Purpose, Mission, Leadership and Management

The organization's purpose and mission should be clear and understood by the staff, board, audience/clients and stakeholders.  The leadership and management must be strong and effective.  Both the board and staff should be fully committed to the vision of the organization’s future, and the role a new facility plays in that vision.

Facility projects are time-consuming, and force organizations to undertake certain efforts necessary for the project’s success. Board development is one such component crucial for an organization that is preparing for a capital campaign or space development project.

A facility project will take up at least 50% of the director’s time for several years. In the meantime, staff is pressured to perform at higher levels as programs, fundraising and administration prepare for the move and the “new” organization. It is not uncommon to see heavy staff turnover during or immediately after a facility project. Lack of preparedness for the demands of capital campaign is an issue as well. Staff burn-out from a project’s demands is common.  Wise organizations often cut back on programs during development project in order to reduce the strain on staff.