Junior League of Washington Launches New Five-Year Strategic Plan, Impact 2022

You may have been hearing a lot about #JLWthrive105 this year, but there’s another number that is also important, and that’s “Impact 2022.” The Junior League of Washington (JLW) rolled out the latest Strategic Plan earlier this year, called Impact 2022, which will be implemented and tracked over the next five years, from 2017-2022. This plan is the frame by which JLW moves its mission forward, develops the potential of its members, trains volunteers, and improves the DC-area community.

What are the priorities of the Impact 2022 strategic plan?

Impact 2022 has three overarching themes to maximize the League’s impact:

• Impacting our Community – Junior League of Washington is an active, vital community partner, strengthening the Washington metropolitan area. 
•  Impacting our Brand – Junior League of Washington heightens its brand by leveraging its 105 years of service.
• Impacting our Internal Sense of Community – Junior League of Washington has an invaluable resource in our volunteers, and strengthened cohesiveness results in increased community awareness.

How was Impact 2022 developed?

2016-2017 Strategic Planning Committee Chair Tycely Williams with 2016-2017 President Elizabeth Keys and 2017-2018 President Aimee Picard Soller.

 The 2016-2017 Strategic Planning Committee, under the leadership of Chair (and current President-Elect) Tycely Williams and Vice Chairs Carolyn Lowry and Tricia Winter, developed the plan by convening monthly roundtables; analyzing the results of the annual membership survey; reviewing other AJLI affiliates’ Strategic Plans; and assessing progress against JLW’s current five-year plan. The Strategic Planning Committee worked alongside JLW leadership and the Board of Directors to identify and prioritize goals to move JLW’s mission forward. The result is Impact 2022 – a framework to help advance the League’s goals each year, encourage strategic thinking and collaboration, develop League members, and improve the community.  

How has the League’s Strategic Plan made an impact in the past, and how do we think that Impact 2022 will move the JLW mission forward?

The League takes member feedback and survey results to heart, and aims to make changes to effectively move the mission forward. In recent years, JLW has implemented new programs, opportunities, and systems to improve member experience and increase impact on the community.

Some of these changes include:

• Establishing volunteer placements outside of the DC-city limits, such as A Wider Circle in Silver Spring;
• Creating flexible training options such as remote meetings and webinars;
• Supporting leadership development through the establishment of the Leadership Institute;
• Increasing transparency with the nominating process;
• Growing the Sustainer liaison program; and
• Offering the option to pay dues on a semiannual schedule. 

The JLW Board, leadership, and Strategic Planning Committee are committed to listening to the needs of the members and the community, so that the League can continue make a significant impact on the community, JLW’s brand, and the development of the League’s members. Annual plans are one way that JLW members can set goals each year that build off the Impact 2022 frame. The Strategic Planning Committee has a system in place that will help track progress towards the five-year plan and help the League pivot to address changing needs and priorities.