Schedulina Is Here to Tell You…
CAMP Rehoboth Is Ready for Summer!
One thing my friends and family members know about me is that I am a planner. This is due in part to my career as a consultant where it was my job to help clients solve problems and to ensure projects were completed on time and within budget.
Some find this helpful because they can leave the details to me when we get together—e.g., getting a reservation at a popular new restaurant or organizing all aspects of a group vacation. That’s how I earned the nickname “Schedulina,” a badge of honor signifying a quality most people appreciate.
Then there are those who find this obsession (“managing the world” as my husband puts it) infuriating, annoying, or worse. While offering tips and advice is a way of being helpful, the result can be just the opposite. The good news is I am much more self-aware today of the unintended consequences thanks to lots and lots and lots of feedback as well as years of therapy.
On the positive side, these project management skills have been a lifesaver since assuming the role of Board President in January 2022, especially in the last year during this leadership transition. Our clear and organized plan improved team collaboration among the board, staff, volunteers, donors, and external partners. This enabled the board to deliver on its pledge to remain laser-focused on doing what was necessary to ensure CAMP Rehoboth continued to provide its life-affirming services to our community.
Were there bumps in the road? Of course. Have we learned from our mistakes? More often than not. Is there still room to improve? Absolutely.
As much as it might give me joy to help each one of you plan your summer, I decided to take a different approach and share what steps CAMP Rehoboth has taken to prepare for Summer 2023. Here’s a look at our Summer Readiness Plan.
1. Prioritize what must be done: The 2022 Impact Report helped prioritize focus areas and define the resources necessary to achieve goals when developing the 2023 budget, creating a clear roadmap for achieving success.
2. Standardize procedures: Good processes provide a way to communicate and apply consistent standards and practices within an organization, helping to embed checks and balances, build trust, and deliver our services efficiently and within budget.
3. Increase capacity: The current budget includes funds to hire a Deputy Director who handles day-to-day operations and an administrative assistant to support this person. This will allow the Executive Director to remain focused on executing the strategic plan and raising money.
4. Grow revenue: Our ability to provide services is dependent on having the funds to do so. Under the leadership of Development Manager Laurie Thompson, we have increased sponsorships, strengthened the membership renewal process by implementing new customer relationship management software, renewed existing grants, and identified new opportunities. By the end of the year, we will be adding a long-overdue planned giving program for legacy donors.
5. Strengthen leadership: Hiring Cooper Coleman to support the Executive Director search was intentional because our next leader must have a vision of the CAMP Rehoboth of tomorrow while strengthening the existing foundation. The results of the strategic planning process will create the roadmap necessary to meet the needs of a changing community tomorrow.
6. Leverage outside resources: It is vital our volunteers perform tasks aligned with their skills or interests and they feel appreciated, so we have standardized governance of Women’s FEST, SUNFESTIVAL, and Block Party committees by providing role descriptions, estimating the number of hours required, and explaining how decisions are made to improve the overall experience.
7. Deliver on our value proposition: CAMP Rehoboth’s top priority is providing life-affirming services to the LGBTQ+ members of our community. Our new Health and Wellness Manager, Tara Sheldon, is reviewing processes to improve the quality of current programs, and restarting some initiatives offered in the past.
We owe a debt of gratitude to our loyal members, donors, and external partners for their ongoing support. Thank you for sticking with us and we hope to see you in person soon at CAMP Rehoboth or at one of these upcoming summer events:
• The Lodge at Truitt Homestead Hosts 3rd Annual Summer Solstice White Party Luau Fundraiser—June 17.
• CAMP Rehoboth Chorus Concert—Out for the Summer—June 16-18.
• SUNFESTIVAL, a two-night event featuring headline entertainment and Sundance—September 2-3.
• Block Party, CAMP Rehoboth’s largest annual outreach event—October 15.
For more information on these and all of CAMP Rehoboth’s events and programs, visit our website or call the office.
Finally, I want to give a shout out to Board Member and Women’s FEST chair Teri Seaton and the entire committee for the countless hours invested in making this year’s event our biggest ever. See page 10 for the full story. ▼
TRANSITION On May 11, CAMP Rehoboth was thrilled to announce that Dr. Kim Leisey will become the organization’s new Executive Director. She will assume her post on July 10, 2023. Read more at camprehoboth.com. And stay tuned for an introduction to Kim in the June issue of Letters! ▼
Wesley Combs is CAMP Rehoboth Board President.