Orleans Conservation Trust 2016-2021 Strategic Plan
ACTION REGISTER
Land Acquisition1. Short-term objective: Improve the process for identifying and acquiring priority land
Actions / Timeline / Resources / Responsible Committee / Status
A. Re-establish/review/update property selection criteria (include ‘development ability’ of properties, compare to Town list) / Yearly / Existing property listings, Town GIS & Assessor Maps / Land Acquisition / Completed January 2017
B. Apply updated selection/ranking criteria to list of priority parcels / Yearly / Updated priority property listing / Land Acquisition / In progress
C. Develop and/or build-on relationships with current property owners, neighbors and abutters / 2016-21 / Targeted property listing, Staff time / Land Acquisition / In progress
D. Develop method/protocol to respond to properties that come to us that are not on the priority property list (including CRs) / 2017 / Meeting time, example cases / Land Acquisition
Land Acquisition, continued
2. Short-term objective: Manage Rising Property Acquisition Costs
Actions / Timeline / Resources / Responsible Committee / Status
A. Establish partnerships (Town, other organizations) to facilitate purchases, funding, and management / 2016-12 / Staff time, Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts / Land Acquisition/Executive / In Progress
B. Develop list of all potential funding sources (e.g., grants, bridge-loans) and criteria, funding rounds, as applicable / 2016 (ready for 2017 budget) / Staff time, Compact / Land Acquisition / In Progress
Land Management
1. Short-term objective: Establish management information system to support all land management activities
Actions / Timeline / Resources / Responsible Committee / Status
A. Define elements of the Land Management Program (documentation, staffing, monitoring schedules for CRs and fee simple properties, other costs) / 2016 / Staff time / Land Management / In Progress
B. Coordinate with Executive Committee to research and acquire an electronic LM system / 2017 / Staff time,
software / Land Management / Initial research conducted
C. Train staff and allocate ongoing resources to setup and implement land management system / 2017-8 / Staff time / Land Management, Executive
2. Short-term objective: Establish and grow a volunteer stewardship program
A. Develop and implement a list of stewardship tasks (e.g., property inspections, CR monitoring, maintenance, reporting, vernal pool certification) / 2017 / Staff time / Land Management
B. Implement a training program for current and new volunteer land stewards / 2017 / Staff time / Land Management
C. Connect with neighbors, abutters, and associations to increase collaboration in stewardship / 2016-21 / Staff time / Land Management / In Progress
Land Management, continued
3. Short-term objective: Create management plans for priority OCT properties
Actions / Timeline / Resources / Responsible Committee / Status
A. Develop different types of program plans (i.e., small parcels vs. large), with a standard template, based on the management objective for each property / 2017 / Staff time / Land Management / In progress with AmeriCorps placement
B. Develop signage and promotional approaches for properties (incl. access paths, connections to adjacent parcels) / 2018-2019 / Staff time
Funding / Land Management
C. Maintain current inventory of each property (up-date existing plans as needed), including: history, photos, invasives, and a plan consistent with ecological goals / 2016-2021 / Staff time / Land Management / Ongoing with Liz and AmeriCorps placement
Outreach and Education
1. Short-term objective: Improve our digital communications
Actions / Timeline / Resources / Responsible committee / Status
A. Compile internal and external data on what works best / 6 months / Staff time
The Compact / Communications and Marketing
B. Improve our website / 2017-2021 / Staff time / Board
C. Create a monthly e-news to send out to members / 2017 / Staff time / Communications and Marketing
D. Increase our social media presence, particularly on Facebook / 2017-21 / Staff time / Communications and Marketing / Ongoing
2. Short-term objective: Improve our print communications
A. Evaluate the effectiveness of our print newsletter / 3 months / Staff time / Communications and Marketing
B. Update the OCT brochure / 6 months / Staff time
Funds for print material / Communications and Marketing / In progress, to be completed May 2017
C. Consider additional print material to advance OCT’s goals; e.g. leave-behinds targeting planned giving or youth / 2017-2018 / Funds for print material / Board
Outreach and Education, continued
3. Short-term objective: Expand public education activities to build support for OCT’s mission and for conservation in the community
Actions / Timeline / Resources / Responsible committee / Status
A. Expand programming for youth and families, including through targeting school groups. / 2017-2021 / Staff time, educational volunteer / Communications and Marketing
B. Continue monthly educational walks and lectures and establish summer outdoor lectures at the OCT office / Ongoing walks, lectures;
Outdoor lectures in 2019 / Office, speaker specialists / Communications and Marketing / Ongoing
C. Create material/e-news to target Town, other organizations, and local businesses; link to these entities / 2017-2021 / Staff time
Funds for print material / Communications and Marketing
D. Increase visibility in local media via more frequent press releases and personal contacts / 2016-2021 / Staff and committee time / Communications and Marketing
E. Targeted outreach to new residents and seasonal residents. / 2016-2021 / Staff time
Funds for print material / Communications and Marketing,
Fundraising / New resident outreach sent annually
Fundraising
1. Short-term objective: Expand the membership base and retain current members.
Actions / Timeline / Resources / Responsible committee / Status
A. Increase outreach material to attract new members. / 2017-2021 / Staff time
Funds for print material / Communications and Marketing / Brochure in progress
B. Hold presentations to community organizations (ie. Nauset Newcomers, Nauset Garden Club, neighborhood associations). / 2016-2021 / Staff time / Communications and Marketing / Attended NH, Grandview, MPPA meetings in 2016
C. Establish outreach to the business community, to strengthen revenues and sponsorship from businesses. / 2018-2019 / Staff time
Funds for print material / Communications and Marketing
D. Encourage the existing membership to donate at higher levels through targeted appeals. / 2016-2021 / Staff time
Funds for print material / Communications and Marketing ,
Fundraising / Included in Year End Appeal 2016
E. Recognize donors, particularly highlighting major gifts (ie. Newsletter articles, OCT Contributor Award). / 2016-2021 / Staff time / Fundraising / Included in Fall 2016 Newsletter
F. Organize a major “fun” fundraising event (identify most suitable event, recruit volunteers, find suitable venue) / 2018 / Staff time, funding / Fundraising / In Progress for Fall 2017
Fundraising, continued
2. Short-term objective: Establish a bequest program
Actions / Timeline / Resources / Responsible committee / Status
A. Establish a policy to allocate unrestricted bequests to endowment. / 6 months / Staff time / Finance and Investment
B. In-person asks for donations for bequests from major donors and prospects. / 2017-2018 / Staff time / Fundraising
C. Feature bequests in the newsletter and other outreach material. / 2016-2021 / Staff time / Communications and Marketing / Included in Fall 2016 newsletter
3. Short-term objective: Organize a major fundraising campaign for each significant land purchase
A. Target donors in the neighborhood where the property is located, asking for pledges. / 2016-2021 / Staff time
Funds for mailing / Land Acquisition,
Fundraising / Occurring in NH, Toms Hollow, 2016-2017
B. Hold a fundraising event in the neighborhood. / 2016-2021 / Staff time
Funds for event / Land Acquisition,
Fundraising / Cocktail parties in NH, Grandview, Toms Hollow 2016-2017
C. Follow up with all donation pledges. / Up to 3 years / Staff time / Fundraising / In Progress
Organizational Infrastructure
1. Short-term objective: Deploy technology to improve communication, membership, fundraising, and land management.
Actions / Timeline / Resources / Responsible committee / Status
A. Identify functional requirements, then research land trust software packages for membership, fundraising, volunteer coordination, and land management. Purchase and implement the selected package(s). / 2016- 2017 / Existing funds
Staff time
Volunteers/consultant / Executive/
Task force / Inventory taken Fall 2016
2. Short-term objective: Expand human resource capacity through staffing and volunteers
A. Analyze current and projected human resource needs, identifying staffing priorities and tasks that could be filled by volunteers. / 2016-2017 / Staff time / Personnel,
Executive / In progress
B. Develop a staffing plan that indicates timing and costs of planned hires. / 2017 / Staff time / Personnel,
Executive / In Progress, Land Manager Hired May 2017
C. Develop and implement a sustainable volunteer program, including a volunteer coordinator, recruitment process, training, and volunteer appreciation activities / 2017-2018 / Staff time / Personnel,
Executive, Communications and Marketing
Organizational Infrastructure, continued
3. Short-term objective: Obtain suitable office space.
Actions / Timeline / Resources / Responsible committee / Status
A. Revisit office criteria developed by Land Acquisition Committee. / 2016 / Staff time / Land Acquisition,
Executive / Complete
B. Determine space options (rental and purchase) and corresponding costs and benefits / 2016- 2017 / Staff time / Finance and Investment / Complete
C. Select a space. / Opportunis-tically / Funding / Board / Complete 8/29/2016
4. Short-term objective: Strengthen board and committee functioning.
1. Revisit existing committee structure to refine and operationalize as needed to achieve OCT goals. / 2016 / Executive,
Governance / Complete
2. Develop a recruitment process to expand people in the community to serve on committees and board. / 2017 / All committees
3. Review and refine Board –staff roles and responsibilities / 2017 / Executive
4. Up-date and maintain a Board notebook / Develop in 2017,
Up-date and maintenance thereafter / Staff time / Executive / In Progress
5. Provide opportunities for Board and committee member capacity building / 2017-2021 / Funding for conferences or classes / Executive
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OCT SP Action Register 2016-10.docx