by Debera Taylor
As we begin a new fiscal year, I’d like to take a moment for reflection. The organization has been through some challenging times. Pandemic aside, we continue to experience changes to the rules for employment options for the individuals we serve. We are experiencing changes to what activities will be funded. We have and continue to experience constraints on available resources, while at the same time continue to be burdened by overlapping administrative audit requests and oversight.
It is imperative that we remain diligent to learn, understand and pivot against the legislative rule changes impacting our organization. The Home and Community Based Service settings rule through the Employment First initiative in the commonwealth of Virginia is and will continue to impact the way that we do business and the outcomes of a strategic plan.
Although we are challenged, we continue to remain positive and focused on our Mission, Vision and Values while providing quality services to the individuals that place their trust in our organization and our staff. With that in mind, we have created a Strategic Plan to guide NW Works over the next 3 years, identifying initiatives and focus areas to pursue. This plan takes into account an extensive review of both internal and external factors affecting the organization and was developed by NW Works’ leadership and Board of Directors.
Our Strategic Initiatives include:
- Expanding program services with an emphasis on exploring community-based programs and alternative work options for the individuals we currently serve, and exploring additional work and non-work opportunities for other members of our community.
- Improving our outreach to provide resources to our community and strengthen relationships with other agencies in the region. We will also focus on advocating for public policy that supports our Mission.
- Increasing our organizational effectiveness by strengthening our Board of Directors capacity, continuing to improve our company’s culture and ensuring it is a positive workplace environment, and implementing an Enterprise Risk Management system to keep NW Works secure as we move forward.
- Developing diverse and healthy financial resources to ensure NW Works will continue long into the future. This involves reviewing business and service lines, expanding grant support, and developing additional donors to support our Foundation.
All of these initiatives are major undertakings that will secure a healthy and impactful future for the organization. As an organization, we envision a society in which all individuals are treated with dignity and respect, where all people are afforded equal opportunities to meet their goals. These efforts will lead to a society that is a bit more just and equitable than the one we have today. We look forward to this undertaking and hope you will join us on this journey.