21 areas of the campus or community that could benefit from the Chapter’s work? How can impact be expanded? Membership refreshed? Fundraising increased? Vulnerabilities. Not all the challenges that the Chapter may have to face are connected to its operations or structure. If there are external reasons causing trouble connecting with the campus or reaching fundraising goals, for instance, these should be addressed in the strategic plan. Everyone who plays a role in furthering the Chapter’s mission should be involved in this initial assessment process and in turning those findings into potential goals to include in the strategic plan. Examples: “To connect Chapter Members with on-campus resources needed for personal and academic success.” “Raise visibility of student veterans on campus.” “Create camaraderie among student veterans.” Objectives A Chapter’s objectives are the actions the Chapter will take to achieve its goals. Objectives are goalspecific, meaning they align with one, goal, and define exactly what the Chapter will do, how it will be measured, and the timeline required for success. The strategic planning process is a collaborative effort involving Chapter Leaders, members, the advisor, and other stakeholders that will require continuous year after year with each leadership change. Prioritizing the objectives contained within the strategic plan ensures that Chapter Leaders work efficiently and make more progress toward achieving the identified goals. When it comes to prioritizing objectives, every Chapter’s needs are different, but anyone can benefit from categorizing these objectives to better understand how they fit together within the Chapter’s operations and overall strategic plan. To help with organizing and prioritizing objectives, think of them in categories of objectives such as: • Leadership. These objectives serve to elevate the role or the person in the role. Ensure that Chapter Leaders communicate frequently to stay updated on their progress. • Operations. Carried out in large part by Chapter Members, operations objectives could include improvements to the Chapter’s internal processes, for example, or more effective means of carrying out the work done for or on behalf of student veterans. • Fundraising. The Chapter’s leadership, advisory committee, members, and any partnered fundraising consultants (e.g., a university’s development office) will all play important roles in creating and meeting fundraising objectives. These may include finding ways to encourage recurring contributions, increasing annual giving, or offering supporters new giving methods. Regardless of category, strategic objectives should be “SMART”: Specific • What exactly is going to be accomplished? • What will change and for whom? Measurable • Can the actions be quantified, measured, tracked, reported on? Attainable • Is this possible considering the skills of Chapter Members and leaders, political climate, campus culture, etc.? Relevant • Does the action make sense, given goals and mission? • Will it impact the target audience? Timely • What is the deadline? • Is the action appropriate for current calendar?
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