Board Ad Hoc Sets Stage for Next JLC Project

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By: René Robers, President Elect

As our first-ever Core Team, built an annual plan to support the key initiatives for the 2022 – 2023 League year, they identified 5 key result areas, including Meaningful Work, Belonging, Leader Support, Collaborative Effort and Financial Wellbeing.

Comprised of the President & President-Elect, focused on leading the Board and long-term strategic vision of the Junior League, and the Executive Vice President (EVP) and Executive Vice-President-Elect (EVPE), leading the EMT (Executive Management Team) for on-going operations for our leaders and mission-driven work, the Core Team assigned ad hoc (“as needed”) committees to serve as task forces to research and make recommendations to the Board for future work to solve current issues and ongoing opportunities.

One of which committees was the Meaningful Work ad hoc, focused on improving Cincinnati community support. They asked questions such as, “Is our focus area what we want it to be?; for our next project/partner, should we accelerate an existing program or incubate a new idea?; how long should we commit to projects (currently 3-year terms)?; how much should we be investing in our projects?,” and more.

Through deep conversations, feedback sessions and partnership with the Advocacy & Education committee’s community needs assessment, we aligned on a list of key actions that have been approved by the Board and adopted by the Program Development team. Going into the 2023 – 2024 League year, they are empowered to apply this to their work of identifying our next project/partner:

  • Incorporate into existing nonprofit(s) (“hybrid approach”)
  • Drive JLC brand recognition in community
  • Focus on supporting women &/or children*
  • 3+ years in duration
  • Fund through mix of investment sources (grants, fundraisers, donors, etc.)
  • Must be aligned to one of the key community needs assessment areas:
    • One specific community need across a cohort of organizations
      OR
    • Use a cohort of organizations and a signature project supporting a group of different needs

Thank you to our Board committee members, Meredith Comin, Katie Dulle, Saralou Durham, Sarah Houseman, Shelley Poffenberger, Ali Smith & Leslie Touassi for their work and insights.