Transit Campaign - Template for Executive Summary

Transit Campaign - Template for Executive Summary

Dear Transit Team,

Congratulations on accomplishing a tremendous amount of work over the last eight months. You have researched, analyzed, debated, and designed a campaign plan to win millions of new dollars for transit and transit-oriented development. We know you are busy incorporating the valuable feedback from our expert review panel. We encourage you to make your plan and proposal as solid, specific and professional as possible. The more clearly and persuasively it reflects your vision and the details for attaining it, the better your chances of getting funded. As you continue refining the document, please feel free to contact Elisa and Neha with any questions or if you would like further assistance or guidance.

SGA is excited about pitching these proposals to the national funders. In order to strengthen the presentation, we are asking that you develop a 2-4 page executive summary that would go on top of the planning document. The plan and executive summary should be stand alone documents. The summary, which should read as a funding prospectus, will serve as a short “commercial” or “sales pitch” for your detailed plan, enticing funders to read the plan carefully and thoroughly. The shorter and more hard hitting the summary, the better.

Please use the attached guidelines when preparing the executive summary. It is imperative that it not be too long or too vague. The generically presented prospectus will mean your proposal will be dropped to the bottom of the reading pile. Please share your updated (and close to final) plan and executive summary no later than May 14th. SGA will provide a last round of input before you submit the final documents on June 1st.

Your executive summary should be 2-4 pages and we recommend it include a couple of visuals that support the story you are telling. Examples include a state or regional map, a pie chart/graph, proposed transit lines, a strategy flow chart, picture of a stakeholder meeting you have convened, etc. The executive summary should not go above four pages and ideally will be only two to three pages, including any images.

Template for Executive Summary

Background (1 - 3 paragraphs)

What is the unique opportunity in your state or region to substantially increase funding for transit and/or substantially increase implementation of TOD? Discuss specific current and projected transit funding needs and related stats that paint the picture. Describe the crisis if there is a real one, any new political champions that may have emerged, favorable public opinion trends, recently demonstrated support from nontraditional sources, etc. Be sure to mention the top reason why now is the time to pursue this effort.

Primary Campaign Goals (Enumerate your top goal(s) – max of two or three)

Goal statements should be self-explanatory. They must be measurable and achievable within the next two to three years. Specify the funding mechanism and how much it will raise annually and/or over a 10-20 year period. If you have more than three goals, leave the rest for the detailed plan.

TOD and Equity Components (1 paragraph)

If your campaign has specific TOD and/or equity components, highlight what they are. Some funders are very interested in these issues. Do discuss substantive goals or strategies that involve these areas. General discussion will not be effective. If you have them, name the specific equity/housing groups you have brought on board or will be working with during the campaign.

Strategy (1-3 paragraphs)

This section should talk about how you will win and should touch on these questions:

·  Will this be a bill, a ballot measure, or both and what will be the timeline of major decision(s)?

·  Who will be the decision makers at the biggest decision points (the whole legislature, a committee, the governor’s office, the general public, etc)?

·  Name a few critical allies/champions in the statehouse.

·  If you pursue a ballot measure, which subpopulations will you prioritize for outreach (soccer moms, suburban commuters, city dwellers, African American voters, etc) and what kind of argument will you use to get them to support the referendum?

Coalition (1 paragraph)

Funders know these campaigns are not won and lost only with smart growth and environmental groups. Demonstrate you know who do you need in order to extend your political reach across the isle (business, labor, public health, developers, housing, road lobby, etc)? This should not be a laundry list of coalition members, but rather the very specific top-level partners you cannot win without. How will you get them on board? Name drop the impressive groups who you have already started working with.

Campaign Budget and Funding (1 paragraph)

This section should answer these questions:

·  What is the overall cost of this campaign? (You can break out in 2-3 phases if you need to.)

·  How much do you need to cover the first full year in order to launch?

·  Where else are you looking for funding support and how successful do you expect to be?

·  Name other foundations (regional/local/state/national), organizations, groups, individuals who you may have talked to or will be pursuing in the immediate future.

The Funding Ask (1-3 paragraphs)

·  What phase or portion of the campaign budget do you need the national funder to cover?

·  What level of return will the funders get for their investment?

·  Reiterate how this campaign will be a game-changer when it comes to bigger-picture transportation and land use decisions and investments by the state or region.

·  Touch on the collateral benefits that will be gained from the effort, i.e. if you lose, what will you still have gained (a new diverse, well-coordinated coalition; strengthened position for a second try; etc.)

Smart Growth America – Transit Campaign