CAMDEN, Maine — United Mid-Coast Charities is creating a strategic plan designed to strengthen its support of nonprofit agencies in Knox and Waldo counties.
The organization announced its strategic planning review last week, shortly after distributing grants of more than $530,000 to 54 local charities. Having started recouping funds that were embezzled by former UMCC President Russell Brace, the organization is preparing to chart a strong course for the future, according to the new leadership.
“People want to know where this organization is going now that we have recovered from a difficult year,” said UMCC President Stephen Crane in a news release. “Many organizations go through a strategic planning process every five or 10 years, and now is an opportune time for us to do this. We want to see how we can best function internally and most effectively serve the public, so we are looking at every aspect of UMCC to see how we can do better.”
UMCC has engaged retired U.S. Marine Corp Maj. Gen. Douglas O’Dell of Rockport as a consultant for this project. O’Dell, who has served as a director of The Apprenticeshop in Rockland, co-authored the current strategic plan of The Hill School in Pennsylvania. He has helped many other public sector and nonprofit organizations with strategic planning.
O’Dell has begun interviewing UMCC board members and donors as well as directors of UMCC partner agencies and leaders from the local not-for-profit community in order to gather thoughts and ideas from a wide range of perspectives. Working together with UMCC’s board, he will create a draft strategic plan focused on three areas: the organization itself (its governance, board structure, staffing and partnerships), the community (how UMCC can attract generous donations, effectively support local agencies and best serve the people of Knox and Waldo counties), and, looking to the future, how to grow UMCC’s endowment so that it can confidently assist nonprofits even during widespread financial crises and other emergencies.
Any community members who would like to provide input are welcome to email comments to umcc@midcoast.com. The organization’s executive committee will meet with O’Dell in late October to review his findings, and he will produce a draft report by mid-December.
“We are very pleased about this review,” said Crane. “The community has given us tremendous support, and we want to provide a transparent, efficient and caring organization to serve this area effectively now and in the future.”