Strategic Plan Summary

This is the summary of the 2021-2022 Strategic Plan adopted by the Board of Directors in May 2021.

Introduction

SAFSF’s 2018 Strategic Agenda defined our organization’s Vision, Mission, Values, three Strategic Levers and 11 Strategic Goals, which were focused specifically on areas where the organization needed to shift and grow. The 2018 Strategic Agenda, developed through a facilitated process involving SAFSF staff and the then-Steering Committee, guided SAFSF’s incorporation and establishment as an independent nonprofit, an expansion of staff and organizational capacity to pursue policy advocacy strategies, the expansion of membership categories to include food systems investors, and the recognition of communications as a core area of need for organizational growth. Almost all of the 11 Strategic Goals named in 2018 have been fully achieved. SAFSF now needs a new plan and a planning process that will continue to provide direction to a growing staff and evolving membership for the future.

The 2021-2022 Strategic Plan, developed by SAFSF staff with input from our member committees and review by the Strategy Committee and the Board of Directors, retains the Vision, Mission and Values defined by the 2018 Strategic Agenda, and adopts a more traditional plan format with the aim of better reflecting a wider range of SAFSF’s current work. The 2021-2022 Strategic Plan is a bridge plan which will support the development of a new longer-term strategic plan to go into effect in 2023.

Our Vision

All resources invested in food and agriculture systems enhance our collective well-being.

Our Mission

We amplify the impact of philanthropic and investment communities in support of just and sustainable food and agriculture systems.

Our Values

Collaboration – Equity – Respect – Stewardship – Integrity

Goal 1

Foster, grow and engage a robust and inclusive philanthropic and investment network to drive equitable systemic change toward our vision.

Objectives

Foster

  • Annually develop a set of organizational priorities to guide programming and member activities.
  • Review and update our organizational evaluation plan to reflect current activities, reduce duplication of effort, and support measurement across strategic plan objectives.

Grow

  • At least 90% of members renew their membership year over year.
  • Increase membership by net 15 members from close of 2019 to close of 2022.

Engage

  • At least 50% of individual members participate each year in an activity intentionally designed to create and deepen peer connections among members.
  • At least 30% of member organizations annually participate in content development for the network.
  • Engage funders and investors in opportunities to fund policy advocacy and ensure more than 75% of our members fund policy advocacy.
  • Create a funder engagement and policy action campaign focused on climate and agriculture, the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act, and the 2023 Farm Bill.
  • At least 40% of members report funding in Indian Country by the end of 2023.

Goal 2

Demonstrate that SAFSF is the authoritative source on issues at the intersection of sustainable agriculture and food systems, public policy, and philanthropic grantmaking and investing.

Objectives
  • Develop materials and resources that enable SAFSF staff and leadership to speak accurately and authoritatively on topics identified as priorities.
  • Secure mentions in at least four different media outlets in 2021 and at least eight different media outlets in 2022.
  • Secure presentation/speaking/panel engagements for a SAFSF representative/spokesperson at a minimum of four philanthropic/investment convenings or meetings each year to ensure that sustainable agriculture and food systems issues are seen as intersectional in other funder focus areas.
  • Develop a comprehensive communications plan by May 1, 2022.

Goal 3

Embody our values of collaboration, equity, integrity, respect, and stewardship in our work with members, employees, and partners.

Objectives

Collaboration

  • A combination of staff, Committees, and the Board regularly review the Strategic Plan to keep it relevant and useful for guiding organizational activities.

Equity

  • The SAFSF Board and each committee has at least 25% members of color, along with a balance of geographic and organizational type representation.
  • In 2023 membership renewal/application, all SAFSF members report demographic data for their organization to help us begin to measure, track and increase diversity in agriculture and food philanthropy.
  • Expand our network of outside advisors on public policy to include more gender, racial, ethnic, and regional diversity.

Integrity

  • The Board will proactively demonstrate its leadership and approachability for membership and staff.
  • Maintain a high standard of excellence in the execution of financial and human resource services, with diminishing incidence of errors or systems failures. 

Respect

  • Define staff, Board and committee roles, responsibilities and authority.

Stewardship

  • Create a complete set of up-to-date policy and procedural manuals and/or reference resources across all areas of our work including program activities, membership, governance, finance, and human resources.
  • Determine where Fibers Roadmap work fits within our work, structure, and organizational identity.
  • Preserve a 6-month operating funds reserve.