When talking about the 2024-2028 FCNL Strategic Plan: Towards the World We Seek, governors and staff often described it as exciting and hopeful. Exciting because it builds on the huge gains of the past and hopeful because it delineates a path through the world of now and the not yet.
Exciting because it builds on the huge gains of the past and hopeful because it delineates a path through the world of now and the not yet.
It took more than a year of intense discernment, collaboration, and consultation with nearly 1,500 people—inside and out of FCNL—to come up with this strategic plan. Along with the accompanying five-year $20 million capital campaign, the plan was unanimously approved by the General Committee during its November 2023 Annual Meeting.
As part of the process, we also drafted the values that undergird our work as a Quaker organization. It was also unanimously affirmed by the General Committee.
There are five bold steps in the strategic plan:
- Strengthen FCNL’s nonpartisan influence among federal policymakers in a highly partisan environment to build democracy and advance policies for the world we seek.
- Transform FCNL’s grassroots advocacy network into a powerful, diverse, strategic, and intergenerational movement to advance federal legislation in service of the world we seek.
- Advance policy changes through prophetic narratives, using strategic communications that reach more people and shape decision-making.
- Foster beloved community by integrating anti-racism, anti-bias, justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (AJEDI) throughout all our efforts.
- Restructure and boldly resource FCNL to support current needs and future capacities.
While these five bold steps will be constant in the next five years, we have also listed key strategies we will use in taking these steps. Some of these strategies will change annually, depending on the challenges of that year and other changes will be made following the continuing revelations by Spirit.
Already, staff have drafted implementation plans for at least the first two years of the strategic plan. Progress will be tracked and reported regularly through a public dashboard.
In all our work in the next five years, we will be guided by FCNL’s core values. They are
- Radically Love: Love thy neighbor, no exceptions. Faithfully build relationships, across even deep divides. We trust that in embracing the creative potential of differences and nonviolent conflict, the world we seek can emerge.
- Pursue Peace: Knowing that there is that of God in all people, we adamantly oppose war and actively work to build peace. We advocate for legislation that takes away any occasion for violence and militarism.
- Uphold Justice: With a steadfast commitment to the inherent equality of all persons, we work to dismantle systems of oppression that deny people of their inherent dignity and their ability to thrive.
- Embody Stewardship: Recognizing the sacredness of the earth and the interdependence of all beings inhabiting it, we seek to restore right relationship with our endangered environment and one another.
- Collaborate: We invite conversation and cooperative action across a broad spectrum of knowledge and experience, with a special emphasis on the perspectives of those who are marginalized or most impacted.
- Persevere: We work over an extended period of time on policies and ideas that align with the FCNL mission and vision, even if they are not popular or seem unlikely to succeed in the short term. We are faithful to the leadings of Spirit that call FCNL towards an area of work, trusting that Way will open even if we do not yet see it.
- Act with Integrity: We consistently approach everyone we encounter with respect, honesty, and compassion, and follow through on any commitments we make.
These values are integrally intertwined and intended to provide focus and guidance for enacting FCNL’s vision and mission. Our values also serve as reminders of the deeper spiritual principles underpinning our legislative priorities and relationship-based approach to changing the world.
This new strategic plan, and the accompanying capital campaign, will enable FCNL to fulfill its missing of living “a prophetic Quaker vision for a peaceful, just, and healthy planet through education, lobbying, and grassroots advocacy to shape national policy.”
To download the 2024–2028 FCNL Strategic Plan, visit: fcnl.org/strategicplan
Adlai Amor and Stephen Donahoe served as co-clerks of the Strategic Planning Working Group.
