Wateree Community Actions_Strategic Plan_2025-2030-DRAFT
Wateree Community Actions, Inc. (WCAI) 2025 – 2030 Strategic Plan
Introduction
Shift to a learning organization.
Importance of ongoing community engagement and input.
Refresh on mission, vision, values.
Developed following a comprehensive community needs assessment.
Facilitated by The Edwards Group Florida.
Executive Summary
WCAI formed in 1970 by merging community actions agencies.
History tied to the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964.
Wateree Community Actions (WCAI) 2025 – 2030 Strategic Plan
Wateree Community Actions, Incorporated (WCAI) 2025 – 2030 Strategic Plan
Table of Contents
Introduction page 3
Executive Summary page 4
Strategic Direction and Results page 4-5
Vision page 5-6
Mission page 6-7
Shared Core Values page 7-8
Assumptions Underlying Mission & Services page 9 Customers, Target Population, Supporting Customers page 10 Customer Satisfaction Data page 11
Summary of most important points in the environment page 12 Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats page 13
Strategic Action Plan page 13-20
SWOT Analysis Strategies page 20-21
Communication Strategy, Implementation Strategy page 22-23
Monitoring the Strategic Plan page 23
Exhibit A –Environmental Scan SWOT page 23-24
Exhibit B – List of Resources page 25-26
Wateree Community Actions, Inc. (WCAI) 2025 – 2030 Strategic Plan
Introduction
This strategic plan represents a shift to a learning organization. We know enough to ask the right questions, but not so much that we don’t listen to the answers. The data and feedback we collected and analyzed during our strategic planning process in 2019 was truly a gift. Ensuring that we create ongoing opportunities for learning, community engagement and input to continue to shape our future work is of critical importance to WCAI
The key elements of this plan are refreshed Mission, Vision and Values statements that clarify our role and aspirations in serving our community and new goals and strategies to guide our work. With the publication of this report, we end this phase of our strategic planning journey and begin an important new phase for WCAI.
The board of directors and Chief Executive Officer’s leadership team developed this strategic plan with the facilitation of The Edwards Group Florida, an organizational and leadership development consulting company. This strategic plan identifies priority needs as determined in our 2023 comprehensive community needs assessment. Based on these priority needs, corresponding outcomes, services and strategies are included designed to achieve results in the lives of people and the communities entrusted to our care. The staff committee met three times and the board of directors met once to reevaluate the mission, tweak the organizational vision, and establish fresh values underlining our work. These meetings gave guidance the core principles and strategic direction of WCAI.
The Edwards Group Florida (TEGF) facilitated the planning process and meetings using adaptations of the principles from Peter Drucker’s Five Most Important Questions, The Accountable Agency by Reginald Carter and The Leadership Challenge by Kouzes and Posner. A SWOT analysis was completed along with identification of resources aligned with each of the top needs identified in the most recent community assessment. In addition TEGF reviewed an array of institutional materials to acquire a solid understanding of WCAI’s past work and community leadership potential.
With the publication of this edition of our strategic plan, we end our planning journey and begin the important new phase. We are eager to shift our focus now to setting the essential strategies and goals spelled out in this plan. For the next five years.
Executive Summary
Background and History
Wateree Community Actions, Inc. was officially formed in July 1970 when the community actions agencies of Sumter County and Kershaw County merged. Subsequently, the newly formed agency grew with the merging of three other existing community action agencies: Lee County (Williamsberg-Lee), Clarendon County Clarendon County Commission) and Richland County (Midlands Human Resource Commission). This merging process spanned from July 1070 to April 1988.
Nationally, the history of Community Action is based on the humanitarian principles that formed a bedrock value of the American experience that we all have responsibility for helping people to overcome barriers and to share in the benefits of living in a free and equal society. In 1964, Congress passed the Economic Opportunity Act as a companion to the Civil Rights Act, which guaranteed equal opportunity for all, thereby establishing a set of federal initiatives known as the War on Poverty. The Economic Opportunity Act provided direct infusion of federal funds to local communities and call for “maximum feasible participation” of people e with low incomes in the process of identifying problems and developing strategies for achieving economic stability and prosperity. To carry out this mandate at the local level, more than 1,000 community-based organizations Community Action Agencies (CAAs) were created. These CAAs were charged with coordinating federal funds and other resources and engaging citizens in the labor of “…opening to everyone the opportunity for education and training, the opportunity to work, and the opportunity to live in decency and dignity” (EOA, 1964).
Strategic Direction and Results
WACI’s strategic direction is tis plan for achieving its goals. It is a roadmap to guides decision- making, identifies long-term goals, and outlines the steps to achieve them.
The strategic direction , goals, services, strategies and outcomes included in this plan are WCAI’s response to its learned understand of what the needs are of its customers, its strengths and how WCAI views its role as an anti-poverty organization. Included in this plan is the Agency’s acknowledgement about its current opportunities and threats for providing high caliber services with an effective and beneficial cadre of partners and resources in its service area to achieve identified results. WCAI recognizes the importance and benefits of maintaining solid partnerships where they are strong and establishing new partnerships in its service area to achieve desired results for its customers.
The five year period of this, 2025 – 2030, strategic plan will be a time of assessing and depending on its strengths and leadership role in working with community partners to create more opportunities, resources and results for its customers who desire to move out of poverty.
In this regard, WCAI will assume a leadership role in working with a broader and diverse group of community partners.
With enhanced knowledge and understanding of its mission and revelation of what it does well along with the opportunities in its service area in which it operates, consistent with it vision and core values, WCAI will pursue the following strategic direction:
1. Wateree Community Actions, Inc. will identify and support children, youth and adults to that achieve a variety of educational outcomes in in service area (Family Level);
2. Wateree Community Actions, Inc. will identify and support underemployed or unemployed individuals who obtain jobs or increase earned income and/or employment benefits in its service area (Family Level);
3. Wateree Community Actions Inc. will identify and support families to obtain and maintain affordable housing in its service area (Family Level);
4. Wateree Community Actions Inc. will identify and support individuals and families in the practice of planning and managing how to use their money, an essential life skill to help build financial stability and security (Family Level)
5. Wateree Community Actions Inc. will identify and support individuals and families that achieve nutritional, prenatal care, prevention care, physical, mental and behavioral health outcomes in its service area focusing on the Social Determinants of Health affecting individual and family well-being (Family Level); and,
6. Wateree Community Actions will identify and work with a diverse group of community partners to create affordable housing units in its service area to support individual and families purchase and/or occupancy (Community Level)
Vision
WCAI’s vision describes what the organization wants to achieve in the future. Thusly, the vision takes a long-term view providing purpose and direction for the organization to inspire board members, staff, customers and stake-holders to work toward a common goal.
The vision of Wateree Community Actions, Inc. is:
“Our vision is a poverty free community”
Specifically, Wateree Community Actions, Inc. will:
Ø Develop and implement comprehensive services and strategies that include bundling services that identify a combination of services to attain goals and outcomes designed to support its customers to achieve economic security;
Ø Collaborate, establish and nurture formal written partnership agreements with for profit business, governmental and nonprofit partners in its service area where services are obtained by customers to achieve stability and economic security results;
Ø Directly provide high level, quality and program services that achieve goals, results and outcomes and achievements are reported to upper management, board of directors, funders and the general community timely;
Ø Identify personnel who will do the work who are properly informed, assigned and equipped along with identifying procedures and fundamental elements essential to implementing the strategic plan for results, tracking and timely reporting internally and externally;
Wateree Community Actions, Inc. plays and essential leadership role in advocating at all levels of government at all levels, nonprofit organizations, business and the public at large for full inclusion and participation in the community. Wateree Community Actions Inc. encourages and supports individual, families and the community at large to transition to economic secure individuals, families and communities in its service area.
Mission
The agency’s mission statement is the foundation on which the agency is built that tells the public what change it will make or accomplish along with insights into the underlying beliefs and values of the agency board and staff. The mission conveys what the agency believes about poverty and its role in reducing poverty in its service area. The mission defines the organization’s business and acts as a guide to decision-making.
The mission of Wateree Community Actions, Inc. is:
Wateree Community Actions, Inc. empowers families and communities with low incomes to increase economic security through partnerships and anti-poverty services”.
The agency mission statement should be reviewed on a regular basis like during development of a strategic planning process. During this strategic planning process WCAI review the mission statement and realized the mission statement need to be tweaked elimination the word “stability” and inserting the work “security”. Therefore, Wateree Community Actions, Inc. presents a more sharply focused mission statement in the 2025 – 2030 strategic plan that is more aligned with its vision statement.
As in the previous strategic plan, this mission statement identifies the two dimensions needed that define the purposes of the organization and intended to put its customers on a trajectory to achieve economic security. The two dimensions are “partnerships” and Anti-poverty services.
Partnerships here means the agency recognizes achieving its goals requires formal arrangements, partnership agreements or some sort of financial or non-financial agreement with a diverse group and a wide variety of governmental, nonprofit and business organizations in its service area to have a greater impact to improve the lives of people with low incomes and the communities in which they live over the next five years of this strategic plan.
Anti-poverty services means the agency adopts the approach that its services and those of its partners are designed to support people with low-incomes to reduce poverty that long-term positive effects on children, youth, families and its target population. The agency continues to positions itself to answer the question: How many people have we moved out of poverty? by the end of this strategic plan in 2030.
Shared Core Values
Shared core values are what support the vision, shape the culture and reflect what the organization believes. They are the essence of the organization’s identity, the principles, beliefs or philosophy. Shared organizational values are the central guiding beliefs and principles that underpin an organization, its board members and its employees. They also frame how the organization deals with customers, partnerships and stakeholders.
The following core values influence the culture, internal and public image of Wateree Community Actions, Inc. as a valued community based and anti-poverty agency serving a wide variety of children, youth, families, its target population and supporting partners:
ü Honesty/Integrity - Wateree Community Actions, Inc. has the highest level of integrity in the governance, administration, service, partnership relations and outreach activities. We demonstrate strong moral principles, truthfulness in word, deed and in an unwavering moral compass. We tie these activities directly to our mission and we maintain and report our records accurately.
ü Respect – Wateree Community Actions, Inc. encourages each person to take control over his/her own life and help to shape this based upon what is important to each person. We admire individuals and families desire to generate change in their lives and we respect the role that families have in helping to shape the choices as well. We show admiration toward another in word, action and conduct.
ü Communication – Wateree Community Actions, Inc. believes in sharing information internally and externally in a variety of methods. We share information received by the intended audience for greater understanding and connection between people.
ü Service to others – Wateree Community Actions, Inc. provides services to others as part of their work through words and actions realizing customer success is agency success. The agency provides services unselfishly thereby helping people in an organized systematic method for customer success.
ü Family time – Wateree Community Actions, Inc. board of directors and CEO recognize the value of prioritizing and making a conscious effort for employees to spend quality time with their families. This builds strong bonds through shared experiences so employees work to consistently produce desired results.
ü Growth – Wateree Community Actions, Inc. is focused upon continuous improvements of ourselves and the processes for which we are responsible and accountable to achieve high quality services. We expand our expertise by being a learning agency to apply what we have learned to our various roles. We constantly look for change as an opportunity to learn and apply what we have learned in our chase toward excellence.
ü Teamwork – Wateree Community Actions, Inc. board of directors and employees work together to achieve collective goals in an efficient manner. We cooperate with each other and coordinate effort together in the interest of our mission work.
Assumptions Underlying Mission and Service Assumptions
“Another way to think about mission statements is: What does the mission statement say about Wateree Community Actions, Inc. assumptions about poverty and its role in reduction of poverty. The agency mission statement will tell the public what change Wateree Community Actions, Inc. what change it expects to make or accomplish. The mission will also provide some insights into the underlying beliefs and values of the agency board and staff.”
Wateree Community Actions, Inc. believes:
Ø The board of directors engagement and well-trained and motivated staff make a difference in the lives of families and the communities the communities in which they live;
Ø Training, engaging and supporting families and communities with low incomes in their own advocacy efforts will yield long-term improvements in their quality of life;
Providing anti-poverty bundled services will empower families and communities with incomes to increase economic security;
Ø Families and communities with low incomes want to increase economic security;
Ø Agency has the ability to help families and communities with low incomes to increase economic security;
Ø Empowering families with low incomes want to increase economic security;
Ø Formal partnerships with business, government and nonprofit organizations are essential to families and communities achieving economic security; and,
Ø Families with low incomes deserve the same opportunity to participate in economic growth with access to education, housing, employment , nutrition and health care;
Ø Families and communities with low incomes want to achieve economic security.
These set of beliefs espoused above frame the work of Wateree Community Actions, Inc. These underlying assumptions inform the approach to the work and why Wateree Community Actions, Inc. chooses to tackle family and community needs a certain way.
Customers
The primary customers of an organization are the customer group that directly consumes most of the revenue of an organization and is the main focus for organizational services. The primary customers are the people whose life WCAI wants to impact and change on a regular basis and who are the direct recipients of services of WCAI. Identifying the primary customer via eligibility requirements puts priorities in order and gives a reference point for critical decisions about its target population, a smaller subset within the primary customers’ eligible group. This is important for recruitment, outreach and enrollment in program services and strategies.
The supporting customers of the organization are the partners, funders, volunteers who must be satisfied for WCAI to succeed. There are many supporting customers as they are engaged with WCAI to support the accomplishment of the mission of WCAI.
Wateree Community Actions, Inc. – Target Population
The target population is a specific group of customers that WCAI historically serves but can enhance its mission of economic security by recruitment, outreach, direct mail into short term, intermediate and long term in anti -poverty services to achieve economic security. This target population is the highest characteristic among WCAI’s “FY 2023 CSBG Annual Report, All Characteristics Report.”
Analysis of the data contained in the “FY2023 Annual Characteristics Report reveals among the 17,847 individuals making application to WCAI, 11,481 are female, age 10-54 years old, African America, unemployed or unemployed, single parent with 1-2 children, rent public housing, income from employment or noncash benefits, 6,077 received LIHEAP services and SNAP. These characteristics form the target population for WCAI for this strategic plan, which is the same target population for the 2019 – 2024 strategic plan.
Wateree Community Actions, Inc. – Supporting Customers
WCAI identified 57 potential or actual partners among supporting entities and providers of services to people with low incomes. WAAI’s approach with its supporting customers should be revisited to strengthen these relationships via memoranda of understanding or partnership agreements. WCAI can also identify a methodology for ensuring these partnerships are active and provide essential services for its target population. An assigned employee should be designated to nurture the agreement to keep it in force and operation for implementation.
Customer Satisfaction Data
Customer satisfaction is a measurement that determines how happy customers are with the organization’s products, services and capabilities. Customer satisfaction information, including surveys and ratings, can help an organization determine how to best improve or changes its mix of services. This data include such factors as: customer satisfaction with the service, knowledge of staff providing services, ease of access to the services, how many years person has been a customer and perceived quality of interactions between the customer and staff.
During this strategic planning process, the 2024 Customer Satisfaction Survey data was analyzed information. There were 1,127 responses to the survey, of which 35.05% were from Richland County and 29.99% were from Sumter County generating the following results:
§ 96.60% of responders were very satisfied or somewhat satisfied with WCAI overall;
§ 94.03% of responders were extremely well satisfied or very well satisfied that the services provided met their needs;
§ 95.55% of responders rated quality services very high or high;
§ 94.84% of responders staff responsiveness to their needs extremely responsive or very responsive;
§ 74.52 % of responders indicated they are customers for multiple years;
§ 97.31% of responders are extremely satisfied, moderately satisfied or slightly satisfied with employees;
§ 98.31% of responders rated staff as extremely responsive, very responsive or somewhat responsive to their questions or concerns about service;
§ 96.74% of responders rated employee knowledge as extremely knowledgeable, very knowledgeable or somewhat knowledgeable;
§ 93.92% of responders feel that WCAI understands their needs;
§ 45.23% of responders they use other similar services while 27.88% of responders never use other similar services;
§ 75% of responders are utility assistance customers while 25.09% of responders are Head Start/Early Head Start customers.
§ 1.18% of responders indicated that services received were education, employment, health and nutrition and housing.
The customer satisfaction data reflect a very high customer satisfaction rating for Head Start/Early Head Start and Utility Assistance services.
During the implementation phase of this strategic plan, WCAI should provide a more balanced approach to obtain customer satisfaction data from customers in Education, Employment, Health & Nutrition and housing programs and Weatherization Assistance Program.
In addition, WCAI should evaluate its phone system as this is a repeat issue from the 2019 – 2024 strategic plan.
Summary of Most Important Points in the Environment
Environmental scanning is a process for monitoring the internal and external environment of an organization to detect opportunities, threats, trends, important lessons and weaknesses of an organization. The purpose of environmental scanning is to find and retain information in order to inform decision-making at a certain point in time. It is an extremely important aspect of risk management for Organizations of any size. We us the SWOT analysis for the purpose of the environment scan.
SWOT analysis is a strategic planning and management technique used to identify Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats related to organizational competitors or project planning. It is a framework for matching an organization’s goals, programs, and capacities to the environment in which it operates. The analysis looks at four key characteristics that are typically used to compare how competitive the organization can be within its industry and environment.
Following is a summary of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats highlighted by the board of directors and staff of Wateree Community Actions, Inc. The following represents a small portion of the complete environmental scan outlined in EXHIBIT A at the end of this 2025
-2030 strategic plan.
Strengths
Wateree Community Actions Inc. key strengths include an active and engaged board of directors, effective CEO and support staff, task focused organization with diverse background and goal oriented, and ROMA certified professionals, established partnerships and community resourcefulness.
Weaknesses
Wateree Community Actions, Inc. should focus attention to improving internal communications, lack of resources, internal sabotage, and lack of teamwork, compensation, lack of operational procedural manual, turnover, lack of funding diversification, and lack of enhanced telephone system.
Opportunities
Wateree Community Actions, Inc. should focus attention to improving communications create partnerships to penetrate the affordable housing market, externally, create a public relations campaign to promote its program successes, brand marketing, enhance social media presence, increase funding diversification, and increase the diversification of partnerships around employment, education, income management, affordable housing and creation of affordable housing.
Threats
Wateree Community Actions, Inc. should prepare itself reduced federal funding, competition of private vendors, other nonprofit and local government entities including local school districts for Head Start funding.
Strategic Action Plan – Needs, Outcomes, Services/Strategies and Outcome Indicators
Outcomes and their indicators set out the broad results WCAI plans to achieve in the next five years of this strategic plan. In order to pursue the strategic direction outlined earlier in this strategic plan, WCAI will use the following strategies to achieve the identified outcomes during the 2025 – 2030 time frame.
National Goal 1 – Individuals and families with low incomes are stable and achieve economic security.
Education Domain
Need #1
Individual need education (family)
Outcome #1
Individuals will obtain education goal by FY2025
Projected Outcome Indicator #1 (family)
2,500 of 4,750 or 52% of individual will achieve their educational goal by December 31, 2030 (Family)
Family national Performance Indicators – Education
v The number of children (0-5) who demonstrated improved emergent literacy skills.
v The number of children (0-5) who demonstrated skills for school readiness.
v The number of children and youth who demonstrated improved positive approaches toward learning, including improved attention skills.
v The number of adults who demonstrated improved basic education.
v The number of individuals who obtained a high school diploma and/or obtained an equivalency certificate or diploma.
v The number of individuals who obtained a recognized credential, certificate or degree related to the achievement of educational skills
v The number of individuals who obtained an associate degree
v The number of individuals who obtained a bachelor degree
Strategies/Services
1. Recruit and enroll target population in educational programs to obtain GED/high school diploma as a gateway to job training or post-secondary education.
2. Recruit and enroll target population in secondary and post-secondary education programs in the service area.
3. Refer enrolled target population individuals to other partner organizations they obtain referred identified services.
4. Complete assessment on customer to determine needed services to achieve educational goals.
5. Develop an educational case plan with actions agency and customers will perform.
6. Enroll target population in case management services in which follow up and case management meetings are frequently conducted.
7. Write effective case notes documenting contact with individuals enrolled to determine progress being made and/or achievement of identified goals
Employment Domain
Need #2
Individual need employment (family)
Outcome #2
Individuals will obtain employment (family)
Projected Outcome Indicator
900 of 1,375 or 65% of individuals will obtain employment by December 31, 2030 (family)
Family National Performance Indicators – Employment
v The number of unemployed youth who obtained employment to gain skills or income.
v The number of unemployed or underemployed adults who obtained employment up to a living wage.
v The number of unemployed adults who obtained and retained employment for at least 90 days.
v The number of unemployed adults who obtained and retained employment for at least 180 days.
v Of the above, the number of employed participants who increased income from employment through wage or salary increase.
Strategies/Services
1. Establish and/or strengthen productive relationship with the WIOA program and other job training organizations in the service area.
2. Determine and identify demand occupations in service area.
3. Recruit applicants from target population to enroll in job training programs for demand occupations in the service arear.
4. Complete assessment, develop case plan and enroll individuals from target population in employment training programs.
5. Plan and execute job fairs for qualified individuals and employers to match qualified individuals to job openings in the service area.
6. Teach employability skills training to individuals enrolled in employment program, including production of an action oriented resume.
7. Enroll individuals in case management services with frequent follow up to measure progress and goal attainment.
8. Write effective case notes that document progress being made toward goals and achievement of goals.
Housing Domain
Need #3 Individuals need housing
Outcome #3
Individuals will obtain housing (family)
Projected Outcome Indicator
868 of 1,085 or 80% of families will obtain housing by December 31, 2030 (family)
v The number of households experiencing homelessness who obtained safe temporary shelter.
v The number of households who obtained safe and affordable housing.
v The number of families who maintained sage and affordable housing for 90 days.
v The number of households who avoided eviction.
v The number of households who avoided foreclosure.
v The number of households who experienced improved health and safety due to improvements within their home such as reduction or elimination of lead, radon, carbon dioxide and/or fire hazards or electrical issues.
v The number of households with improved energy efficiency and /or energy burden in their homes
Strategies/Services
1. Identify individuals in target population desirous of obtaining safe and affordable housing
2. Enroll individuals in home buyers program.
3. Enroll individuals in financial literacy services for budget preparation, planning and implementation.
4. Complete application for Section 8 vouchers.
5. Provide rental or mortgage assistance.
6. Apply for habitat for humanity’s program services.
7. Monitor participant spending to ensure individuals are following establish budgets.
8. Assign individual candidates to financial institutions as mentors.
9. Create a match savings program in which agency or partners match participant savings.
10. Partner with other housing related business, nonprofit and/or governmental entities to assist participants with obtaining affordable housing.
11. Collaborate with the YWCA for female housing.
12. Create opportunities for successful participants to tell their story to potential participants and current participants for encouragement and motivation
Income and Asset Building Domain
Need #4
Individuals need income Management
Outcome #4
Individuals acquire Income management skills
Projected outcome indicator
600 of 900 or 66% of families will obtain income management skills by December 31, 2030.
Family National Performance Indicator – Income & Asset Building
v The number of individuals who achieved and maintained capacity to meet basic needs for 90 days.
v The number of individuals who achieved and maintained capacity to meet basic needs for 180 days.
v The number of individuals who opened a savings account.
v The number of individuals who increased their savings.
v The number of individuals who used their savings to purchase an asset.
v The number of individuals who improved their credit scores.
v The number of individuals who increased their net worth.
v The number of individuals engaged with WCAI who report improved financial well- being.
Strategies/Services
1. Enroll individuals in a financial coaching program.
2. Enroll individuals in IDA services.
3. Enroll individuals in budgeting classes.
4. Enroll participant in first time home buyers program.
5. Enroll participants in investing program.
Health and Social /Behavioral Development Domain
Need #5
Individuals need to improve physical, mental and /or behavioral health. (Family)
Outcome 5
Individuals will improve physical, mental and/or behavioral health by December 31, 2030
Outcome Indicator #5
699 of 10,000 or 69% of individuals will improve physical, mental and/or behavioral health by December 31, 2024 (family)
Family National Performance Indicators – Health and Social/Behavioral Development
v The number of individuals who demonstrated increased nutrition skills such as cooking, shopping and growing food.
v The number of individuals who demonstrated improved physical health and well -being.
v The number of individuals who improved skills related to the adult role of parent/caregiver.
v The number of individuals who demonstrated improved physical health and well-being.
v The number of parents/caregivers who demonstrated increased sensitivity and responsiveness in their interactions with their children.
v The number of seniors (65+) who maintained an independent living situation.
v The number of individuals with disabilities who maintained an independent living situation.
v The number of individuals with chronic illness who maintained an independent living situation.
Strategies/Services
1. Recruit, assess, develop case plans for and enroll target population in health and social/behavioral development services.
2. Provide case management services and follow up with target population to monitor progress made and achievement of case plan goals.
3. Establish and/or strengthen relationships with other providers of service pursuant to individual’s goals, make referrals for service and conduct follow up service partner to ensure services were provided
Housing Domain – Community Level
Need #6
Our community lacks affordable housing stock (Community)
Outcome #6
Our community will have affordable housing stock
Projected Outcome Indicator # 6
There will be 25 affordable housing units created by December 31, 2030
Community National Performance Indicator – Housing Indicator
CNPI 4 Housing Indicator – community level housing indicators measure outcomes related to achieving, increasing or improving the presence and availability of housing within communities where people with low incomes live.
Strategies
1. Create an affordable housing task force among housing advocates in the service area to develop plans to create affordable housing units in the service area.
2. Survey prospective task force members and organizations having a stake in creating affordable housing units in the service area
3. Hold monthly or bi-monthly meetings with taskforce members for quantitative data and qualitative data to determine actual need for affordable housing.
4. Identify potential financial partners interested in creating affordable housing units in the service area.
Housing Domain – Agency Level
Need #7
Our agency has a need for additional resources to establish capacity to pursue creating affordable housing units in our service area.
Outcome
Increase agency capacity to participate in helping to create affordable housing units
Projected outcome indicator #7
Generate funding to hire employees to work on a five year plan to facilitate creating affordable housing units by December 31, 2030.
Strategies
1. Determine a funding stream to employ a housing manage position to facilitate a process for internal capacity building around development of affordable housing units in the service area.
2. Research affordable housing options available in the service area.
3. Obtain training around increasing expertise in the affordable housing arena.
4. Create an advisory committee of partners interested bringing affordable housing units to fruition in the service area.
5. Reach out to other CAA in the state or region already owners of affordable housing stock.
6. Discuss potential funding with the South Carolina housing Finance authority
SWOT Analysis Strategies
Strengths and Opportunities
S-O Strategies
Use the collective strength of the board of directors, strong executive leadership and knowledgably program managers to pursue opportunities in its service area to:
ü Achieve funding diversification from corporations, local, state and federal governments, including USDA, foundations and financial institutions.
ü Create new and formal partners to help with achieving organization mission and vision.
ü Develop a branding campaign to improve the organizational image and make use of social media platforms to advance the mission work of WCAI.
ü Align with a public relations organization to create a public relations campaign.
Strengths and Threats S-T Strategies
Mobilize the collective strength of the board of directors, experienced, dedicated, determined, disciplined, strong, passionate and motivated executive director and staff to reduce and eliminate threats by:
ü Generating new funding opportunities given potential government funding cuts by current federal funding agencies.
ü Implement branding public relations and marketing campaign promoting qualitative and quantitative data to tell the agency success story in a high impact manner on a consistent basis.
ü Determine best approaches for and invest in cyber security to protect agency records.
Weaknesses and Opportunities W-O Strategies
ü To overcome internal weaknesses of staff turnover determine appropriate salary structure for similarly situated positions in the state and local communities. Use existing partnerships in the community to fund a wage study and look for funding to enhance the agency salary structure.
ü To improve internal weaknesses of communication, teamwork, turnover communication weaknesses, a concerted effort should be made to establish a culture of enhanced communications. Creation of a staff work group could begin the process and/or engage the services of a consultant to assist with this endeavor. This is an opportunity to secure a board member or volunteer with the credentials to lead this effort to eliminate this internal weakness.
Weaknesses and Threats W-T Strategies
ü To reduce turnover related to compensation, to improve internal communications, competition for its funding should establish a new partnership with a community focused consulting firm or board of directors and staff workgroup targeted at internal weaknesses and external threats in its service area.
Communications Strategy
Wateree Community Actions, Inc. held four strategic planning sessions, three with staff leadership and one with the board of directors, during which the top needs facing their primary customer and target population were detailed and analyzed. Outcomes, services, strategies were developed and an environmental scan SWOT analysis was facilitated.
The communication strategy is designed to help WCAI is designed to help WCAI achieve its overall goals and outcomes, engage effectively with partners, old and new, demonstrate the success of its work, ensure the broad community understands what work WCAI does and to change the behavior and perceptions of WCAI where indicated. Therefore, WCAI strives to:
Ø Provide the best standard of services and support for people using its services;
Ø Play a key role in its service area and state of South Carolina as a valued organization representing the interests of its customers;
Ø Create an opportunity to look internally at WCAI to communicate more effectively and efficiently with its employees to enhance communication, morale and productivity;
Ø Demonstrate that WCAI is an information-based organization in which information flows from the individuals doing the work to the board of directors and information must flow back to the individuals doing the work.
This communication strategy should result in WCAI developing a communication plan in which the audience of communications internally and externally will be identified, along with the message to be conveyed, the communication methods, communication activities and the method for evaluating its services are part of the communication plan.
Implementation Strategy
Peter Drucker is considered one of the most renowned management experts asserts, “what is measured and how it is measured determines what will be considered important.” WCAI must inform its personnel what they are responsible for in this strategic plan, assign them the responsibility and ensure assigned personnel are equipped to handle the responsibilities.
This 2025 – 2030 strategic plan provides WCAI with a road map it needs to pursue a specific strategic direction and a set of performance outcomes and strategies along
with internal functions determined by the e-scan process. The what, why and how are identified. The implementation plan addresses the who, when and how goals and outcomes will be achieved. To produce identified results WCAI will:
Ø Roll out the plan to the entire organization;
Ø Build all agency departmental annual plan around the corporate strategic plan;
Ø Establish and maintain monthly/bimonthly strategy meetings with a strategic plan work group with an established reporting, documenting and monitoring progress and goal attainment
Ø Identify specific people – board members and staff – for each outcome area including the SWOT strategies for implementation, monitoring, reporting and accountability purposes;
Ø Schedule quarterly strategic review dates, including the assessment and a large group meeting for an annual strategic plan update.
Monitoring the Strategic Plan
Monitoring and evaluating the strategic plan is critical to success of the plan. The plan strategies and services must be implemented well and monitored by executive staff personnel and key committees of the board of directors. Monitoring should begin early before or shortly after implementation in order to eliminate any errant strategies before they consume resources or create negative impacts.
WACI must also assign appropriate budget to the outcomes and SWOT analysis strategies to ensure information is followed and that serious attention is devoted to the implementation of the strategic plan. Without budget assignment to the services, strategies, outcomes minimal impact is being planned.
Exhibit A
Environmental Scan Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats
Exhibit A details all of the elements and components of the SWOT analysis completed during the WCAI strategic planning process for the development of the 2025 -2030 strategic plan.
Strengths Weaknesses
Strong board of directors People structured in silos
Longevity in the community Need advanced technology Anti - poverty direct service organization internal communications Knowledgeable employees Lack of operations manual
Technologically advanced Turnover
Established partnerships Compensation
Flexible staff Too much federal funding
Certified employees (ROMA & CCAP) Inadequate telephone system Community outreach Lack of resources
Positive performance record Weak internal communications
Organizational values Lack of teamwork
Professional development Bureaucratic red tape
Cohesive organization Open door policy needs revamping
Quality Services internal strife
Dedicated board of directors Need enhanced levels of authority
Agency strength Lack of trust
Partnership focused Task focused Compassion
Diverse backgrounds Community resource
Opportunities Threats
More diverse funding Cuts in funding
New partnerships Political environment
Fundraising Private vendors
Affordable housing competition for HS funding
Branding/Marketing Public perception
Crowd funding Fraudulent documents from Customers
Head Start building enhancements perception of others Improve image
Agency wealth building Get new talent Diversify partnerships Social media use
Exhibit B
List of Resources
Identification of resources helps WCAI know when there are existing services in the community. These resources also help WCAI know if another agency has the same mission or programs as that of WCAI. Properly assessed these resources help the agency to identify ways that the resource can become an opportunity to start collaboration or to enhance collaborations.
The following resource listing is organized by domains of Education, Employment Housing, Health and income Management all of which are detailed in this strategic plan. WCAI should specify the names of broadly defined resources like area colleges and universities so staff assigned to the implementation phase knows which specific educational institution to target as a resource.
Education Employment
Area colleges & Universities WIOA
Technical Colleges Chambers of Commerce
Vocational Training Schools Temporary Employment Agencies
Project Hope (DSS) Department of Work Force
WIOA Programs United Way
School Districts (vocational programs Department of Juvenile Justice
Vocational Rehabilitation Prisma Health
Technical Colleges Department of Veterans Affairs
Experience Works Experience Works
County Behavioral Health Nursing Homes
Job Corps Veterans Affairs
Churches (specify) Columbia Housing Authority
On Line Degree Programs State of South Carolina
Public Libraries Local School Districts
Goodwill Industries
Housing Income Management
Private landlords Financial institutions
Federal Housing Authorities United Way
Habitat for Humanities Community Colleges
USDA Mutual of America
Utility providers NACA
Santee Lynches Council of Government SC Debt Consolidated Santee Lynches Affordable Housing
HUD Section 8
Exhibit B Continued
Health
Rural Health care
Federal Qualified Health Centers Medicaid providers
Free Health Clinics Meals on Wheels Food Share
Eavclaire Cooperative Summer Feeding Programs Soup Kitchens (specify) Mental Health Counseling Health Departments United Ministries
Hospital System Lions Club
Law enforcement
Fire and rescue departments Department of Health & Human Services Baby Net
Safe Kids
Medicare and Medicaid providers
Focus on coordinating federal funds to help eliminate poverty.
Strategic direction outlines goals and responses to community needs.
Strategic Goals and Direction
Education Support: Help children, youth, and adults achieve educational outcomes.
Employment Support: Aid underemployed or unemployed individuals in job acquisition.
Housing Stability: Support families in obtaining and maintaining affordable housing.
Financial Management: Empower individuals/families in money usage to build financial stability.
Health Outcomes: Address nutritional, prenatal, physical, mental, and behavioral health needs.
Affordable Housing Development: Collaborate to create affordable housing units.
Vision and Mission
Vision: Aim for a poverty-free community.
Mission: "Empowers families and communities with low incomes to increase economic security through partnerships and anti-poverty services."
Shared Core Values
Honesty/Integrity: High level of integrity in all operations.
Respect: Encouragement for personal control and life shaping.
Communication: Open sharing of information.
Service to Others: Commitment to helping customers succeed.
Family Time: Importance of quality family time.
Growth: Continuous improvement focus.
Teamwork: Collaboration to achieve goals.
Assumptions Underlying Mission & Services
Strong board engagement and support positively impacts communities.
Families with low incomes desire to increase economic security.
Essential partnerships with businesses and nonprofits enhance effectiveness.
Target Population
WCAI serves primarily low-income families, especially single parents and women.
2023 focus included women aged 10-54, unemployed with children in public housing.
Customer Satisfaction Data
High satisfaction rates recorded during 2024 survey; 96.6% satisfied overall.
Improvement needed in obtaining satisfaction data across all service areas.
SWOT Analysis Summary
Strengths: Active board, diverse goal-oriented staff, established partnerships.
Weaknesses: Internal communication issues, lack of funding diversification.
Opportunities: Expand partnerships, enhance marketing outreach.
Threats: Reduced federal funding, competition from other agencies.
Strategic Action Plan
Identifies needs, outcomes, services, strategies, and indicators for economic stability.
Focus on education, employment, housing, income management, health, and community development.
Implementation Strategy
Assign responsibilities for executing strategic goals.
Establish regular monitoring and evaluation practices.
Communication Strategy
Create a detailed communication plan for internal and external engagement.
Use social media and public relations to enhance organizational image.