Strategic Plan: Adopted in March 2018 and Revised in October 2020

The strategic planning process followed a model developed by Advanced Strategies, Inc. The process was led by Kathy Burek, a retired Advanced Strategies consultant, who has permission to use this strategic planning model with Unitarian Universalist groups.

Intentions. The IWC exists to:

  • Achieve gender equity

  • Ensure women have the power and resources to pursue their dreams and goals, free from physical or psychological violence and discrimination

  • Improve the lives of women by working for a world in which women

    • Are leaders in all aspects of their societies, including, but not limited to, faith, civil, and business organizations, and in environmental decision-making at all levels

    • Have economic power and access to economic opportunities

    • Have access to the education they need to be full participants in their communities and in the world

    • Are safe in their homes and in their communities

    • Have access to affordable, comprehensive, and quality health care, including reproductive care

  • Dismantle patriarchy and other structures and systems that lead to the oppression of women

 Guiding Values. These principles or beliefs guide our behavior. The sequence does not imply priority.

  • In everything we do, we promote U*U values of affirming the inherent worth of individuals and working for justice and fostering global community.

  • The support and resources we provide will be

    • Relevant, culturally sensitive, and accessible (financially and physically)

    • Sustainable, flexible, adaptable, and transferable

    • Initiated and implemented by local women to meet specific needs

  • Respectful of the capabilities of all women, everywhere

  • Inclusive regardless of religion, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, class, ethnicity, or age

  • Accountable to our stakeholders

Means: The support or resources we provide to achieve our Intentions; Individuals or groups outside our organization to whom the support or resources are provided.

Offerings

  • Leadership Development is our most important offering

    • Leadership skills are the foundation for women to address their needs in each of our other program areas

      • Economic Empowerment

      • Education

      • Health & Reproductive Justice

      • Preventing Violence

    • Progress for women in each of our program areas lifts whole societies by reducing poverty, improving the lives of families and communities, and contributing to a more peaceful, gender-equal world

    • Topics and formats for leadership development workshops will be determined by the community being served, but may include

      • Focused on Preventing Violence Against Women and Women’s Health and Reproductive Justice

      • Broad-based leadership development training for leadership in civic, religious, non-profit organizations, and for-profit business organizations

  • Convocations and Gatherings

    • Smaller, more frequent Gatherings

    • Larger Convocation every 4-5 years

    • Annual Participation in the Commission on the Status of Women

  • Connecting Those Needing Resources with Those Who Have Resources

    • Raising funds (e.g., individual donations, UUFP grants, Faithify and other fundraising campaigns, International Women’s Day plate collections, legacy giving)

    • Sharing what women are doing and lessons learned

    • Identifying women with skills they are willing to share/teach others

    • Building networks and coalitions of women

Markets. The following are IWC’s high priority areas:

  • Geographic

    • Women in India

    • Women in the Philippines

    • Women in the U.S.

    • Women in Bolivia

    • Women in Transylvania (Romania) and Hungary

    • Women in Kenya

  • Demographic

    • Girls/teenagers

    • Adult women

    • Marginalized women and girls

Environments

External Environment. These external conditions affect IWC:

  • Legal, economic, and political trends impacting women in our high priority areas in our primary areas of concern

  • Trends in telecommunications technology

  • Activities of U*U organizations, particularly those operating internationally (e.g., UUA International Office, ICUU, UUPCC, IALRW) or which serve women in our high priority areas (e.g., UU Women's Federation, UU Women & Religion)

Internal Environment. How IWC organizes itself to produce our Offerings to our Areas, consistent with our Guiding Values, so that we achieve our Intentions.  

  • Staffing

    • We rely primarily on volunteers, with part-time, paid staff

    • We will develop processes to recruit and develop volunteers to carry out the work and to lead the organization

  • Fundraising

    • Most of our fundraising income is passed on to women leaders providing programs to women in their communities

    • We will develop a stable funding base to implement our Offerings and to sustain the organizational infrastructure that makes our work possible

  • Partnerships

    • We work with U*U women’s groups and non-governmental organizations to deliver our locally-based Offerings, including:

      • Seng Kynthei, the Women's Wing of the Unitarian Union of North East India

      • UU Women’s Association of Philippines

      • Buhata Pinay, NGO of UU Women’s Association of Philippines

      • Unitarian Women’s Association of Romania (UNOSZ)

      • Unitarian Women’s Association of Hungary (MUNOSZ)

      • Comunidad Unitaria Universalista Boliviana

      • Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), India

      • Acacia in Kenya

    • We participate in the work of the UN through our Special Consultative Status with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)

  • Communications

    • We rely almost exclusively on internet-based media for our communications across national boundaries