The following Strategic Plan was  adopted during the 2011 Annual Meeting. Please be present to discuss, amend and adopt our blueprint for LCHP’s future. 

 LCHP STRATEGIC PLAN FOR 2011 – 2015

MISSION

LCHP’s mission shall be to collect, preserve, and interpret the heritage and history of those African Americans who created, lived in, and/or had association with the Lakeland community of Prince George’s County, Maryland from the late 19th century to the present. 

STRATEGIC VISION

In 5 years, January 2011, LCHP will be an organization that is financially stable, has a robust, growing, and involved membership, be publicly recognized for contributing to the collection and interpretation of local African American history, and for its publicly accessible archives.  Finally, LCHP will have a physical location for  activities, including administration, research, archives, and meetings. 

GOALS AND STRATEGIES

A.  Financial Stability

  • Goal 1:  During each of the next 5 years, LCHP will develop a financial plan with  strategies to raise funds to support LCHP’s ongoing expenses including office supplies, equipment, technology, professional memberships, special events including Heritage Weekend and other expected expenses.

Strategies: (1) identify available and appropriate grants annually; (2) someone to write, annually appoint grant writer(s), grant administrator(s. the years grants will be evaluated (3) identify all  expected  expenses annually; (4) each year identify fundraising methods to cover costs not addressed by grants .(5) each year funding administrator must be appointed to  administer this program for non grant funding

  • Goal 2:  Establish yearly funding goals needed to finance the 5-year goal of establishing a physical location for the organization’s headquarters as defined in the strategic vision.

Strategies:  (1) Identify potential locations to accommodate LCHP’s spatial needs for administration, archives, research, and meetings during the next 10 years; (2) determine yearly costs of rent, utilities and other related expenses; (3) determine costs of needed furniture, equipment, and other office expenses; (4) determine costs of storage equipment and supplies for archival materials.

* Goal 3:  Develop long-term financial policies and procedures for raising and spending monies in accordance with LCHP bylaws and IRS rules for nonprofit organizations.

Strategies  (1) Review current policies for receiving checks or cash into the treasury and for writing checks and/or withdrawing cash; (2) develop comprehensive policies regarding financial issues including developing grant budgets, administration of grant funds, fundraising activities, and payment and collection of funds; (3) developing and implementing procedures that reflect the new policies and consequences for failure to follow policies and procedures.  

  • Goal 4:  Develop policies and procedures for the yearly construction of budgets including those for grants and the organizational budgets.All these will be presented   for approval at each annual meeting.

Strategies:  (1) The financial committee or a selected group of Board members will begin work on budget development for the next fiscal year midway through its current LCHP fiscal year; (2) present all developed budgets to the Board for approval at the annual meetings. 

B.   Archives

  • Goal 1: LCHP’s current archives will be organized and made accessible to LCHP members, interested researchers, and the public by 2015.

 Strategies:  LCHP will work with students, UM faculty, and professionals and others to (1) organize currently archived photographs for improved accessibility by January 2012; (2) digitize and organize currently archived oral histories for improved accessibility by June 2013;  (3) organize archived material artifacts (other than photographs and oral histories) including documents for efficient accessibility by December 2013;  (4) develop and make available cross-referenced catalogues for retrieval of archival materials by 2014.

  • Goal 2:  All currently archived materials will be properly documented, secured, and stored in the new headquarters by 2015. 

Strategies: LCHP will work with students, UM faculty, and professionals to (1) document archived materials using appropriate methodologies by January 2011; (2) add new collections to the archives once they have been documented; (3) develop methods and back-up approaches for securing all collected materials in the archives by January 2012; (4) ensure that all collected materials are properly and securely stored with back up protections in place by January 2013; (5) store all archives and their back up systems in the new headquarters by 2015 

  • Goal 3:  By 2012, policies and procedures for obtaining and using the archives and archival materials will be developed, implemented and enforced.

Strategies:  A small committee will be appointed by the Board to: (1) research and identify appropriate policies for archive use; (2) develop procedures that adhere to the policies for use of the archives; (3) develop penalties for not adhering to designated policies and procedures; (4) send the slate of Archive policies and procedures for Board approval by January 2012.

  • Goal 4: Goals will be established annually for LCHP’s ongoing work of collecting oral histories, images, documents, and other  materials for archival purposes.

Strategies: (1) Determine  annually goals for focusing collecting activities (for example, specific research needing completion or important oral histories that have been overlooked); (2) determine the help available to meet those needs; (3) set goals accordingly 

C.  Public Recognition AND INVOLVEMENT

  • Goal 1:  LCHP will pursue and encourage the production of at least 5 educational materials by 2015 with the purpose of educating the public about Lakeland and its contribution to African American history.

Strategies:  (1) identify stories and general historic information from the archives that can be organized for publication; (2) identify publishers who are invested in publishing this type of historic information; (3) identify a roster of people who are interested in developing this information for educational and outreach purposes; (4) develop contracts with appropriate publishers; (5) submit manuscripts and other materials for publication

  • Goal 2:  LCHP will collaborate or partner with other community organizations such as ATHA, MNCPPC, Maryland Historical Society, the City of College Parkand others to help broaden the public’s knowledge of local African American history.

Strategies:  (1) obtain help with funding and design for Place Markers to be located throughout the Lake Artemesia area by mid 2013; (2) obtain funding and technical support for the development and revision of various educational publications and pamphlets; (3 develop a new or revise the currently available Lakeland Walking Tour by 2015.

D.  Membership

  • Goal 1:  LCHP will increase its membership by 10% each year through 2016.

Strategies:  (1) review and update fees and membership privileges; (2) develop effective biannual membership drives to recruit new members; (3) update membership list within one month following each membership drive and monthly as new members are added; (4) review existing memberships and determine when renewals are needed; (5) contact delinquent members for renewal by mail, email, or telephone as needed; (6) provide all members with information about membership assets, calendar of activities, and regular Board updates.

  • Goals 2:  LCHP will develop a program to increase memberships from other similar organizations to partner with LCHP in the work to increase  and improve the interpretation of local history.

Strategies:  (1) Review and establish organizational membership fees; (2) establish a percentage of those fees to be designated for historical interpretation; (2) recruit appropriate organizations for membership and for doing interpretative work.

  • Goal 3:  LCHP will educate its members and volunteers about Lakeland, LCHP’s mission and efforts, and LCHP’s responsibilities as a non-profit organization.

Strategies:  (1) create an orientation packet for each new member and volunteer by June 2012; (2) By June 2012 require all Board members and volunteers to attend an orientation session focused on LCHP’s mission and goals; (3) establish a volunteer registry and database by January 2012; (4) develop a recruitment program targeted at potential volunteers; (5) identify capabilities and strengths of new volunteers to better develop their potential.

  • Goal 3:  By 2012 LCHP will will have  an active board.

Strategies:  (1) By April 2011 a plan will be in place to recruit active board members.

E.  Community Outreach

  • Goal 1:  By 2016, LCHP will include local elementary through high schools in the development of a youth program focused on regional African American history with an emphasis on Lakeland’s history.

Strategies:  (1) Identify and partner with instructions and nonprofits to develop and implement youth programs for African American History and Heritage with a focus on the story  of Lakeland.  American  (2) Meet with representitives of local educational instutions, principals, history teachers and established educational groups to outline LCHP’s agenda; (2) appoint representatives to outline materials and information responsive to the teachers’ needs; (3) explore the idea of developing after-school and or summer history   programs focused on local African  American history and its interactions with broader, regional history; (4) develop an itinerary of responsibilities that would directly involve interested youth in LCHP programs and activities; (5) identify and approach youth who want to be involved with LCHP’s work.

  • Goal 2:  LCHP will participate annually with other communities or organizations with a maximum of 5 discreet events held in other communities for the purpose of presenting Lakeland’s story.

Strategies:   (1) Annually, by March LCHP will have identified the outside events it will participate in during that fiscal year; (2) requests from other organizations for LCHP’s participation will be considered only if involvement will not deter or distract from other commitments; (3) by June of 2012, volunteers will be selected to represent Lakeland at outside events; (4) by June 2011 materials and handouts will be developed for use at events (5) all materials developed for event use will be dated and reviewed every 2 years. 

  • Goal 3:  LCHP will remain committed to annual plans for Heritage Weekend/Day on the 3rd Sunday of September through 2016.  

Strategies:  (1) During the month following Heritage Weekend/Day, the Heritage Weekend Committee will evaluate the completed event; (2) during the evaluation of Heritage Weekend/Day, the Committee will establish the theme, and primary activities for Heritage Weekend/Day of the following year; (3) by the end of the February, needed equipment, deadlines, needed supplies, publicity schedules, volunteers (for planning, preparation, and to help during the event) and other primary considerations will be determined; (4) the schedule of planned activities including publicity will be adhered to throughout the year as preparation for Heritage Weekend/Day proceeds

  • Goal 4:  By 2013 LCHP will have been granted approval by the County School Board to place copies of the book Lakeland: African Americans in College Park in libraries of local schools.

Strategies:  (1) Identify and follow the process required by the School Board to approve LCHP’s request; (2) Identify the local schools interested in obtaining the book for their libraries; (3) Once approval is in place, deliver books to interested schools.  

VI.  ADDITIONAL LCHP REORGANIZATION GOALS      

  • Goal 1:  By December 2011, LCHP will have reviewed all Bylaws and provided the Board with its recommendations to increase the efficiency and functioning of the organization as it strives to tell the Story of Lakeland in its own words.

Strategies:  (1) appoint a small committee (2-3 people) to review LCHP bylaws for potential revision by February 2011; (2) give special consideration to committee structure and potential reorganization (ie, merging committees, developing new committees); (3) the revision should also include clear responsibilities for committee members; (4) the bylaws committee will present its drafted recommendations to the Board for feedback by August 2011; (5) the bylaws committee will bring its final recommendations to the Board for a vote at the next Quarterly meeting; (7)The new bylaws will be provided to all Board members and other LCHP members upon request.