The Monterey Pass Battlefield Park and Museum Strategic Plan

It is my hope that this two and a half year plan not only increases visitation to the Monterey Pass Battlefield Park and Museum, but also raises awareness. In order to do this, we need to set some goals, gaining community support and grabbing the attention of the state, federal agencies and non-profits organizations in the area.

April 2016 - November 2018

October 8, 2015

Vision:

By the end of 2018, the Monterey Pass Battlefield Park and Museum should be a vibrant, vital, and visible community organization with museum exhibits, collections and programs that attract Franklin County residents and visitors from all over the region. The Monterey Pass Battlefield Park and Museum will go beyond the “traditional” park and museum and function as a history park that will bring the past to life in a family friendly atmosphere and in a fun and educational way.

The Monterey Pass Battlefield Park and Museum is operated by a “must join” membership non-profit organization known as the Friends of the Monterey Pass Battlefield, Inc. It is through this organization that supporters will want to get involved through membership and volunteer opportunities. New programs, exhibits, marketing, and a development plan for the battlefield park and museum will help to entice supporters to become members in a healthy and engaged museum that not only brings local history to life, but that intimately connects to them on a personal level to the past.

The Monterey Pass Battlefield Park and Museum and the Friends of the Monterey Pass Battlefield, Inc., will work together and will strive to attract and serve people of all ages. To help assist in the missions of the friends and museum; we will have to recruit volunteers to help run many of the new and current initiatives within the park, museum and organization. Volunteers will help to alleviate staffing issues and help us to keep operations moving forward.

Financial stability and security will be achieved through an experienced marketing person who can build a comprehensive development plan that will help to expand the friend’s membership and donor base. The development plan will provide ways on building attendance, raising income and gaining new memberships while maintaining a roster of past and present members and donors. These initiatives will help place the organization on a better financial footing.

Strategic Goals/Priorities

As we move forward, the Board of the friend’s organization should focus its energies and resources on four areas of priority as we move forward in the next two and half years:

1. Strengthen Financial Security –This is an area that needs improvement. By creating and implementing a development plan we can gain memberships and income sources of donations.

2. Increase Memberships – A more active membership and volunteer core will play a greater role in fundraising events, embracing new ideas and concepts.

3. Expand Programs - Quality programming will help to bring visitors to our site. Youth groups and student groups could have special after hours programs that will help teach them about this important Civil War battle, but also help them to explore other eras of cultural history.

4. Build Public Awareness – Increased branding of the organization and build visibility of membership, programs, financial support and park and museum resources.

Key Initiatives and Strategies

Goal 1: Strengthen Financial Security – An improved financial position will be achieved by creating and implementing a development plan that thoughtfully incorporates ways to diversify income sources.

Identified initiatives and strategies are:

1) A comprehensive development plan will be created that incorporates membership, donor cultivation, planned giving, annual appeal schedule, grants and foundation support, and fundraising events, etc.

2) A dedicated fundraising committee will be established to regularly review and implement the development plan. New members/volunteers will be approached to be part of this committee. While the committee will be responsible for overseeing the plan, it will remain the ultimate duty of the entire Board to ensure that it is properly implemented and supported.

Goal 2: Increase Memberships – A more active membership and volunteer core will play a greater role in fundraising events, embracing new ideas and concepts, developing inclusive history programming that engages a broad audience, and filling key staff and board roles.

Identified initiatives and strategies are:

1) Create a detailed membership plan. This plan will include:

1. Setting goals and objectives for membership numbers
2. Redesigning/reviewing the membership appeal process and materials
3. Determining methods to engage members so that they take a more active role in the organization and reduce the burden of the Board.
4. Developing incentives for membership participation (i.e., special events, members’ open house, monthly programs, Meet the Members social, etc.)
5. Establishing a committee responsible for essential membership operations: eg, recruitment of active members/outreach

2) In the immediate future the Board will reach out to a few (solid) existing members who are willing to play an active role in developing 1 or 2 new annual fundraising programs

3) The Board will actively work towards reshaping the perception of membership, striving to find ways to empower members and get them more involved

4) Expand volunteer core through planning and using programs as ways to reach more people.

Goal 3: Expand Programs– New innovative programs set forth in a thoughtful plan will attract youth, families and history buffs.

Identified initiatives and strategies are:

1. Develop more inclusive and creative programming to better serve the community, such as:

a. Scout programs

b. New school programs that connect specially with school curriculum needs

c. Meet with area teachers to identify needs and specific interests

e. Develop ways to connect to “history hobbyists”.

2. Program times and days of the week will be experimented with to see what works best with different constituents

3. To enhance visibility and to ensure success the park and museum along with the friends organization will look towards piggybacking with existing community events such as the Burning of Chambersburg

4. New ways to offset program operating costs will be pursued

a. Sponsorships

b. Grants

c. Collaborations with other partners to share resources (both staffing and financial)

5. A wish list will be created to fill in missing collections areas. This will be shared with members and possible donors.

6. Look at prior successful undertakings and see if they could be restored in a new form

Goal 4: Build Public Awareness – Increased branding of the organization and clear and consistent public communication will build visibility of membership, programs, financial support and the park’s  resources.

Identified initiatives and strategies are:

1. Develop a detailed marketing plan that will promote the uniqueness of the Monterey Pass Battlefield Park and Museum, its programs, and its resources in a way that excites and engages a broad audience.

2. Develop a greater presence with the community through new programs, exhibits, and collaborations.