Writing Your Future: Nonprofit Strategic Planning

This blog was originally written by former MFA Principal Communications Specialist, Charla Skaggs.

Hugo House is a Seattle-based nonprofit, with the mission of being “a place to read words, hear words, and make your own words better.” This literary house provides a home to everyone who loves books or has a drive to write.

One of Hugo House’s commitments is to work toward racial equity at all levels of the organization, undertaking the task of enabling all writers to add their voices to the human story. Part of this effort is addressing the historical barriers in access to literary opportunities for people of color.

Hugo House assembled a task force of community members, staff, and board members to develop a strategic plan focusing heavily on ways that Hugo House can better serve communities of color and promote racial equity through programming, board and staff composition, and community outreach (www.hugohouse.org/about/equity/).

Charla Skaggs, MFA’s principal communications and outreach specialist, helps businesses, public entities, and nonprofits craft thoughtful strategic plans that consider the impacts of policies and their implementation on the communities they govern.  Charla is a skilled facilitator, providing context and space for these groups to have meaningful conversation about their goals and objectives.

Charla has volunteered with Hugo House over the past ten months as its task force has taken on the important challenge of creating an inclusive and comprehensive strategic plan. The work is nearing completion, and the organization is ready to take on the opportunities for growth and meaningful change.