Strategic Plan 2014 – 2016 826 NATIONAL TEAM 826 NATIONAL GERALD RICHARDS CEO' LAUREN BRODER Director of Research & Evaluation Strategic Plan Fiscal Years KAIT STeeLE Director of Field Operations LINDSEY BOURNE Finance & Operations Manager 2014 – 2016 ERIC STENSVAAG Director of Development & Marketing COOPER DINNING Salesforce & IS Administrator NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS The 826 National Board is made up of independent directors and an ex-officio chapter representative from each of the chapters in the 826 network. Each of the chapter representatives is a voting member of their chapter board and the national board. TeRRY WIT Board President ReeCE HIRSCH Partner, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Partner, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, Sullivan, LLP San Francisco Office TYNNETTA MCINTOSH Board Vice President JORDAN KURLAND Director of Corporate Internal Founder and Owner, Zeitgeist Artist Communications, JP Morgan Chase & Co. Management AMIR MOKARI Board Treasurer DANIEL KURUNA Ex Officio - 826 Chicago Investor, Conatus Capital Proprietor, Eyequilt Marketing Consultancy DAVE eggeRS Co-Founder of 826 National JOSEPH MALCOUN Ex-officio - 826michigan Founder of Mcsweeney’s Publishing, LLC, President, CKM Capital Partners and Award-Winning Author MARY SCHAEFER JODIE EVANS Ex Officio - 826LA Vice President, BlackRock/iShares Author, Documentary Film Producer, and ANDREW STRICKMAN Ex-officio - 826 Valencia Co-Founder of CODEPINK Lead Creative and Brand Steward, Move, Inc JENNIFER BUNSHOFT Deputy Attorney General, California Attorney TESSIE TOPOL General’s Office Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility and Community Affairs, Time Warner Cable HOWARD CUTLER Ex Officio - 826 Seattle Executive Producer, WGBH Educational keVIN WHALEN Ex Officio - 826 Boston Foundation (Retired) Senior Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, Boston TARA GRECO Ex Officio - 826DC Senior Manager, Brand, Communications LEAH WILLIAMS & Community, Deloitte Services General Counsel, WestEd BILL HEINZEN Ex Officio - 826NYC geRALD RICHARDS Deputy Counsel to the Mayor, New York City CEO, 826 National EmeritUS Board Members 826 NATIONAL NÍNIVE CALegARI Co-Founder of 826 National 44 Gough Street, Suite 206, San Francisco, California 94103 President, Teacher Salary Project P: 415-864-2098 F: 415-864-2388 www.826national.org TABLE OF CONTENTS Leadership . .1 Introduction and Executive Summary . 6 How Can Bigfoot, Robots and Time Travelers Help National Education Reform?: The Need for the 826 National Network . 8 Step Through the Secret Door: The 826 Model and 826 National Office . 10 Onward!: 826 National Moving Forward 2014 – 2016 . 14 Priority 1 . 15 Priority 2 . 16 Priority 3 . 18 Priority 4 . 20 How Much Is a Spaceship? Financial Overview . 24 826 National Theory of Change 28 826 Chapters back cover INTRODUCTION AND BacKGroUnd Since its founding in San Francisco in 2002 by award-winning author Dave Eggers EXECUTIVE SUMMARY and award-winning educator Nínive Calegari, the 826 model has sparked students’ imaginations with inventive writing and publishing projects. Our programs are steeped in the simple idea that celebrating creativity is key to engaging and assisting youth. Ultimately, as public schools continue to cut back or eliminate arts programs, our model offers a sustainable way to augment arts education programming for low-income and under-resourced young people in urban areas. Over the past decade, 826 chapters have successfully opened in seven other cities across the U.S. (New York, Chicago, Ann Arbor/Detroit, Seattle, Los Angeles, Boston, and Washington, D.C.). In 2012, chapters together served more than 30,000 students, ages 6-18, with innovative programs aimed at improving their writing skills. 826 Valencia: Celebrating 8/26 Day 826 National (August 26th) with an 826 Write-A-Thon. In 2008, a national office was established to serve the growing network of chapters by maintaining the brand, developing evaluation systems, coordi- MISSION nating national press and marketing initiatives, building a base of national supporters, ensuring programmatic quality and consistency, and overseeing The mission of 826 National is to provide strategic replication of the 826 model. leadership for the 826 network by conducting 826 National is the hub of the 826 network. It is an independent nonprofit research and evaluation to nurture ongoing learning organization that provides strategic leadership, administration, and other and support quality standards; to promote the 826 resources to ensure the success of its network of writing and tutoring centers. Since its founding, the National office has been on a path of steady growth brand on a national level by communicating and in its financial standing and awareness-building. advocating for the importance of writing and creativity; THE StrateGic Plan in A NUtsHell to raise funds to support the development and This strategic plan addresses and defines the case for why 826 is needed— sustainability of the network; and to nurture the its model, programs, and target audience; the role of 826 National and its goals growth of new and existing 826 chapters. and activities; how 826 National will measure progress and success towards those goals; its expansion plans; and the marketing and funding efforts required Vision to make it all happen. 826 National fosters a robust network of writing and tutoring centers to equip In sum, this plan is designed to lay out what we do, why we do it, where we’re students, especially those from under-resourced communities, with the writing going, and how we plan to get there together with our supporters and—most skills and confidence to achieve their goals and become engaged members of importantly—the students, parents, and teachers that drive and inspire us. their communities. Fellow pirates, time travelers, mad scientists, and superheroes: All aboard! 6 826NATIONAL • Strategic Plan 2014–2016 Introduction & Executive Summary 7 HoW Can BIGfoot, Robots AND We see a future in which generations of students Time Travelers Help National who participate in 826 National’s programs develop EDUcation Reform? the character strengths and twenty-first-century The Need for the 826 National Network skills necessary to achieve their dreams and make lasting contributions in their communities. The effectiveness of our model was affirmed by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who said during an NPR interview, “I think 826 is a great program. We need more and more adults coming in [to help students] before school, after school, weekends, whatever it might be. I would love to have more students engage in programs like 826DC across the country.” A report released by the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities in May 2011, affirmed: “…we need to prepare the next generation of inventors, designers and creators. Business leaders are already asking for this. They recog- nize that this is essential for our schools to be teaching children how to think outside the box and to address challenges with creative solutions. And policy makers and parents are concerned because they see how the current education system is failing to give our children the tools they need reach their full potential. Arts education is a solution to many of these problems that has been hiding in plain sight.” 826 National and its chapters deliver these critical tools to the students, families, and teachers who need them most, and do it in a way that breathes life and whimsy into writing (and other) education. As an organization with a national presence, innovative methods, and a proven track record, we know we have a growing role to play in the national discussion over education reform. We’re up 826CHI: Student authors at work. for the challenge and eager to take it on. Our nation’s urban public school students confront a myriad of challenges ranging from overcrowded classrooms and a lack of individualized attention to inadequate facilities, overburdened teachers, and struggles at home. Possessing a high school and college education is vital to securing a job that pays a living wage, but many of our nation’s youth, especially low-income and youth of color, are struggling to read and write at the most basic level. 826 National strives to increase students’ academic confidence and performance, improve habits of mind surrounding homework and language arts, and develop communication skills, personal identity, and voice. We focus on those at greatest risk, empowering them for success. 8 826NATIONAL • Strategic Plan 2014–2016 The Need for the 826 National Network 9 THE 826 MODEL Step Through the Secret Door: Overview of the 826 Model and 826 National Office In 2012, 826 chapters served more than 30,000 students thanks in large part to the efforts of more than 4,500 volunteers nationwide. THE 826 MODEL In short, the vision for 826 National and its chapters across the country is to be the premier arts education and literacy organization that helps students become successful global citizens; supports teachers; acts as a thought leader on arts In 2012, 826 chapters served more than 30,000 education, creative writing, and their impact on youth; publishes student work students, thanks in large part to the efforts of more prodigiously; and cultivates staff members’ growth into nonprofit leaders. than 4,500 volunteers nationwide. Our chapters 826 chapters are each committed to assisting underserved youth. They offer in-school programs only to schools where 51% or more of its students qualify for offer a variety of