Strategic Plan
OUR GOAL
To bolster the impact, efficiency, and sustainability of YWCA St. Paul, ensuring the organization remains well-positioned to effectively respond to the community's evolving needs.
OUR GUIDING STATEMENT
YWCA St. Paul promotes health equity, racial justice and economic opportunities for women and their families to thrive through programming that centers African American realities, values, and strengths.
#1: Strengthen internal capacity to consistently deliver high-impact programs with excellence and cultural relevance
Key Tactics:
- Using an equity lens, improve staff retention by establishing more manageable workloads, offering equitable and competitive compensation, creating advancement opportunities, and consistently demonstrating appreciation and gratitude for employees
- Recruit, train and deploy volunteers, interns, and AmeriCorps members
- Develop and implement a robust employee and board onboarding and learning program
#2: Enhance and expand programs to promote optimal health outcomes with and for BIPOC women and families, with a targeted focus on African Americans
Key Tactics:
- Ensure that all YWCA St. Paul programs meet the 7 Standards of Quality Program Design and are aligned with YWCA St. Paul’s Health Equity Framework
- Ensure that each YWCA St. Paul program has a rigorous evaluation plan in place to monitor fidelity, measure outputs, assess for impact, incorporate community feedback and help determine the overall return on investment
#3: Amplify brand awareness and community engagement efforts to become a trusted health equity connector and convener
Key Tactics:
- Increase external collaboration and strengthen community partnerships
- Provide mission-aligned community education and learning opportunities to individuals and community partners
- Engage in joint policy and advocacy work to foster collective impact and drive systemic change
#4: Strengthen internal controls and processes to streamline operations, maximize efficiency and optimize productivity
Key Tactics:
- Document and standardize all policies, practices and procedures
- Improve and upgrade IT
#5: Generate revenue through social entrepreneurship, diversifying and expanding our donor base, and maximizing public, private and corporate giving
Key Tactics:
- Recruit, onboard and train new team members who can lead and support the organization’s revenue generating initiatives
- Launch YWCA St. Paul’s Center for Social Entrepreneurship to expand the organization’s program offerings and create new vehicles for ongoing revenue generation
- Create a culture of philanthropy where all staff and board members are actively engaged in the organization’s advancement efforts
- Invest in growing and expanding Health & Fitness Center operations, developing and selling exclusive YWCA St. Paul merchandise, and leveraging community events to bolster fundraising and friendraising
check out our latest highlights
Celebrating One Year of Partnership Between YWCA St. Paul and Element Gym
Last April, YWCA St. Paul welcomed Element Gym, a premier boutique boxing gym, into our Health & Fitness Center. The partnership began when YWCA St.
A Heartfelt Surprise from the 1950s
Recently, YWCA St. Paul had the honor of receiving some very special mail from a woman named Dorothy, the daughter of a former program participant.
Celebrating the Impact of YWCA St. Paul’s Board of Directors
At YWCA St. Paul, we know that lasting change begins with visionary leadership. Our Board of Directors demonstrates their passion and vision for our mission
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month
This year, we encourage our community to take part in Sexual Assault Awareness Month by learning about the ways they can make a difference in
Minnesota YWCAs Come Together at the Minnesota State Capitol
On Monday, March 17, YWCA St. Paul joined with legislators, supporters and other YWCAs from around the state for a day of passionate conversation about
YWCA St. Paul Staff Enjoy Mini Retreat Hosted by Michelle Pohlad
From left to right: Ashley Booker, Michelle Pohlad, Patricia Ogbeide-Ihama, Michelle Heyn, Lisa Sanders-Szabo After our first all-staff meeting of 2025, YWCA St. Paul staff
