Six Reasons to Hold a Retreat

Here are six reasons you should hold a board and staff retreat at your United Way:

New President/CEO or Executive Director. New leadership often means exploring new ideas and new directions which can be jointly developed through board and staff discussion at a retreat. Typically, United Ways give new leaders between six to nine months to get acclimated before holding a retreat.

‍Recently Merged with Another United Way. Discussing the challenges and opportunities of the merger along with how United Way will handle allocations, staffing, and local offices will help ensure a successful merger.

Significant Changes in Your Community. Changes in employers, demographics, or social issues can be discussed at a retreat to determine the appropriate role of United Way in addressing these changes. A retreat can allow your United Way to be more proactive, rather than reactive, when addressing change in your community.

‍Questioning the Direction Things are Headed. If your board and staff have expressed concerns about the future, an open and honest conversation can help surface issues to be addressed and collectively develop solutions.

Raising Less Money. If your United Way is raising less money, discussing the future direction of your United Way and how to refocus your efforts can result in attracting new donors and funders to grow your resources.

‍Time to Update Your Strategic Plan. Discuss where you want your United Way to be several years from now and determine your direction moving forward. The best strategic plans start with a clear picture of where you want to be in the future and then develop a plan to get there.

Every one of the over 50 United Ways who have chosen our New Directions Board and Staff Retreat have experienced one or more of these reasons. Any one of these reasons would be sufficient for holding a retreat, but if more than one of these reasons applies to your United Way, then holding a retreat is essential. We will address all of your reasons for wanting to hold a retreat during your New Directions Board and Staff Retreat.