Association of Performing Arts Professionals

SUSTAINABILITY PLANNING PROCESS

SERVICES PROVIDED Strategic Planning

ADC TEAM Alejandra Duque Cifuentes · Carrie Blake · Maleni Palacios

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ADC Consulting undertook research, analysis, visioning and planning to guide the Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP) toward a Sustainability Plan that syncs a set of carefully researched priorities into a series of actionable steps. Developed through a series of five (5) phases from October 2023-August 2024, the Sustainability Planning process was led by ADC Consulting’s Alejandra Duque Cifuentes and Carrie Blake, in coordination with APAP leadership, and a Sustainability Planning Committee.

APAP’s Sustainability Plan aimed to be expansive and future-forward to respond to changing organizational capacity, the current state of the field and economy, and APAP’s commitment to center racial, equity, accessibility, diversity, and inclusion in all they do.

ADC Consulting’s support consisted of:

• Formed and led a Sustainability Planning Committee composed of 14 people from the APAP board, staff, membership and key stakeholders to steward the entire process.

• Spearheaded internal and environmental scans to better understand APAP’s health and opportunities. Activities included:

  • an organizational audit; membership engagement through the APAP conference, member survey, focus groups, and interviews; and

  • benchmarking, market share, opportunities, competition, and trends analysis.

• Engaged in board, staff, and the SPC through ideation and collective decision-making workshops to define strategies

• Developed a business plan, including:

  • Programming, Governance & Operating, and Staffing Recommendations;

  • Pro-forma Operating Budget;

  • Order of Magnitude Funding Plan; and

  • Implementation, Evaluation Strategy & KPIs.

• Developed communications tools to support APAP staff in conveying the organization’s next steps.