The Baton Rouge Area Foundation announced this week they have concluded a detailed planning process that involved participation from hundreds of community members during much of last year. The full findings of this process were documented in a written report, which can be found linked below.
Gathering input from a dedicated planning committee, six topical advisory councils, and discussions with more than 300 community members, the report emphasized a clear north star for the Foundation’s continued impact: to build a thriving and resilient future for all in Baton Rouge and beyond.
To do so, the organization will focus on a framework of key priorities:
- Catalyze change and positive opportunity
- Foster a strong philanthropic community
- Empower changemakers and nonprofits
- Spotlight impact and inspire civic pride
- Deliver operational excellence
“This new framework was developed in lock step with our community, donors, and members. Importantly, this process honored the history of BRAF while allowing us to continue to dream big, deepen the impact of the Foundation, and expand opportunity in Baton Rouge and beyond,” said Chris Meyer, president and CEO of the Foundation.
Mr. Meyer thanked the many volunteers involved in the development of the framework, noting a Strategic Planning Committee (SPC) was formed during the second quarter of 2022 and supported by six topical Advisory Councils: Philanthropy, Communications and Community Engagement, Nonprofit Excellence, Governance and Supporting Organizations, Civic Leadership, and Finance. The SPC was co-chaired by Jennifer Eplett Reilly and Jeffrey Koonce, while each Council was chaired by a member of the SPC and populated with local and regional experts to support the Foundation as they developed the guiding framework noted above.
In parallel with the activities of the SPC and advisory council, leadership of the Foundation met with over 300 individuals in more than 130 meetings. In these sessions, the Foundation sought to understand the perception of the historical impact of the Foundation in our community and how the Foundation can serve our community, nonprofits, and philanthropists most effectively through their work. Feedback from these sessions was shared with the SPC for consideration as they developed the recommendations that eventually became the framework announced by the Foundation.
“We look forward to this new chapter of the foundation’s work building on our philanthropic partnerships in strategic and creative ways,” stated Jennifer Eplett Reilly, Chair of BRAF’s board of directors and co-chair of the SPC.
The framework has been adopted by BRAF’s Board of Directors and is meant to serve as guideposts within which the future work of the foundation will nestle. To ensure responsiveness to ongoing and emerging community needs, detailed, time bound plans will be developed to outline actionable tasks within the framework in one- to three-year intervals.
About the Baton Rouge Area Foundation: Among the largest community foundations in the country, the Baton Rouge Area Foundation seeks to improve the quality of life in greater Baton Rouge and across south Louisiana.
The Foundation pursues its mission by serving donors to build the assets that drive initiatives and solutions, supporting local nonprofits with strategic consulting to ensure overall impact and sustainability, engaging community leaders to develop appropriate responses to emerging opportunities and challenges, and by partnering with others to leverage collective resources and create the capacity to be a stimulus of positive regional change.