Strategic Plan

The Board of Directors and staff of the Celiac Disease Foundation developed this strategic plan with assistance from Executive Service Corps of Southern California (ESC) consultants. It provides Celiac Disease Foundation with a roadmap for the future of the Foundation. The Board of Directors and staff reviews progress quarterly and updates the plan annually.

This plan was developed with broad involvement and guidance from the Board of Directors and staff. The Strategic Planning Committee, which directed this process, included five board members and two staff on the management team. This Committee met over an eight month period to reflect on the mission, vision, core operating values and assumptions underlying the Foundation’s approach to its mission.

These meetings set the stage for a work session of the full board during which the organization’s strategic direction was defined. The staff helped coordinate the planning process and provided important support and analysis to complete this plan.

ESC facilitated the planning process. ESC worked with the Strategic Planning Committee to conduct an environmental scan including an internal organization assessment and interviews with community stakeholders and a review of community survey data. The environmental scan and organizational assessment helped the Celiac Disease Foundation assess both the challenges and opportunities it is likely to face over the next three years and set the context for the choices reflected in this strategic plan.

Executive Summary

The Celiac Disease Foundation mission:

The Celiac Disease Foundation accelerates diagnosis, treatments, and a cure for celiac disease and through research, education, and advocacy.

Our vision statement is a highly optimistic but credible shared dream of what is possible: By 2025, all Americans with celiac disease will be diagnosed and treated.

Direction and Goals

The strategic direction and goals included in this plan are the Celiac Disease Foundation’s response to what our constituency has indicated they value the most about the Foundation, and to the current opportunities and challenges for driving diagnosis and treatment of celiac disease and other gluten-related disorders.

The strategic plan allows for a time of assessing and deepening the Foundation’s approach to our work. Under the direction of the Chief Executive Officer, and through the determination and commitment of our board, staff, volunteers, medical community and donors, we focus on the following goals and objectives:

Goal #1

Achieve rapid diagnosis and treatment of celiac disease through expanded professional education programs and partnerships

  • Expand and create new educational programming and resources for healthcare providers
  • Support research initiatives, studies and clinical trials

Goal #2

Achieve rapid diagnosis and treatment of celiac disease through expanded patient education and support programs and tools

  • Develop programs to reach specific populations with unique educational needs
  • Continue to increase awareness of Celiac Disease Foundation resources and educational programs
  • Leverage and expand Team Gluten-Free to include patient advocates
  • Increase the knowledge of patients through breakthroughs related to celiac disease research

Goal #3

Advocate to influence private and public sector policies to improve the quality of life for all people affected by celiac disease

  • Create a comprehensive effort to positively impact patients’ access issues, including access to providers, healthcare and dietary/non-dietary treatments
  • Obtain federal and state resources for celiac disease research, education and support

Goal #4

Increase annual gross revenue to support the Foundation’s mission through the development and expansion of revenue partner relationships with donors, prospects, corporate partners and event participants

  • Build robust processes and activities to identify, cultivate, solicit and steward major gifts from individuals, foundations, and corporations
  • Expand direct giving plan that integrates messaging across all communication channels including website, social media, email and direct mail
  • Develop new revenue streams by creating alliances with commercial entities
  • Expand Team Gluten-Free fundraising efforts

Goal #5

Develop national and regional organizational structures to advance volunteer and board development, fundraising, education and awareness

  • Continue to build a National Board of Directors that reflects diverse industries, backgrounds, and culture, is capable of opening important relationships to the Celiac Disease Foundation for revenue development and mission delivery, as well as provides staff with valuable experience and knowledge to be leveraged on the Foundation’s behalf
  • Assure adequate staffing to achieve goals

Measuring Performance

Performance measurement is critical to sustaining the highest standards of excellence and is essential for clearly communicating our accomplishments to our constituency. The Celiac Disease Foundation engages in all levels of leadership in matching outcomes, goals, objectives, and strategies to performance indicators that specifically and annually measure progress toward our goals. Indicators are transparent and updated regularly.

Conclusion

Successful implementation of this strategic plan will result in a significant increase in the number of people with celiac disease who are diagnosed and treated. We envision the Celiac Disease Foundation of 2025 as a Foundation that influences the important debates of the day and engages the entire celiac community. In short, the 21st century Celiac Disease Foundation will be an institution that fulfills its vast potential to improve the quality of life for all people with celiac disease.