By Marta Elders, Associate Trustee, Planning Committee Chairwoman, Urantia Foundation, Connecticut, USA
During the January 2009 meeting of the Board of Trustees, Jan Bernard led a strategic planning session. With the support of the Planning Committee members, Judy Van Cleave and Marta Elders, Jan offered a power point presentation that helped visualize direction, relationships, and objectives of the organization. The Board agreed to the following goals and strategic priorities for 2009, 2010 and beyond:
1. Book Distribution Strategy:
During the last twenty years, Urantia Foundation has made significant progress in translating The Urantia Book into multiple languages. In the coming years distributing these translations to book stores and libraries, on the internet, and through unforeseen channels, will play an increasingly important role.
Goal:
Wisely distribute the inviolate text and its translations through every viable economic, cultural, and appropriate point of distribution. Break even financially on our sales. Using this strategy, Urantia Foundation needs supportive activities such as testing book distributors, developing effective book covers for the diverse markets, seeding books and offices into countries where we launch new translations, experimenting with internet dissemination and distribution, creating and selling an index, and more.
Regarding translations, Urantia Foundation shall continue translating The Urantia Book into many languages. The Foundation will continue improving published translations.
2. Protecting the Inviolate Text:
If Urantia Foundation adopts the "Standard Reference English Text", we shall promote it as the inviolate text of The Urantia Book. Future printings of the English edition will clearly identify Urantia Foundation as the original publisher of the inviolate text. As always, we shall legally protect the copyrights of our translations.
3. Treasury:
Protect the Foundation's current savings and investments, live within our means, operate within a safe cash flow and balance sheet, grow the treasury by increasing the number of small and large donors, and implement long term, planned-giving programs.
Goal:
Double our treasury within the next decade.
4. Urantia Foundation Organizational Development:
- Continue building Urantia Foundation into one of the most dignified and trust worthy non-profit organizations in the world. Do our best to live, as an organization and as individuals, the principles taught in The Urantia Book.
- Expand the administrative infrastructure of global book sales to distribute books economically and effectively around the world. Simultaneously support the growth of Continental Committees and ensure their financial and organizational success using the model of Urantia Foundation Europe as the first functioning Continental Board Committee outside the United States. Ensure these committees maintain the values and principles as guided by the Declaration of Trust and the Board of Trustees.
- Continue growing the Foundation's infrastructure to support book sales, translations, global growth needs, fund raising, web activities, education, and reader services.
- Provide support services, networking, and jobs for the voluntary workforce dedicated to the Urantia Revelation.
- Provide an orderly Board and management succession plan. Developing the next generation of leaders ranks near the top of our priorities.
- Continue modernization of the organizational structure, processes, computer systems, and policies at Urantia Foundation.
5. Public relations:
- Prepare for the discovery of The Urantia Book by the outside world. Modernize the Foundation's website, as it will increasingly be the introduction and preview to the book for new readers. Train spokespeople capable of interacting with the media if necessary.
- Promote and maintain good relations with readers and readership organizations: publish Urantia Foundation's News Online, provide reader services, attend conferences, and maintain amiable relations with organizations dedicated to the study of The Urantia Book and the dissemination of its teachings.
6. Education:
As Urantia Foundation builds for the future, education will play an increasingly important role. Today we primarily sponsor the Education Initiative and UBIS. In the future we would like to become more supportive of the training of teachers and leaders.
7. Together We Stand:
Encourage co-operation and good will among readers and reader organizations. Provide support for readers, study groups, and organizations dedicated to the study of The Urantia Book and the dissemination of its teachings.
The Planning Committee of Urantia Foundation looks forward to the ongoing dialogue and organic development that we believe will emerge from this process.