 (see above)
Share plan with executive committee, may need extra meeting in July or August.
Share plan with CLHO board members, August, 2011
Share plan with Connecticut Humanities Council as part of Program Evaluation
Team findings, Liz Shapiro, Bruce Reinholdt, as appropriate.
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Board Team for Developing Relationships between CLHO and CT Museum Community is as follows: (Buddy
Building Team)
Suzi Fateh – Greater Naugatuck
Stephen Bartkus – Housatonic Valley CLHO Group
Jeff Hostetler – Middlesex County Group
Lynn Friedman – Shoreline Group (Madison)
Christine Ermenc – GHAHHM
Ginney Dilk – MONC
Tammi Flynn – 5 Rivers
Rob Novak – Lower State, Fairfield and Greenwich areas
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