Accokeek Foundation
Strategic Alignment Project 2013
Meet the Compass Team
Project Leader
Deputy Project Leader
Tracey Moon
Georgia Katinas
Laid back, but fearless
leader.
Jessica Walbridge
Throws an awesome
holiday party (so I’m
told)!
Associate Program Manager
at Compass. Pursuing a
certificate in Marketing at
Georgetown.
Gregg Couch
Works at Accenture,
supporting federal
agencies solve complex
supply chain problems.
JJ Smith
Entrepreneur and
executive coach,
resides in Old Town
Alexandria.
Jocelyn Recht
Works in business
development at The
Advisory Board
Company, health care
consulting firm, and
lives in DC.
Katherine Birnie
Director of Markets,
Ecosystem Investment
Partners.
Adam Burton
Project Manager for
Clark Energy Group, a
sustainability consulting
firm.
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About Compass
Strategic Guidance. Stronger Nonprofits.
Compass’ mission is to inspire the active engagement of business professionals with their
local nonprofits to transform communities
Compass’ goals are to:
Key Facts and Figures:
 Help Washington-area nonprofit organizations carry out
their missions more effectively and efficiently
both in the short term and for the long term.
 5 Service Line Offerings:
 Facilitate a strong relationship between select business
professionals and nonprofit leaders.
 312 volunteers in the 2012-13 year,
supporting 44 projects for 54 nonprofits
 Bring the education, expertise and experience of
seasoned business professionals to the nonprofit
community.
 $4.3M worth of commercial consulting
services delivered to local are nonprofits
each year.
Board Development, Funding Strategies, Strategic
Planning, Strategic Alignment, Strategic Partnerships
 Cultivate in volunteers a deep, lasting, and personal
commitment to the nonprofit community.
3
AGENDA
I.
Project Overview
II.
Vision and Mission Evaluation & Recommendation
III.
SWOT Overview
IV.
Organization Structure Recommendations
V.
Program Area Recommendations
VI.
Employee Communication Plan
VII.
30, 60, 90 Day Action Plan for Immediate Impact
VIII.
Measurement and Evaluation
IX.
Comparable Organization Insights
X.
Additional Resources in Full Report
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Project Approach
Three phases drive the Compass Strategic Alignment project
Phase 1
Phase 2
Phase 3
October - January
February - March
April - May
Interview & Collect
Assess & Compare
Recommend
 Familiarize ourselves with
the Accokeek Foundation
and its mission.
 Compare Accokeek
Foundation with other
comparable organizations.
 Interview Board
members, staff and
external stakeholders.
 Outline long term goals and
vision for the Foundation
based on Phase 1
interviews.
 Generate list of all current
and future
programs/initiatives.
 Define opportunities to
better align the
Foundation’s current and
future options with its
Mission and long-term
goals.
 Review findings and
recommendations with
Board and staff.
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Organizational Review
Strengths and Weaknesses
STRENGTHS
o
o
o
o
o
Staff
Colonial Farm
Relationship with schools
Foodways program
Mt Vernon viewshed
o
o
o
o
Good use of consultants
Relationships with governments
Investments funds and reserves
Adaptability
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Tendency to over-commit staff
Access and handicap access
Donor relationships
Lack of expertise on staff
Balancing staff workload
Cultivating new board members
Lack of presence in Accokeek community
No financial process
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WEAKNESSES
o
o
o
o
o
o
Tendency to start projects and not
follow through
Lack of visibility
Timing of the receipt of funds
No focus on doing one thing very well
Silo thinking
Desire to be “innovative” can result in
doing things too quickly
Organizational Review
Opportunities and Threats
OPPORTUNITIES
o
o
o
o
o
Expand the audience
Make the site more user-friendly
Show more than one perspective
Present the whole as one system
Boat dock
o
o
o
o
o
o
Location on the Potomac River
Breeding program and exchanges
Different funding streams
Building on government relations
Partnering with Alice Ferguson
Accokeek Community Farm
o
o
o
o
Salesmanship on funding
Cannibalization of funding
Overextending staff
Losing focus
THREATS
o
o
o
o
Stability of National Park Service
Lack of plans for NPS abandonment
Tendency to sit on maintenance issues
Operating costs up faster than revenue
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A New Accokeek Vision and Mission
Clear and Concise Messaging for All
Ac co ke e k V i s i o n S tate m e nt
A world devoted to land stewardship.
A c co ke e k M i s s i o n S tate m e nt
The mission of the Accokeek Foundation at Piscataway Park is to
foster an understanding of how land shapes people and people shape
the land, over time.
From the historic view shed of Mount Vernon, the Accokeek
Foundation provides world-class education programs in the areas of
cultural history, land preservation, and agriculture.
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A Unified View of the Organization
Weaving together the Past, Present and Future, through Education
Past
Accokeek Vision
A world devoted to land
stewardship.
Future
Present
Ed u ca t i o n
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Organizational
Recommendations
Organizational Structure
Alignment of Activities and Clear Responsibilities
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Responsibilities
Delegation and Reporting
VP of Institutional
A d va n c e m e nt
P re s id e nt/ CEO
1. Setting the annual (and longer term)
objectives and goals for the Accokeek
Foundation along with the board.
2. Developing written expectations for reporting
from direct reports – status operations,
formalized quarterly goals and tracking,
budgeting process and management of
budget for operations, etc.
3. Developing a high-level execution plan to
achieve objectives, review with direct
reports, and provide direction for the
development of execution plans from their
respective areas.
4. Communicating and strategizing with direct
reports on finance, operations issues,
fundraising challenges, and providing
guidance or assistance with resolution.
5. Acting as “the face” of the Accokeek
Foundation in the community. Interacting
and building relationships with key partners,
the National Park Service, political circles,
local organizations, etc.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Aligning marketing, volunteer, membership
and development initiatives with the goals
set by the President/CEO through the
creation of a strategic execution plan.
Clearly defining the quarterly and annual
goals for each functional area under the VP
of Institutional Advancement that incents
the needed behavior to align with the
overall objectives.
Developing a strategic fundraising plan in
collaboration with the Development staff
that taps into a broader community,
corporate community, and foundations.
Assisting marketing with a strategic plan
that addresses organization marketing,
program specific support, and event
planning and execution.
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Responsibilities
Delegation and Reporting
V P o f Ed u c at i o n & V i s i t o r
Experience
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Translating the strategic direction provided
by the President/CEO into an overall
interpretive education experience via the
programs that comprise the Accokeek
Foundation at Piscataway Park.
Integrate educational components, both
interactive and self-guided, through every
aspect of the programmatic efforts of the
Accokeek Foundation team to improve the
overall visitor experience.
Evaluate all current programs for
improvements and modification based on
the integrated story telling of the European
American, African American, and
Piscataway histories.
Developing relationships with schools and
other educational groups
Overseeing site management and general
operations in accordance with compliance
bodies or other requirements.
VP of Finance
1.
2.
Providing overall financial direction and
reporting of the Accokeek Foundation.
Developing clear HR processes and
procedures including assisting the
managers with job description templates,
goal setting, and performance
measurements.
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Organizational Recommendations
F i n a n c i a l Re c o m m e n d a t i o n s
1.
Implement an annual budgeting process for each program and the organization as a whole that
corresponds to the organization’s prioritized goals.
2.
Teach program managers how the Accokeek Foundation’s finances work and give them responsibility
for budget management within the above-mentioned annual budgeting process.
3.
Put in place quarterly financial reviews with staff to review actual to budget and to discuss
implications and contingencies for the differentials.
4.
Build accountability into the process: build managers that own their budgets, and hold them
accountable for doing so (this may require some additional training and professional development.)
5.
Align annual planning for the Accokeek Foundation as a whole with the fiscal year calendar.
6.
Align with development to provide financial goals for fundraising at the organization and program
levels.
7.
Track employee compensation as a percentage of total revenue and ensure that it continues its
current trend toward the industry average (see Appendix item D.)
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Organizational Recommendations
F u n d ra i s i n g Re c o m m e n d at i o n s
1.
Align fundraising goals with programmatic goals and involve program leads in fundraising that
relates to their programs.
2.
Consider additional revenue streams through ticket sales for events, education programs, site rental,
sale of animal products, heirloom seeds, etc.
3.
Develop the board to do more active fundraising from private sources. Begin a discussion of best
practices for boards in nonprofit fundraising and ways for members to augment the fundraising
capabilities and financial security of the organization.
4.
Discuss with Compass an additional engagement to develop capacity and ownership of fundraising
through the board.
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Organizational Recommendations
S t a f f D e v e l o p m e n t Re c o m m e n d at i o n s
1.
Provide staff with more oversight and consistent communication. (See Appendix item E.)
2.
Evaluate all roles and skill sets to ensure that right staff is in right roles.
3.
Develop more accountability measures for staff and hold the staff accountable.
M a r ke t i n g Re c o m m e n d at i o n s
1.
Formalize marketing team and roles and responsibilities. Articulate to staff what marketing does and
does not entail.
2.
Review current marketing approach and discuss needed changes and next steps to best align
resources with desired goals.
3.
Develop a fully integrated and executable marketing strategy.
4.
Work with VP of Education & Visitor Experience to improve the visitor experience through materials,
signage, weekend presence, etc. (See Appendix item F.)
5.
Develop an audience segmentation matrix (who you are trying to attract) and aligned outreach
methods (how you will capture them.)
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Program Specific
Recommendations
Recommendation Areas
Educational
Programs
Public Access
Agricultural Programs/
Eco-System Farm
Land Conservation
Colonial Farm
Livestock
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Education Programs
Connecting people with the land and its history
Mission: “to teach and educate visitors about how people have shaped the land,
and the land has shaped the people”
Offerings
 Educational Programs - primarily
National Colonial Farm Field Trips
 Interpretive Programs for General
Audiences (Pumpkin Ash; Follow the
Food; Sustainability; Specially Themed)
 Special Programs & Events (Monthly,
annual & seasonal offerings for all ages
 Specialized & Professional Programs
(Beginner farmer; Immigrant farmer;
Museum theatre Internship;
Chesapeake conservation)
Interviews
Lisa Hayes
President
MaryAlice Bonomo
Manager Education & Visitor Services
Gabi Tayac
Board Member
Myra McGovern
Board Member
Mark Wright
Board Member
Key Findings
 Key strengths: engaged staff and significant site
 School field trips, particularly to the Colonial Farm, are
Accokeek’s hallmark education programs, but attendance
has declined in recent years
 Custom education programs replicated rarely – raises
questions around scalability and long term impact
 Partnerships result in niche programs and have potential
to extend Accokeek’s reach
 Opportunities for outreach to local and more distant (DC)
audiences
Audience/Demographics





Students from school field trips
Local community members
Families
Unique audiences for custom programs
Apprentices & Professionals: Farmers;
Conservationists; Museum Theatre
Recommendations
 Identify each program’s target audience and number of visitors;
communicate this to all staff to ensure common vision
 Create system to capture program attendance and analyze any gap with
the above on a regular basis
 Create system to capture feedback on program value and efficacy
 Create program evaluation tool to measure alignment with mission and
ability to replicate for long-term impact; require all new ad hoc programs
be evaluated prior to implementation
 Consider expanding weekend staff presence to engage visitors
 Develop plans for potential partnerships to increase impact and achieve
synergies (e.g. Alice Ferguson, school districts, etc.)
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Agricultural Program
Jean Wallace Douglas Center for Agricultural and Environmental
Stewardship and the Robert Ware Strauss Ecosystem Farm
Mission: “to teach and inspire people to use principles and practices of
sustainability in agriculture and everyday life”
Offerings
Current
o Organic vegetable operations
o CSA, Farmer’s Markets
o Farmer training
o Apprenticeships,
coalitions, assistance
o Public training
o Workshops, conferences
Future
o Accokeek Community Farm
(agricultural expansion)
Interviews
Gene Roberts
Laura Ford
Board of Directors
Vice President
Kate Clancy
Allan McCurry
Board of Directors
Board Chair
Becky Seward
Jim Potts
Board of Directors
Marietta Ethier
Board of Directors
Ecosystem Farm
Manager
Molly Meehan
Community Outreach
Coordinator
Audience/Demographics
 Beginning farmers with a focus on young
farmers, and those under-served by
existing USDA programs
 CSA and farmer’s market customers
 Workshop, course, and forum attendees
interested in sustainable agriculture and
seeking learning or convening
opportunities
 Visitors to Accokeek Foundation grounds
Key Findings
Recommendations
 There is a dearth of local agriculture to meet
demand, and Accokeek’s agriculture work seeks to
address this void by training new farmers.
 Hire an Executive Director for ACF, and establish procedures for
clearly separating it fiscally and in governance
 Current Ecosystem Farm program has “run its
course” with limited ability to continue farm
operations on-site.
 Improve the visitor experience at the Ecosystem Farm site to better
integrate it into the overall educational program and visitor
experience including with the Colonial Farm and livestock
 Opportunity to scale with Accokeek Community
Farm, with goal of being financially self-sustaining.
 Evaluate the potential for a partnership with Alice Ferguson Fdn
 Determine the next evolution of the Ecosystem Farm site
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Colonial Farm & Livestock Program
Connecting people with the land through a living history museum
Mission: “through a living history museum visitors can experience what farming
life was like for a family in the area in the 1770’s”
Offerings




Operating farm with crops &
livestock
Demonstration gardens with
plants/herbs from around the
world
Foodways program
Field trips & special events
Interviews
Audience/Demographics
Matt Mattingly
Program Manager, Colonial Farm
Polly, Livestock farm

Students/Schools through field
trip programs
Lisa Hayes
President

General audience, local
community, occasional travellers
from outside the area
Wilton Corkern
President Emeritus
Key Findings
 The Colonial Farm has changed over the years from
an original intent of being an heirloom seed and
heritage livestock preservation program to a larger
scale living history museum focused more on the life
of a 1770’s European American farming family.
 Interesting and valuable additions have been made
to the Colonial Farm, namely the Foodways program.
 Integration with the other Accokeek programs is not
as strong as it could be.
 The demonstration gardens have been neglected.
 The livestock program is attractive to visitors and has
potential to continue to improve
Angela Barnes
Marketing
Recommendations
• Expand and emphasize the multi-cultural, holistic approach to the
historic farm.
• Prioritize signage and creating self-guided tours as interpreters are
not always present.
• Clearly define a purpose for the demonstration garden and ensure
that it is maintained.
• Document knowledge of interpreters
• Explore heirloom seed-selling as a potential revenue stream
• Continue to pursue partnerships with other breeders and farmers in
the area
• Research and consider selling animal products as a revenue source
• Integrate both programs into the overall Accokeek Foundation
better
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Land Conservation Program
Conservation Easement stewardship and land acquisition
Mission: “to permanently protect the 100 square mile view shed from Mount Vernon”
Offerings
Interviews
Partners
 Maryland Environmental Trust
Current
o Conservation easement co-holding
arrangement with MET
o Including LaCrone
Acquisition
o Participation in regional planning
and conservation coalitions
o Work with National Park Service
o Conservation Advocacy
Future
Lisa Hayes
President
 Mt. Vernon
 Conservation easement grantors
Wilton Corkern
President Emeritus
Lindsay Smith
Consultant
o Future acquisitions and easements
 Conservation organization partners
including public entities (planning
departments, etc); partner local land
trusts; partner regional orgs (TNC,
TPL)
Key Findings
Recommendations
 Accokeek provides a unique perspective within
conservation circles has a diverse constellation
of partners (interpretation, historic
preservation, etc.) relative to the straight
conservation groups
 Do not assume the significant liability for an easement co-holding
program without extremely thorough due diligence and ability to
bear the legal and financial risks
 Leverage Accokeek’s educational platform as a powerful tool for
educating a diverse audience about the importance of conservation
 Easement co-holing program is relatively new:
risks and liabilities, and partnership
arrangement with MET, should be evaluated
on an ongoing basis
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Public Access Sites
Connecting visitors with the natural beauty of Accokeek
Mission: “to engage visitors with the land, and preserve the picturesque
Potomac shoreline facing historic Mount Vernon”
Offerings
Current
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Saylor Grove Fishing Pier
Canoe/Kayak Landing
Blackberry Trail
Riverview Trail
Persimmon Trail
Bluebird Trail
Pawpaw Trail
Interviews
Audience/Demographics
Brandon Burton
Site Manager
Trey Thomas
Site Caretaker and NPS Ranger
 Birdwatchers frequent trails
Gerald Datcher
Future
 Fishing pier is extremely popular with
local enthusiasts, siting that even on
a snowy day in January, fisherman
can be found utilizing the pier and its
view.
Facilities Manager
o Boat Dock
o Connect with Pumpkin Ash Trail
 All facilities are open to the public
daily during regularly operating hours.
Key Findings
Recommendations
 Fishing pier is most frequented, with steady
traffic year-round.
 Additional signage throughout the Accokeek Foundation for
educational and directional purposes.
 Locals may think of the land as the “National
Colonial Farm” because of youth visits and not
as much as a place for recreation.
 Work with NPS to relocate the sign at Livingston and Biddle
 Cost structure for public access sites is largely
upfront during installation, followed by routine
maintenance costs going forward.
 Repair/replace picnic tables/shed and continue partnerships with
youth or outdoor organizations to seek volunteers to assists with
grounds upkeep
 Pursue expansion of tail systems
 Consider development of more recreational opportunities on the
grounds to drive higher number and frequency of repeat visits
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Execution Plans
Employee Communication Plan
How to engage staff along throughout the change process
Using best practices to gain awareness and support for organizational change at the
Accokeek Foundation
Activities
Activities
Activities
Activities
• Define Case for Change
• Discuss Strategic Alignment
Plan and Case for Change with
Staff during one-on-one’s
• Staff should be operating within
new org structure
• Measure employee
performance under new
operating model
• Sanitize Report for Staff
Distribution
• Identify changes to orgs and jobs
• Develop On-going
Communication Plan
• Discuss Impacts to Staff roles
and responsibilities
• Set objectives for personal
performance
• Define metrics for program area
performance
• Solicit feedback on what is, and
is not, working with new
operating model
• Track program area
performance
• Assess overall impact to the
organization
Commitment
Buy
Understanding
Awareness
2 Months
4 Months
8 Months
Measures
Measures
Measures
Measures
50% of staff can:
75% of staff can:
75% of staff can:
90% of staff can:
• Explain new Vision and Mission
• Articulate need for change
• Explain program goals
• Explain impact to their jobs
• Explain changes to the operating
model
• Explain benefits of change
to the organization
• Explain need for change
• Explain program objectives and
how programs are measured
• Explain how programs areas are
intertwined
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Measurement and Evaluation
Keys to success for continued program improvement
 Staff Job Descriptions that are not self-written
 Quarterly Goals assigned to all staff members that align with
organizational objectives
 Regular Status Meetings at all levels
 Quarterly Goal Reviews at all levels
26
Insights from Comparable Organizations
Qualitative Findings
 Other organizations are generally more focused and targeted than the
Accokeek Foundation. Their missions are more defined which can foster
improved organizational cohesion and progress tracking.
 Other organizations have more visitor friendly websites that include
information about local attractions and trip planning.
 The team found many ideas for increased visitor outreach such as music
festivals, holiday events, site rentals, summer camps, collaboration with
scouts, etc.
 Other organizations appear to collaborate more closely with local
school districts.
27
Insights from Comparable Organizations
Quantitative Findings
 The Accokeek Foundation’s reliance on government grants and
investment income are financial risks
 Government grants are greater than 50% of revenues
 There is opportunity to expand the Accokeek Foundation’s program
service revenues.
 Currently, the Foundation receives significantly lower program
revenues per employee than its peers (approximately 4% of the
average.)
 Excluding government grants, the Accokeek Foundation’s fundraising
efficiency (approximately $7.5 dollars raised per dollar spent in 2012) is
higher than many of its peers.
 This presents an opportunity to devote more resources to
fundraising and expand revenue.
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Compass Recommendations Report
Additional Topics Provided in Full Report
Program Evaluation Scoring Tool
Template for systematically evaluating whether a new program or idea aligns with Accokeek's
mission and vision, and whether it advances Accokeek's goals in a sustainable way.
Business Justification Template for New Programs
Existing Accokeek Foundation tool for evaluating the addition of new programs.
Benchmarking and Competitive Analysis
Helpful insight based on research of comparable organizations
SWOT Analysis
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats analysis
Visitor Experience
Firsthand write-up of the visitor experience
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30, 90, 180-Day Action Plans
Wi t h in 3 0 Days …
Wi t h in 3 m o nt hs …
 Finalize new org
structure
 Create the master
execution plan
 Prioritize what to
address short term vs
long
 Begin recruiting for new
positions – have at least 2
potential candidates
 Develop staff
presentation
 Begin executing the
employee
communication plan
 Schedule staff meeting
and communicate
changes
 Complete all new job
descriptions
 Meet 1:1 with each
employee to
communicate
expectations
Wi t h in 6 m o nt hs …
 Staff should be able to
articulate the new
structure, their roles,
performance goals
 Execution plan should
be underway and
operating
 New budgeting process
followed prior to new
fiscal year
 Planning for calendar
2014 should be
complete
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