SMP Completes Three-Year Strategic Plan

Cue the confetti! The South Mountain Partnership has completed our 2022-2025 Strategic Plan! This plan represents shared goals created and implemented through our collaborative network. 

However, you might be wondering what a collaborative network is and how we created this plan… 

We operate as a network, meaning our work is guided by committed volunteer leaders who represent many different organizations all over the region. This local, grassroots structure ensures that the SMP’s vision and mission stay rooted in your community and home. You can learn more about our five committees of volunteers here. These volunteer leaders and SMP Staff created the strategic plan with help from the Institute for Conservation Leadership. 

In addition to creating the strategic plan, the Leadership Committee reviewed it quarterly to track progress on the plan, and made additions and changes as needed. It was very important to us that this plan remained flexible to adapt to changes and new challenges and opportunities happening throughout the landscape. You can check the full plan here, which spans 6 Goals, 16 objectives, and 71 action steps to ensure success. 

Today, we are highlighting three celebration points from the plan:

  • New website and logo – The Communications Committee and staff led the way while also updating the newsletter and increasing promotion of partner roles and successes on social media. [Goal 3]
  • Annual “Power of the Partnership” Celebration revamped thanks to thee Program Committee and staff,  increasing attendance and shifting the focus to celebrating the unique assets and culture of our region, networking and connection among attendees and partners, and sustaining our work and positive momentum. [Goal 1]
  • State of the Region success! The first of its kind, SMP staff and Leadership Committee created this first-ever project that measures public health and environmental health, maps trends and priority conservation areas, and provides recommended actions to address the top 6 regional challenges. By working with over 30 people and organizations to understand the health of our region, it identified projects and actions to make a difference.  Implementation has begun! [Goal 6]

These highlights and the many other wins (big and small) were made possible by our strong community of 35 committee members and 63 partner organizations. Please join us in thanking them! 

As we close out this chapter and look forward to our next phase, we are kicking 2026 off by celebrating the 20th year of South Mountain Partnership in 2006. Our work is more important than ever, as our region is facing increased pressures, and the health of our region is more than a nice-to-have; it is a critical basic need. 

While we gear up for our next strategic planning process, our committee members have identified these focus areas for 2026.

  1. State of the Region – Move the Regional Trail Coalition feasibility study forward and celebrate the Natural Heritage Inventory Update completion by highlighting findings and recommendations. 
  2. Strategic Planning – Work with a consultant and our partners to build a new plan and begin implementation and communication. 
  3. Public Land Coordination – Support the public land that is the spine and heart of the South Mountain Region (Michuax State Forest, State Parks, and other open space)
  4. Evaluate the South Mountain Research Corps and Science Summit and seek opportunities to increase impact of the program. 
  5. Tell all of these stories, and the stories of our partners through our Communications Program.

We are excited to begin and ask you for your support. 2026 will present many challenges, but we can get through them when we work together and make lemonade out of lemons. 

You can help by exploring what it means to become a SMP committee member, donating to Friends of South Mountain Partnership, and volunteering with one of the many deserving partner organizations doing impressive, valuable work to protect and enhance our quality of life.  

Our next strategic planning process is launching; stay tuned for ways you can help shape the future of SMP by providing your input!