VAN New Opportunities
Work Plan 2010
Overview
VAN faces many opportunities that would help it achieve its overall goals. It is the role of this
task force to help set priorities among these opportunities and to create plans of action to move
forward. This group will act as a think tank for future programming. This task force works very
closely with other program task forces to ensure alignment.
The purpose of the task force is to:
 Think expansively about opportunities that help VAN more fully fulfill its identity,
particularly in regard to engaging individuals 50+ in vital communities.
 Evaluate new opportunities as they present themselves using the Criteria Matrix for VAN
Programs (attached) as a guide. (The opportunity with the state of Minnesota related to
AmeriCorps is an example.)
 Investigate opportunities for expanding ALVA, and develop and implement a plan for doing
so.
 Create pathways for individuals to engage with VAN as participants/contributors in a way that
furthers both their individual goals and VAN’s goals. Help these participants/contributors take
on the identity of a member of the VAN network. (See attached diagram.)
Alignment with Principles
 VAN believes that engagement in community is an essential element of vital aging.
 ALVA provides a pathway for meaningful contribution toward the common good.

People need ways to get engaged that are easy to enter into, fulfilling, and make a genuine
contribution
Budget
2010
Objectives & Strategies
Objective 1:
Establish task force and agree to priorities.
Strategy
1. Recruit Leadership Group members and
others to participate on the task force.
2. Agree to work plan for 2010 and
establish priorities.
Responsibility
Mark, Nancy, Annette
Task force members
Due Date
Status
By Nov.15,
2009
By Nov. 20,
2009
Objective 2:
Establish procedure for evaluating new opportunities and implement the procedure
as opportunities present themselves.
Strategy
1. Develop procedure using criteria and
other processes for effective evaluation;
define roles
2. Evaluate AmeriCorps opportunity as test
of procedure
3. Evaluate new opportunities as they
present themselves
Responsibility
Due Date
Task force members
By Nov.9,
2009
Task force members
and others
Task force members
and others
By Nov. 20,
2009
As needed
Status
Objective 3:
Conduct market research to understand the potential for marketing ALVA for
broader distribution and develop a plan for moving forward. (Do this in conjunction
with the ALVA Task Force.)
Strategy
Responsibility
Due Date
1. Determine what we need to know &
how to learn it.
New Opportunities
/ALVA Task Forces
December
2009
2. Collect information about comparative
programs
New Opportunities
/ALVA Task Forces
Nancy Eustis/Emily
January
2010
3. Explore options for creating stand-alone
program modules that could be
distributed and used by other locations.
New Programs/ALVA
teams
March 2010
2
Status
.
Objective 4:
Create pathways for individuals to engage with VAN as participants/contributors in
a way that furthers both their individual goals and VAN’s goals.
Strategy
Responsibility
4. Identify the attributes of different
groups that VAN wishes to engage
as participants/workers/leaders in
volunteer or paid roles.
5. Develop target goals for each
group and a plan for reaching them
Due Date
Status
Leadership
Group 11/09
Define goals
by March
2010
Engage x
“participants”
by Sept 2009.
Objective 5:
Define what VAN’s contributions to building civic capacity and vital communities
should be
Strategy
Who
1. Develop a strategy for how VAN will
contribute.
2. Review Vital Communities Toolkit for
accuracy and effectiveness and make
necessary changes
3. Integrate engagement in communities with
current program offerings.
3
Timetable
Status