Strategic Plan

 

Strategic Plan for 2020

Vision
As a volunteer-led, community ally, Irvington Development Organization (IDO) helps our neighborhood identify, lead, and promote commercial initiatives while encouraging and supporting both new and existing businesses within Irvington. IDO strives to promote, strengthen, and protect the interests of the business community. Through hands-on, collaborative partnerships with fellow not-for-profits in our neighborhood, IDO works to promote the historic integrity, innovative vision, and economic developmental opportunities of our community. 

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Values
Principles and beliefs that help us pursue our vision:

• Transparency and Integrity in our goals and methods
• Financially sustainable
• Community-led/working on community priorities by partnering with other Irvington organizations 
• Innovative partner – model for other organizations, attractive to potential board members
• Diverse in support and makeup – inclusive

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Methods
Actions and steps help get the job done: 

• Revise our budget and define key financial liabilities
• Review Committee Structure – assess committees needed to accomplish goals
• Recruit volunteers, board members and donors
• Promote the business district:
  • Work closely with realtors, the city, and other partners to identify locations for economic development (e.g., new businesses, enhancing existing businesses); 6-18 months out – establish ourselves as the go-to resource for entities looking to add or expand businesses on the east side
  • Reinvigorate our listing of available commercial properties 
• Encourage public art/public spaces – partner with appropriate groups to enable artists programs to implement
• Economic Improvement District (EID) – take a supporting role by serving on EID committees
• Collaborate with other Irvington organizations and clarify our unique goals
  • Attend other meetings and provide regular reports
• Partner with the City / County, local economic development entities, and other neighborhoods
  • Invite Blake Johnson to a Board meeting. Approach City/Councillor Johnson and Emily Mack and Hannah Harper as follow-up to their investment in ULI/Irvington Plaza study (and ULI’s mention several times of need for an IDO for this process) and economic designation by the Council, about how IDO can help these efforts and leverage the investment
• Identify private and public funding sources that align with IDO objectives
  • Apply for grants available to designated economic districts
  • Look at Transit-oriented development grants
• Build a stronger relationship with IBA
  • Invite IBA chair to a meeting to assess needs and better partnership model
  • Look at better supporting one website for all of Irvington
• Investigate what’s needed to create a Quality of Life plan
• Explore possibilities to get Irvington designated as a cultural district

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Obstacles
Things that block our progress, get in our way, or make it difficult to accomplish what we’ve outlined:

• Confusion or negative perception in the community about IDO
• Lack of money in 2020
• Financial liabilities/commitments
• Conflicts with other Irv orgs and their goals
• Volunteer-led organization/lack of paid staff
• Lack of active participants/lack of appropriate experience on board

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Measures
Measurable results we aim to achieve; make the measures SMART:

• Annual satisfaction/feedback survey
  1. Awareness of IDO
  2. Satisfied with what they know about?
  3. What should we do that’s new/different?
  4. Reference Indy Downtown survey
• Fundraising/safety net of defined amount
• Board slots consistently filled/inquiries to serve on board (how many seats filled vs. empty)
• New economic development investment in the neighborhood (boundaries need to be defined) on an annual basis
• Number of volunteers/Sub-committees are all reactivated and meeting regularly
• IDO rep on each EID committee
• DiscoverIrvington (or equivalently-named website) is updated and active