PRESIDENT'S COMMUNICATION
A Strategic Plan for the AOS

The Board of Trustees and committee chairs have been working hard for the last year and a half trying to develop a strategic plan for this current fiscal year. We were sidetracked for the last few months trying to correct the financial problems that we have, but finally, we did put a plan together that makes sense. The original plan encompassed everything that we are about, but because of lack of funds, we will try to develop only those items that do not require money outlay.

Let us define who we are trying to serve in this organization. First and above everything are our members and second are our Affiliated Societies. Without them, there is no AOS. Then come our staff and volunteers, which include Board members, judges, committee members and volunteers at our garden and headquarters; schools, universities, research centers, and conservation organizations; commercial vendors and suppliers; hobbyists, visitors, plant lovers, photographers, and artists; botanical gardens and arboreta, and foundations and donors. Below are the goals and strategies by which we will govern ourselves for the rest of this year.

Major Goals for FY 2009-2010

- Identify actions to achieve and expand orchid leadership
- Leverage our conservation, research, and education capabilities
- Leverage the AOS brand
- Build and expand our sense of community
- Initiate fund-raising that provides the resources to grow
- Optimize management initiatives to support the mission

2009-2010 Strategic Goals

I. Strategies to expand the membership by the end of June 2010
1. Develop membership categories that will attract hobbyists with varying levels of expertise by October 2009
2. Design a commercial membership class that will attract 50 more members by December 2009
a. Institute a Commercial Membership Task Force
b. Enhance the Orchid Source Directory on the Web site and in print to be more product-category driven
3. Redesign the Web site to make the Members-Only section a real draw for membership interest by November 2009
4. Participate in every major orchid show in the country with a booth and benefits table that will provide a discount coupon book from commercial members for each new member
5. Secure a five- to 10-percent discount from selected commercial members for all AOS members
6. Set aside one meeting a year dedicated to a presentation on the State of the Society at each Affiliated Society

II. Strategies to increase visitors to the Web site by 100 percent
1. Enhance the shopping cart in the AOS site
2. Expand Members-Only offerings
a. Orchids A to Z
b. Culture Sheets c. Members-Only Commercial site
3. Create an on-line Bulletin/Orchids Magazine Archive
4. Introduce commercial member Web page that will provide links directly to members
5. Redesign Orchid Source Directory to provide on-line search by location and/or product category
6. Employ search engine optimization strategies to the site
7. Introduce worldwide research and conservation initiatives Web page to educate and support orchid research and orchid conservation and donations

III. Strategies to increase donations to the unrestricted fund to $500,000 by year's end
1. Identify specific projects worthy of support as well as stakeholders who have interests in these projects
2. Target charitable foundations and prepare case for support by October 2009
3. Set goals for Members Meetings and investigate allowing for a silent auction via the Internet open to all members
4. Introduce a charitable giving option that would benefit donors and the AOS more than an estate gift

IV. Strategies to retire 40 percent of the restricted loans by June 2010
1. Any unrestricted contributions over the budgeted amount of $155,000 will be applied against the outstanding loans
2. Review existing investment policy in light of new standards (UPMIFA) relating to market down-turns for endowment funds

V. Increase operating revenues by 15 percent

There you have it. We welcome your comments. If you think we are missing something, or if you think that parts of this plan are unreachable, let us know. Part of the funds to accomplish these strategies are in the current budget, but if you see something that you believe is important to you or to your society and want to help us fund it, we will greatly appreciate your interest, and we will give you or your society a special acknowledgment for doing it. The Board will look at this plan at every meeting, and before we approve any new item on the agenda, the question will always be, "Is this part of our plan?"

Carlos Fighetti
AOS President
cf3@columbia.edu