STRATEGIC PLAN 2021-2024

Context for Plan:
The 2021 Strategic Plan of the American Alliance for Theatre & Education reflects the core values of the organization to ensure that all arms of AATE are inclusive, reflective of all members and diverse in perspective and product. This year's Board of Directors chose to focus on a three year plan rather than a five year plan as our field and country face this inflection point with so many colleagues in theatre and education facing obstacles and joblessness. We share this plan so that our goals are transparent and that members hold us accountable to our action steps.

Articulation of Terms:
AATE Membership:  All individuals who joined as a member of AATE so they can receive benefits and access to resources, networks, events, and training.

Potential AATE Membership: Those in the field we strive to include in AATE

AATE Board: All members who currently serve on the AATE Board of Directors

AATE Leadership: Members who serve in leadership position within the organization (network chairs, conference chairs, YTJ advisory and editorial board, committee chairs)

Our strategic plan is a living and breathing document, making AATE’s work and priorities transparent to our Members. This plan will be assessed annually and adjustments will be made accordingly to be in alignment with the current climate of the world.

Anti-Racism and Equity Work 

Goal: AATE will become a more equitable, inclusive, and accessible organization to all members.

Year One

  • Strategy– AATE board will examine organizational structure through an anti-bias and anti-racism lens.

    • Action Step - Board will work with the consultant to audit AATE organizational structure and examine We See You White American Theatre documents.

      • Action Step – AATE Board will participate in a series of anti-racism and anti-bias training.

      • Action Step -AATE Board will recommend organizational changes which include both internal and external shifts.

  • Strategy – AATE will engage members in sustained dialogues regarding anti-racism and anti-bias topics.

    • Action Step – AATE will host online conversations and/or workshops as well as reach out to current and past members to (re)establish and deepen on-going relationships.

  • Strategy – AATE will examine the use of language from an anti-bias and anti-racism lens.

    • Action Steps – AATE will review implicit and explicit bias embedded in our use of language and make revision to ensure inclusivity and equity.

  • Strategy – AATE will invest and nurture current and future BIPOC leaders.

    • Action Step – AATE will launch new initiatives to support BIPOC members.

Year 2

  • Strategy– AATE will begin implementation of organizational changes recommended by the board.

    • Action Step - Board will execute at least top two priorities from the recommendation and review the priorities for the following year.

      • Action Step – AATE board and leaderships (i.e. network chairs, journal board, committee members, etc.) will participate in a series of anti-racism and anti-bias training.

  • Strategy – AATE will engage members in sustained dialogues centered around EDIA topics.

    • Action Step – AATE will host training and online conversations regarding anti-racism and anti-bias as well as solicit feedback on structural changes implemented in year 2. Topics of the training and conversations will be in alignment with the board and leadership training.

  • Strategy – AATE will examine the use of language from an anti-bias and anti-racism lens.

    • Action Steps – AATE will annually review implicit and explicit bias embedded in our use of language and make revision to ensure inclusivity and equity.

  • Strategy – AATE will invest and nurture current and future BIPOC leaders.

    • Action Step – AATE will host initiatives to support BIPOC members.

Year 3

  • Strategy– AATE will continue implementation of organizational changes recommended by the board.

    • Action Step - Board will execute at least two new priorities from the recommendation.

      • Action Step - Board will review, assess the effectiveness of the organizational changes during year 2 and 3 and make a future recommendation.

      • Action Step – AATE Board, and leaderships will participate in a series of anti-racism and anti-bias training with members. 

  • Strategy – AATE will engage members in sustained dialogues centered around EDIA topics.

    • Action Step – AATE will host training and online conversations regarding anti-racism and anti-bias as well as solicit feedback on structural changes implemented in year 3.

  • Strategy – AATE will examine the use of language from an anti-bias and anti-racism lens.

    • Action Steps – AATE will annually review implicit and explicit bias embedded in our use of language and make revision to ensure inclusivity and equity.

  • Strategy – AATE will invest and nurture current and future BIPOC leaders.

    • Action Step – AATE will host initiatives to support BIPOC members.

Finance 

Goal: Enact and maintain a budget and financial practices that reflect AATE’s solvency priority and strategic plan.  

Year One

  • Strategy: Responsible Stewardship - AATE Board will move the organization to operating entirely in the black

    • Action Step: Paying down any debt

  • Strategy: Diversified Resources - AATE will maintain multiple revenue streams to include year-round income and contributions

    • Action Step: Apply for grants, ensure multiple programming events are revenue bearing and more targeted fundraising goals (as opposed to relying primarily on revenue from National Conference)

    • Action Step: Ensuring the Give/Get practice for AATE Board remains part of leadership’s role in the organization

  • Strategy: Justice-Focused Allocation of Resources - AATE will position our budget as a moral document.

    • Action Step: Providing financial resources for AATE’s Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, & Access goals

Year 2

  • Strategy: Responsible Stewardship - AATE will rebuilding our savings (President’s Fund)

    • Action Step: Advocate for the need, Fundraise for the money, Move surplus income into the President’s Fund account 

  • Strategy: Guided Resources - AATE Board will set and facilitate financial support to AATE’s programmatic and organizational goals

    • Action Step - Create line item support for programs and goals outlined by the board

  • Strategy: Justice-Focused Allocation of Resources - AATE will continue to position AATE’s budget as a moral document

    • Action Step - Implement the EDIA/Anti-Racism strategy and enact the evolving action plan of those goals with AATE finances

Year 3

  • Strategy: Responsible Stewardship - AATE will targeting resources toward the Board determined goals

    • Action Step - In-Person National Conference, Expanding Staff, increasing visibility nationally

  • Strategy: Evaluated Resources - AATE will reassess financial resources 

    • Action Step - Organizational evaluation of finances and/or professional financial audit

  • Strategy: Justice-Focused Allocation of Resources - AATE will hold ourselves accountable

    • Action Step - Continue our financial transparency by providing comparative metrics of goals vs. actuals related to budget and financial support of EDIA commitments

Member Support 

Goal: Grow, diversify, and maintain a community engaged in transparent communication and valued AATE programming. 

Year One

  • Strategy: AATE will move to tiered scale/pay-what-you-can membership and programming fees.

      • Action Step: Board approving FY21 budget with reflected tiered membership levels.

      • Action Step: Communicate through a strategic recruiting/marketing campaign about new available pricing by the beginning of 2021.

      • Action Step: Create boilerplate about the new pricing to be included in all AATE communications and recruitment materials.

  • Strategy: AATE will offer organizational and LOCI specific Mentor programs to expand Membership base.

      • Action Step: Create a Mentor/Mentee Application.

      • Action Step: Have Mentor/Mentee done by end of year to begin, year-long program in 2021.

      • Action Step: Create an opportunity within the LOCI for BIPOC people to connect one on one with each other. The program will be year long and will culminate with a presentation by the Mentor/Mentee teams at the 2021 Conference.

      • Action Step: Creating touchpoints to ensure that communication between the Mentor/Mentees is actually occuring.

      • Action Step: Creating a celebration at the end of year to honor the learning done.

  • Strategy: AATE will host MasterClass/Workshops for Membership on anti-bias training.

      • Action Step: Utilize the anti-bias training the Board is going through as the creation point for these sessions.

      • Action Step: Coordinate MasterClass/Workshop presenters and presentations.

      • Action Step: Create a schedule as to when the Master Class/Workshops will be presented.

      • Action Step: Market Master Class/Workshops widely.

  • Strategy: Continue to explore Affinity Groups to support existing and new Members.

    • Action Step: Celebrate and acknowledge existing Affinity Groups.

    • Action Step: Establish formal groups with representatives.

    • Action Step: Investigating best practices on how to communicate with the Affinity Groups.

    • Action Step: Offering infrastructure to support the creation of new Affinity Groups.

  • Strategy: Commit to offering both online and in person programming to increase access for all

      • Action Step: Formulate questions for post-conference evaluations that specifically target online vs. in-person offerings

      • Action Step: post conferences, reflect as a Board on the format of the conference, identify successes and areas for further improvement

      • Action Step: Board proposes a plan each fall that maps out online/in person offerings

Year 2

  • Strategy: Cultivating reciprocal relationships and engaging other organizations and populations with diverse communities to raise awareness of AATE network opportunities and membership resources.  

      • Action Step: Identify key organizations to begin building new and reciprocal relationships.

      • Action Step: Identify possible areas for collaboration (project, panel, workshop etc.) with the specified organizations

      • Action Step: Market tiered membership and mentorship program to these organizations’ members

  • Strategy: Make access to publications and publishing open to ALL members

      • Action Step: Highlight AATE publications and submission processes

      • Action Step: Point to accessible outlines for submitting to publications

      • Action Step: Create option on the mentors/mentees application for publications 

Year 3

  • Strategy - Reassess committees to ensure we are reaching all Members needs based on current trends.

      •  Action Step: Board reviews membership numbers, and assess best practices for communicating with members

      • Identify areas of success, and areas to improve in terms of communication and ways to reach new members

      • Board proposes plan for the next three years based on this reflection

      • Streamline committees

  • Strategy: Evaluating the programming that is offered to respond to the needs of our Members

      • Action Step: Evaluate choices made in FY21 and FY22 for virtual/in-person programming to create needed and effective FY23 programming

      • Action Step: Board proposes a new plan for the next three years for programming initiatives. Look at the needs of the professional development that is offered for Members and specifically student members.

      • Action Step: As a board review and evaluate existing professional development

      • Action Step: Continue to strengthen and expand the mentorship program, especially LOCI

      • Action Step: Board proposes new plan to develop PD for next 3 years.