Fiscal Year 2021/2022 Impact Report Narrative

 

In our sixth year of operation the Work That Reconnects Network experienced a significant period of growth that required increased staff time and creativity to improve our internal systems and expand our capacity to meet the needs of our growing community. 

 

During this year our core team focused on increasing involvement from and collaboration with the wider global WTR community. Although the WTR Network serves an international community of people from many races, languages and cultures, until 2021 the entire organizational team was composed of just seven white women in North America. We felt the need for increased collaboration and knew that the direction and leadership of the organization should be more deeply woven into the needs and insights of the community it serves.

 

After working with a consultant on leadership development, we crafted a comprehensive Strategic Vision to guide our growth during this important phase of our organizational development and move forward with this vision. These are some of the noteworthy accomplishments from the past year:

 

  • Updated our mission statement 
  • Created systems for recruiting and onboarding new members to our core leadership team (Weavers)
  • Expanded Weavers’ team to include two new members (one Weaver from China and one from India)
  • Created a clear organizational design based on network principles and sociocracy that allows for more volunteer engagement through committees focused on specific domains. 
  • Welcomed 20 volunteers onto our newly formed committees, increasing input and involvement from our global community (current volunteers are from: US, Canada, UK, Germany, India, China, Hong Kong, Israel, Australia and New Zealand)
  • Significantly increased regenerative revenue streams – both earned and contributed, including: fundraising campaigns +117%, educational programming +57%, and community membership +246%
  • Increased support for Facilitator Members by starting a bi-monthly newsletter just for Facilitator Members and developing more educational and supportive programming for them through the Webinar and Conversation Cafe program
  • Began process of redesigning our website by acquiring funds, researching and selecting a web development firm and creating a plan for a website with vastly improved tools for collaboration and accessibility

 

Two unexpected gifts from the BESS Family Foundation for our general operating expenses helped us to maintain our focus during this time and infused our team with gratitude and motivation. A significant grant from Christopher and LuAnne Hormel enabled us to “dream big” on the redesign of our website and begin designing a new platform for uplifting the Work That Reconnects that will provide opportunities for support and inspiration to our global WTR community. 

Fiscal Year 2021/2022 – Total Revenue $199,070

Fiscal Year 2020/2021 – Total Expenditures $117,899