Strategic Plan Sets New Directions

In early December 2011, the Strategic Planning Committee of the Garden Conservancy’s board of directors launched a formal strategic planning process. Rob Volmer of Crosby~Volmer International Communications led the staff and board through an exercise that involved answering the following fundamental questions: Where are we? Who are we? Where do we want to go? How do we get there?

An extensive series of interviews and surveys was conducted to solicit the views of members and potential members, our partners at project gardens, board members and former board members, media representatives, donors, external garden and landscape professionals, and members of organizations affiliated with the Garden Conservancy. The data was synthesized by Crosby~Volmer, working with the Strategic Planning Committee and senior staff. An aspirational value proposition was created around four main pillars: Save, Share, Educate, and Advocate. 

The four-part strategic plan, including key strategies and specific tactics to implement each of the above goals, was approved by the board of directors in June 2012 as the framework for the organization’s continued growth in pursuit of our garden preservation mission and outreach.

Below is a listing of goals per pillar. For information on the accompanying strategies per pillar, please click on the banner image for each section.

• Save gardens with significance to America's cultural and natural heritage and preserve the artistic vision of the garden's creator

 

• Gather and provide resources―human, financial, and technical―to assure garden continuity and excellence

 

• Organize community leadership to care for and support these gardens

 

• Establish best practices for garden owners and managers

 

• Document and interpret significant gardens: their history, design, and plant collections
  
  
  More about SAVE

• Open gardens for public education and enjoyment

 

• Increase the impact of Open Days with educational content and mission‐related information
  
  More about SHARE