Mental Health America of Fredericksburg, or MHAfred, had the good fortune to take part in The Community Foundation’s Strategic Planning cohort that was led by The Spark Mill. Over the course of four months, the team met four times. These sessions were commonly four to five hours long, ensuring all information was carefully reviewed. Every meeting had a distinct goal that incorporated feedback from the MHAfred board, in addition to the staff.
Who is The Community Foundation?
The Community Foundation makes giving easy. People can contribute to The Community Foundation, which efficiently channels resources to benefit the community. They have many ways to give and contribute. Such as, Youth in Philanthropy, The Women & Girls Fund, The Community Relief Fund, and more! Building relationships in the community allows us to expand our reach to the people who need it most.
Who is The Spark Mill?
The Spark Mill operates as a consulting firm, specializing in tailored solutions with meticulous attention to detail. They are excellent in cost-effective planning methods that enable organizations to reach their goals and accomplish long-term success. As stated by The Spark Mill,
“We see our role as a guide in a collaborative process, where together we walk through your dreams and visions and turn them into reality.”
What are the next steps?
Together, we began outlining our vision and working with stakeholders to acquire some external data about how Mental Health America of Fredericksburg impacts the community. After that, we set out to gather some internal information so that we could start formulating our strategy to expand the programs offered by Mental Health America of Fredericksburg. We asked questions, got answers, and began implementing our plan to embed MHAfred deeper into the community.
At Mental Health America of Fredericksburg, we cannot wait to achieve our goal of helping more people in the community who require access to behavioral healthcare. We will accomplish this by expanding our outreach, strengthening our community connections, adding more providers to our MHAfred HELPLINE database, and offering peer support services.