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Eastern National staff meet internally to discuss their new strategic plan.

Eastern National, a nonprofit Cooperating Association that supports the interpretive, educational, and scientific programs and services of 160 National Park Service (NPS) sites and other public lands, has released their strategic plan for 2017 – 2019.

Reflecting the organization’s mission, the plan focuses on Eastern National’s educational, retailing, and service efforts to develop publications and products, operate museum stores and provide fee-based programs and tours at public land sites.

A STRATEGIC FOCUS ON INCREASING SUPPORT FOR PARKS AND PUBLIC LANDS

In a new direction, Eastern National plans to expand their efforts by developing policies that support existing fundraising nonprofit partners at parks and public lands and by determining the feasibility for adopting a greater role in directly fundraising to support site needs.

“In the past, it was all earned income,” Eastern National’s CEO, Kevin Kissling explained. As retail operators at public land sites, Eastern National stores have sold interpretive publications and products, and given a portion of sales to those sites. Since 1947, they have donated more than $135 million in direct and in-kind support and, each year, have contributed more than 90 percent of their annual net profit to the parks and public lands they support.

Eastern National provided $37,000 to Assateague Island National Seashore in 2015 for multiple needs.
This included support for the island's 50th Anniversary celebration as pictured here.

According to NPS Northeast Region Partnership Coordinator Cinda Waldbuesser, Eastern National’s support as a Cooperating Association is also invaluable, “in helping the NPS reach visitors and tell the stories of parks throughout the region.”

While that partnership dynamic will remain, Kissling explained that Eastern National’s new plan includes fundraising support to build a better foundation, support for existing nonprofits that support Eastern National sites, and fundraising directly for public lands sites that have no existing fundraising partners.

To that last point, Kissling added that Eastern National’s overall plan is, “to be a better park partner.”

While some of Eastern National’s sites have existing Friends Groups that successfully provide funds through collecting donations, providing fee-based programs and leading community engagement campaigns, other sites do not and could use support through contributed income. In those places, Eastern National is interested in becoming the supportive partner that those sites need.

DEVELOPING THE NEW STRATEGIC PLAN

The process to develop the 2017 – 2019 plan began in late 2015 and extended throughout most of 2016. With the help of an outside consultant, Eastern National included several internal and external focus groups in the planning process and held off-site meetings to identify priorities for the new plan.

According to Monique VanLandingham, Servicewide Cooperating Association Program Manager for the NPS, Eastern National successfully brought together different perspectives for this plan. “They really reached out to the park service,” she explained, noting that park coordinators, superintendents, and partners were included in the research. “They were thoughtful and inclusive in putting the plan together,” she said.

Through their research over the past year, Eastern National decided their strategic plan would be forward-thinking and would focus on partnerships, people, operations, and finances.

Within those focus areas, the plan includes a detailed list of goals to accomplish, such as: increasing brand awareness, increasing field support at site stores, strengthening technological and communication infrastructures, and diversifying revenue support through fundraising.

However, as with any multi-year plan, they by no means expect to accomplish all aspects within the first year. Instead, as described in the plan’s Introduction, Eastern National intends to implement the plan through a phased approach, beginning with strengthening their foundation and existing capacity, and then developing new capabilities and accelerating mission delivery and growth.

Click here to download Eastern National’s 2017 – 2019 plan and visit their website to stay connected with them as they achieve their goals.