Sharing our goals and needs: The Strategic Planning Survey

Right now, members of the Rhode Island Jewish community have the opportunity to tell the Jewish Alliance what matters most. The Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island is undertaking a community strategic-planning process. With input from the Rhode Island Jewish community, the Alliance will develop goals and strategies for the next three to five years

Community members still have time to take the Strategic Planning Survey online. The survey will remain open until Oct. 21 and should take between eight and 10 minutes to finish. Those who take the survey can choose to be entered to win one of two $200 Amazon gift cards. Who should take the survey? Anyone who considers themselves part of the Jewish community, whether you identify as Jewish or not.

“The plan has become our North Star because it is informed by the goals and needs of our community,” said Adam Greenman, Alliance president and CEO. “It helps us laser-focus on what matters most to the people we serve.” The more people who take the survey, the more likely it is to accurately reflect the community. This will help guide the actions prioritized by the Alliance in the coming years.

The previous strategic plan was undertaken in 2019, right before COVID.  As a result of that strategic planning session the Alliance created new initiatives around community involvement, safety and security, and collaboration. Some of those initiatives include the creation of the Community Microgrant Initiative which funds individual and collaborative projects that strengthen community relationships, including funding 15 collaborations between community agencies.

The Alliance also conducted 20 security trainings for local synagogues and agencies and created the Antisemitism tracker. “Our community has faced so many new issues since our last strategic plan that this is an incredible opportunity for us all to come together in ways that are more meaningful and vital than ever before,” said Board Chair Harris Chorney. “By participating in the survey, you can be part of creating the community you want and need.”

Once the data collection is complete, a strategic-planning work group, composed of community members, Alliance board members, volunteers, and staff, will go through the data collected and use it to create goals and strategies that reflect the current interests and concerns of the Rhode Island Jewish Community. Next, this data and suggested strategic next steps will be shared with the community. Outcomes could include new programs or services designed to meet specific goals, a new funding strategy, new collaborations, and other identified opportunities.

“This only works because it is reflective of our community,” said Greenman. “We want as many people to participate as possible, so we can create a plan that speaks to the real needs of the people we serve.”

SARAH GREENLEAF (sgreenleaf@jewishallianceri.org) is the digital marketing specialist for the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island and writes for Jewish Rhode Island.