Springtime conjures up impressions of renewal and regrowth. Each year, these few months are a period of transition for Kiwanis Family House (KFH). The spring of 2017 has brought an extraordinary sense of anticipation for me. In addition to familiar annual transitional processes – adoption of a new operating budget and the election of new directors for our Board – I believe we have set the stage for KFH to make meaningful long-term improvements in effectiveness, capacity, and relevance. This is by virtue of the new strategic plan approved by our Board last month that will serve as our organizational compass through 2021.
Here is a high-level snapshot of our new roadmap. With regard to operations and personnel, goals include attracting and retaining high-performing staff, planning for long-term existence of the KFH facility, and providing a safe, comfortable, and efficient facility to the families we serve. With regard to marketing and fundraising, goals include increasing and diversifying revenue, strengthening KFH relationships with Kiwanis Clubs, broadening messaging efforts to extend far beyond Kiwanis Clubs, and making the case for KFH support from the greater Sacramento region. With regard to governance and finance, goals include ensuring strong Board leadership, strengthening Board members’ knowledge and presentation abilities that can lead to greater fundraising, developing an ongoing culture of accountability within the Board of Directors, and increasing retained earnings.
Soon after our new Board is elected in early June, Board committee assignments will be announced and members will begin crafting more detailed action steps that will move us toward our broad goals. However, our ultimate path forward will be largely dictated by an impending announcement from the University of California Regents. Will they agree to extend our agreement to operate our current facility beyond its current expiration date in 2034? Our request to do so has been tabled pending the completion of a new master plan for the medical center campus.
If the Regents grant our request, we will know that we have a long and certain future in our existing house. If they announce other plans for this facility after 2034, then we will go to work on an alternative plan for ensuring the continuation of our services.
Two years ago, the KFH Board of Directors selected a logo and tag line for a legacy giving program, through which donors can arrange a future donation in the present. Commonly donated through a will or trust, planned gifts are most often granted once the donor has passed away and are often used to build an endowment fund. Once we officially unveil it, you will become familiar with “K2 – Kiwanis Family House Legacy Giving Fund – Scaling the Mountain for Good.” As you may know, K2 is a reference to the second highest mountain peak in the world, located in Nepal. Our great service organization honors the letter “K” as does the mountain.
In order to market our legacy giving program, we must be able to assure donors that we have a future and we must be able to clearly describe it. So we wait to hear about the completion of the campus master plan. We could soon experience one of our most exciting and pivotal spring seasons.
