Strategic Planning: It's KCC's Future

What will KCC look like in ten years?  Where will the urban center be located?  How big with the sangha be?  When will long retreats begin?   Who will follow Michael Conklin as resident teacher?   How will we support all our activities?

Pulling in the same direction

In October 2011, the KCC Board directed a group to begin considering a holistic strategic plan that would take into account an increasingly complex organization spread across two sites and two states.  Rather than make decisions about various parts of the organization as they arise, the Board and Program Council agreed that it was important to consider these issues together and create a plan that integrates each element.  It is their very strong wish to include the entire sangha in this process so that the evolution is one understood and endorsed by all KCC stakeholders.

KCC is fortunate to follow Dharma Rain Zen Center, who recently completed a similar project.  Members of the Strategic Planning Committee and Dharma Rain met to discuss how that process worked, and Dharma Rain has made their final plan available.  They have pdf's of a summary, a more-detailed 23-page version, and the full 62-page plan.  While we will not duplicate their process identically, their methods and final plan make an excellent road map for us to chart our own course.

Committee Activities

The Strategic Planning Committee has planned a schedule to meet roughly twice a month throughout the late summer of 2012 when the rough draft of a strategic plan will be available for Sangha, Program Council, and Board consideration.  The committee hopes to complete the process by December 2012,  The committee meets Mondays at KCC from 6:30 to 9 pm, and forthcoming meetings are listed in the left-hand column of this blog.  All meetings are open to the public.  If you wish to speak to any committee members about the process, we welcome the discussion.  Current members are: Jeff Alworth, Kathleen Benz, Michael Conklin, Dora DeCoursey, Galen Doucette, Alan Gladstone, Anthony Kimple, Bonnie McLean, Pat Parker, Bill Spangle, and Peter Wood

Sangha Involvement

KCC is a wonderful organization that offers a rich variety of meditation sessions and retreats.  Compared to other Buddhist centers, it appears well-established and stable.  The truth is more uncertain.  KCC is only beginning to learn how to practice the kind of sustainability that will allow it to remain strong and healthy in the decades to come.  It is almost completely volunteer supported, and the programs, retreats, and facilities are possible only because we have a strong sangha.  The process of making a strategic plan will only succeed if sangha members are engaged throughout.  Our future depends on us.

Since it is a complex process, the Strategic Planning Committee will be communicating with the sangha more often than usual.  They will update this blog regularly with the issues and discussions taking place as well as sending out regular emails on the Community and Announce listserv.  They commit to personally discuss these issues with sangha members.  Finally, they will hold regular meetings with the sangha to consider the issues we're discussing in meetings.  It is their strong hope and wish that sangha members join us in this process, even if it's only to follow the deliberations as they unfold.  They hope to see and hear you in the coming months.