Client Success Story: Atlanta Youth Academy
Atlanta Youth Academy Finds Unity through Strategic Planning
Founded in 1997, the Atlanta Youth Academy(AYA) has one core mission – “to provide quality, Christian education for Atlanta’s urban poor, giving children the necessary stepping stones for future educational and individual success.” Charles Johnston, Executive Director, believes that the key to making that happen is through faith and rigorous academics.
Like all top-flight organizations, the AYA has wonderful people supporting it, from generous benefactors, to committed board members, to dedicated paid staff and educators. And also like other non-profit organizations, Mr. Johnston is always looking for ways to maximize the budget and support of those people surrounding the students. To this end, AYA asked Michael Wilkinson to facilitate their team through a strategic planning session to help update their current plan. With an operating budget of $1MM, Mr. Johnston is committed to being the best steward possible to both the people and funds entrusted to him.
Over the course of the full-day planning session, the team was able to devise a strategic plan for the future that met all their criteria: campus expansion, increasing enrollment, identifying strategies for increasing the board’s engagement with the academy, and developing a comprehensive financial plan outlining each area.
The team members couldn’t be more pleased and optimistic. “God brings just the people we need,” Mr. Johnston commented following the strategic planning session. “[Michael Wilkinson was] the perfect person to “knit us together” and to point us in the direction of a unified plan to move AYA into a position of being financially strong. I would love for him to do the same thing a year from now – assessing how much commitment we’ve shown in the interim to excellent communication among all who are stakeholders in the future of these eager boys and girls. I am extremely pleased with both your results and the support we received from everyone on the team at Leadership Strategies.”
Have you reviewed your organization’s strategic plan lately? If you need would like your current plan reviewed, or if it’s time to create a brand new plan, let us know! Call us at 800-824-8250 to discuss your strategic planning options.
