Stategic Plans

A Map to a Bright Future
The Autism Society’s Strategic Plan

By Scott Badesch and Jim Ball

The Autism Society’s board of directors and staff undergo a detailed strategic planning process every five years. The organizations strategic plan defines the organization’s goals and activities to best address the growing needs of all living with autism.

When we started this process, we all agreed that we had to address some serious short-term needs, including the need to identify a viable and long-term financing mechanism for the entire Autism Society, (local and state chapters as well as the national office). In addition, we concluded that the strength of the entire network occurs when we are all strong and financially able to do our jobs each and every day.

The plan recognizes and respects that each state and community is different in composition and approach, but it also acknowledges that the Autism Society must identify gaps in service, define and demonstrate measurable outcomes as a nationwide system.

The plan defines local and state Autism Society chapters as the “go to” entity in every community and facilitate regular discussions on how their respective service areas can best address the needs of those living with autism throughout their whole lives.

The Need for Transformation

As a 46-year-old organization, the Autism Society has had numerous important accomplishments. It has remained a strong grassroots, community-defined entity, with its primary purpose helping those who live each day with autism, their family members and professionals. Through a network of local chapters, numerous partnerships and a national office, the Autism Society is collectively assisting close to one million people each year. While much has improved in addressing the needs of those on the autism spectrum since the organization began, today there is much more to do to help those impacted by autism.

Currently, there are an estimated 1.5 million people in the United States living with an autism spectrum disorder. People with autism and their families must navigate difficult systems, and many adults on the autism spectrum are denied basic civil rights, such as access to transportation, housing and a job appropriate to their knowledge and skills.
In 2009, a transformation of the Autism Society began as its membership voted overwhelmingly to change the national organization’s board of directors from a member-elected to an appointed board in order to best position the organization for the future. The first meeting of the newly appointed board took place in July 2010, and as the board members reviewed the work of the organization and its purpose. In 2011 the Autism Society embarked on a transformational effort to assure ongoing relevancy, responsiveness and success in helping to improve the lives of all those affected by autism.

Short-Term Goals

The future of the Autism Society will be focused on achieving measurable and definable national outcomes that will effectively enhance the lives of people with autism. Efforts will provide needed support to people on the autism spectrum, their families, caregivers, friends and loved ones, educate policymakers, connect and support professionals and build consensus and promote cooperative efforts that respond to identified need and best use resources and time that are all too limited. The Autism Society is uniquely positioned to reach a nationwide audience and give all those affected by autism an equal voice in things that impact their lives. But before this can occur, the organization must have the following elements in place:

1. A strong and effective operational component that can successfully achieve the long-term goals of the strategic plan.

In order to advance the highest level of operational excellence and competency, the following needs were identified:

• A highly qualified, professional staff with the needed skills to achieve the strategic direction of the organization.
• A realistic technology plan to manage the work of the organization, monitor its effectiveness, and conduct needed assessment and analysis of how outcomes are achieved.
• A strong and ongoing marketing plan to position the organization as the primary national not-for-profit entity with the entire network supporting the needs of individuals on the spectrum, their families and professionals today.
• A strong and active board of directors committed to advancing the organization through direct involvement on committees, advocating nationally and locally and fulfilling its primary role related to governance.

2. The funds needed to achieve the short-term goals of the organization and assure that the long-term strategic plan can be fully implemented.

In addition to having strong operational ability, the organization must also maintain a strong and viable financial position that enables the Autism Society to adequately meet the ongoing needs of the autism community and achieve the long-term goals of the strategic plan. This will occur by:

• Defining the reason for giving—helping those impacted by autism and their families—by demonstrating measurable results achieved as a result of donations.
• Optimally position the organization to seek government and foundation grants and other funds that can be used for the organization to achieve its goals.
• Securing the support of national corporations that benefit directly when associated with the Autism Society network.

3. A strong, viable and highly effective delivery system able to implement the strategic plan in a consistent and responsive manner throughout the nation.

There is a critical need to provide the required local delivery system for advancing the efforts of the organization and implementing the long-term goals. To this end, the Autism Society, along with chapters, needs to:

• Define what is required in a community/state to advance the Autism Society’s national goals and agenda. What services, supports, projects and activities must be provided at a minimum within each geographic area?
• Identify sources of professional development, training financial and volunteer support, so that all Autism Society chapters can function effectively and with measurable results.
• Assure that any entity using the Autism Society name and logo meets required standards of accountability through adherence to the law, transparency and good business practice as well as a common brand experience.
• Assess the current local delivery system and develop new Autism Society chapters or other required resources, so that all areas of the country have the opportunity to have access to needed services and supports.
• Assess the need for and implement a plan that involves other local, state and/or national entities that are needed to help advance the work of the Autism Society delivery system.

The board of directors with staff support, will also assess the viability of creating strategic alliances or establishing formal partnerships, to achieve both the required short-term goals related to financial viability and the long-term goals noted below.

Long-Term Goals

With demonstration of operational excellence success in securing needed funds and realization of an optimized national delivery system, the Autism Society can focus on longer term goals.

To this end, the Society must define achievable and measurable outcomes that, once met, will address the impact of autism on an individual and his or her family. Far too often, the human and health-care delivery system does not look at lifespan issues, but addresses single needs at a certain point in time, rarely coordinating with the entity addressing the next lifespan need. The ultimate goal of the strategic plan is a realistic roadmap of how adequate services can be coordinated throughout a lifetime to provide maximized outcomes at reduced cost.

Specifically, the Autism Society defines its long-term strategic goals as:

1. Promote a national network capable of instituting a delivery system that provides every person on the autism spectrum and their family access to successful lifespan responses that lead to maximum autonomy, self-sufficiency and realization of their dreams.
                            
2. Advance the discussion regarding autism to include societal issues impacting a person on the spectrum and their family (poverty, unemployment, aging issues, housing issues, etc.).

• Develop national coalitions/partnerships with entities that are not specific to the developmental disability community, but that have societal responsibilities related to assuring civil rights, employment and housing opportunities, and an appropriate public school education for all.
• Implement a national marketing/public relations campaign defining autism beyond a “health” condition, to include a lack of civil rights, housing and employment access, and access to an appropriate public education.

3. Position the local/state delivery entity to facilitate advancements that have an impact on the lives all people living with autism today and in the future.

• Measure success within a community through tangible improvements based on criteria set by that community.
• Annually report on its effectiveness in addressing the needs in their community.

4. Promote a lifespan effort for addressing autism with special emphasis on:

A. Define the best practices, approaches and obstacles to early identification so that proper diagnosis can occur by age 3.
B. Successfully transition young adults leaving the educational system to have options around employment, advanced education, and independent living.
C. Identify gaps in services and work with delivery systems to promote a lifespan approach to addressing autism. Advance the discussion of civil rights and the societal components affected by disability such as unemployment, poverty, lack of affordable housing, and discrimination. Individuals with ASD should expect the same access and adequate response from social service agencies.

We must define specific outcomes for each quality of life indicator. In other words, how do we know when independent living or subjective well-being has been achieved to the maximum extent possible? The Autism Society seeks national partners to commit to our efforts and takes necessary steps to obtain valued input from key stakeholders that leads to needed refinements to our approach.

Every one of us has a role to play. We must all strive to be connected, engaged, supportive, and serve the greater autism community by being a resource, an advocate and a spokesperson within our communities.