Healthy Communities for All
Our strategic vision to work tirelessly, in partnership with our community, to create environments where everyone can live healthy, fulfilling lives.
A Letter to the Community
Dear Friends and Partners,
As we present our new Strategic Plan, we are filled with a sacred sense of purpose and optimism. We launched this planning process by listening intently to the wisdom and guidance of more than 200 Volunteers of America Minnesota and Wisconsin (VOA MN/WI) stakeholders. Together, we looked at a host of BIG questions.
The overwhelming feedback was that VOA MN/WI is an essential yet complex organization with highly valued competencies and resources. Our opportunity is to knit these together in new and unique ways to serve the whole person. Our new Strategic Plan provides us with a North Star for the next four years on this journey.
Our mission remains steadfast: to help people build hope, resilience, and well-being through the integration of health, housing, and human services. This plan is a recommitment to our unwavering dedication to foster safe and stable homes, healthy minds and bodies, access and opportunities, and community belonging and social connectedness.
Our vision is clear: healthy communities for all. This vision is not just an aspiration; it is a call to action for us to work tirelessly, in partnership with our community, to create environments where everyone can live healthy, fulfilling lives.
Our core values—compassion, integrity, and perseverance—remain at the heart of everything we do. Compassion drives us to see, hear, and stand with those we serve. Integrity ensures that our actions consistently align with our words. Perseverance propels us to tap into our passion and purpose, enabling us to overcome challenges and create lasting change. These lived values guide our interactions with those we serve, our partners, and each other, and will be essential as we navigate this transformative period.
Our strategic pillars aim to strengthen our capacity to:
- Center Our Community Impact on Integrated Whole-Person Services
- Invest In Our Workforce, the Hands and Heart of Our Mission
- Strengthen Our Capacity as a Financially Sustainable, Future-Focused Organization
- Amplify Our Impact Through Partnerships, Advocacy, and Fundraising
We recognize that achieving lasting impact demands an unwavering commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB). We recommit to co-creating a more equitable society and a vibrant workplace.
We invite you to join us in this important work and we thank you for your continued support and partnership.
With gratitude and optimism,
Julie Manworren, President & CEO | Melissa Bayne, Board Chair
The Need for Transformation
50%
1.9x
75%
50%
2x
40x
Mission, Vision, and Values
We help people build hope, resilience, and well-being through the integration of health, housing, and human services
Healthy communities for all
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Compassion - See, hear, and stand with those whom we walk alongside
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Integrity - Act in congruency, ensuring our actions match our words
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Perseverance - Tap into passion and purpose to overcome challenges
Leveraging Our Core Capabilities to Meet the Needs of the Future
Affordable Housing
Behavioral and Mental Health
Care Coordination & Case Management
Community Justice
Support for Independence
Spiritual Fulfillment
Spiritual Care
We seek to affirm everyone’s approach to finding their deeper connection with what they consider sacred, that which fuels their sense of purpose and meaning. By helping people draw upon values, practices, and beliefs that foster healing and integration, spiritual care is an essential element in honoring the whole person’s inherent dignity (body-mind-spirit).
Centering DEIB
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Commitment
Our mission and values call us to act in the face of oppression and to promote inclusion and belonging, striving to create a more equitable society and vibrant workplace.
Our Commitments in Action
We are dedicated to fostering an inclusive environment where diverse perspectives are valued, equity is prioritized, and a sense of belonging is cultivated for all.
Our Strategic Pillars Strengthen Our Capacity to Further Our Impact
The impact of our work will meet the needs of the future by aligning health, housing, and human services. By weaving together these essential elements, we aim to address the complex needs of our community in a more comprehensive and transformative way.
Pillar 1 - People
Pillar 2 - Culture
Pillar 3 - Capacity & Innovation
Pillar 4 - Philanthropy & Advocacy
Center Our Community Impact on Integrated Whole-Person Services
Objective
We will invest in and develop service delivery strategies and structures that integrate health, housing, and human services.
Strategies
- Advance access to the right care, right time, right setting with no wrong door by aligning organizational structure, processes, and technology.
- Center equity in our work.
- Develop an integrated continuum of care approach, anchored in our expertise in providing health, housing, and care coordination for people with complex needs.
The Impact
Prioritizing integrated whole person services provides individuals and families with comprehensive, coordinated support, leading to improved health outcomes, increased housing stability, and enhanced economic self-sufficiency. This holistic approach addresses multiple facets of well-being simultaneously, fostering long-term resilience and stability within the community.
Invest In Our Workforce, the Hands and Heart of Our Mission
Objective
We will offer a vibrant, purpose-led work environment that attracts and retains talent.
Strategies
- Advocate for policies and program funding that improves our ability to provide compensation and benefits that employees value.
- Cultivate future leaders through a robust employee development program and explicit career track opportunities.
- Cultivate a diverse, inclusive workplace through intentional DEIB action, championing practices and policies.
The Impact
By investing in our workforce, we enhance the skills, well-being, and motivation of the compassionate and dedicated individuals who deliver critical services, leading to improved outcomes for the communities we serve. This commitment fosters a supportive work environment, driving excellence in service delivery and increasing overall organizational effectiveness.
Strengthen Our Capacity as a Financially Sustainable, Future Focused Organization
Objective
We will strengthen our financial position and infrastructure to invest in our people, facilities, capacity, and growth.
Strategies
- Implement financial sustainability initiatives to increase cash position to invest in workforce and infrastructure.
- Advance a business development strategy that maximizes impact and grows margin.
- Maximize operating efficiency and effectiveness.
The Impact
Strengthening our capacity as a financially sustainable, future-focused organization ensures long-term stability and resilience, enabling us to consistently deliver high-quality services and adapt to emerging needs. This focus enhances our ability to plan for the future, invest in growth opportunities, and effectively respond to the evolving challenges and opportunities within the communities we serve.
Amplify Our Impact Through Partnerships, Advocacy, and Fundraising
Objective
We will expand our community impact and drive systemic change.
Strategies
- Build partnerships to advance and advocate for services, policies, and funding that support systems change and healthy communities for all.
- Develop our brand recognition as a person-centered, equity-driven organization.
- Connect, engage, and inspire the community to invest in hope filled lives.
The Impact
Amplifying our impact through partnerships, advocacy, and fundraising expands our reach and influence, allowing us to mobilize resources and support for greater community outcomes. By forging strategic collaborations and advocating for our mission, we enhance our ability to address pressing issues and secure the necessary funding to sustain and grow our services and impact.
Lead With Impact
We build healthy communities through the integration of health, housing, and human services to help people and communities build hope, resilience, and well-being. By co-creating whole-person solutions across the community-based continuum of care and opportunity, we foster safe and stable homes, healthy minds and bodies, access and opportunities, and community belonging and social connectedness.
