YWCA Canton

3-Year Strategic Plan

Effective planning is essential for aligning our leadership team on a strategic agenda that advances the organization. Each department develops annual plans with meaningful, measurable strategies and tasks directly linked to the core objectives of our strategic plan. Progress is regularly assessed in partnership with our Board to ensure accountability and alignment. Below, you’ll find an overview of our 2024–2027 Strategic Plan, outlining the key priorities that will guide our efforts in the years ahead.

2024-2027 Strategic Priorities ↘

YWCA Canton provides direct services, empowerment programming, and advocacy to support marginalized individuals and families, especially women and girls of color, while working to challenge structural barriers to equity.

Our strategic priorities focus on five key areas: ensuring financial stability, enhancing programs and services, fostering workforce development, improving facilities, and building meaningful community partnerships. Together, these priorities will guide us in creating a stronger, more sustainable YWCA Canton that continues to serve as a pillar of support and empowerment in our community.

  • Financial

    Priority: Solidify the financial foundation of the organization

    Goals:

    Maintain and optimize current funding streams

    Develop strategy to manage investment fund 

    Priority: Develop a comprehensive fundraising strategy

    Goals:

    Develop fundraising plan to support program & administrative costs

    Prioritize capital campaign to support strategic objectives

    Priority: Enhance the financial operations of the organization

    Goals:

    Standardize and document financial operating procedures 

    Create dashboard for board to track finances

    Create process for establishing annual program budgets and process to share with dept leaders

  • Programs and Services

    Priority: Ensure the relevance and effectiveness of YWCA programs

    Goals:

    Ensure programs and services are aligned with evolving needs of the community

    Establish budget and quality & service standards for all programs

    Standardize and document program operating procedures

    Develop key performance indicators (KPIs) to ensure ongoing effectiveness of programs and support continuous improvement

    Priority: Reframe YWCA programs on empowering women, eliminating racism, and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all

    Goals:

    Educate board, staff, and the community about YWCA mission

    Train staff on advocacy to promote the YWCA mission

    Build/strengthen partnerships needed to advance the YWCA mission

  • Staff Development

    Priority: Reinvigorate YWCA Canton workforce 

    Goals:

    Establish staff engagement and retention strategy

    Ensure viable and sustainable job expectations and provide necessary job skill training

    Develop staff succession and development plan (COO, HR, key roles)

    Update and clarify employee manual

    Cultivate agency-wide efforts to promote and monitor a culture of caring

    Priority: Refocus staff on YWCA mission

    Goals:

    Provide training for board and staff on YWCA mission

    Include mission in new staff onboarding and ongoing 

    Implement signage in agency and community

    Emphasize YWCA mission in all agency and community events

  • Community Partnerships

    Priority: Ensure community partnerships support the YWCA mission

    Goals:

    Assess effectiveness of current partnerships and create management plan for each

    Outline criteria for establishing new partnerships

    Position CEO to build community relationships that advance the YWCA mission

    Priority: Increase community awareness of YWCA mission and impact

    Goals:

    Enhance marketing to reinforce breadth of mission and communicate impact

    Establish ongoing stakeholder engagement process


  • Facilities

    Priority: Ensure YWCA facilities are safe and welcoming spaces 

    Goals:

    Establish and/or ensure security and site management of all facilities

    Identify short-term opportunities to improve safety

    Priority: Develop and implement master plan for identifying future needs and sustainability of all facilities

    Goals:

    Conduct facility assessment to determine short- and long-term facility needs and document corrective actions

    Develop facilities budget to support master plan