As you may be aware, the Women's Fund of Rhode Island (WFRI) recently launched its 2022 strategic planning journey, for which we are seeking broad community input and participation in shaping our vision for the future.
We believe your perspective and background can support us immensely. The purpose of this letter is to invite you to attend our WFRI Strategic Planning Retreat, which will take place in person Friday July 22 from 8:30am - 2:30pm ET. We have not yet confirmed our location, but it will likely be in the Greater Providence area. While we prefer people to attend in person, there will be a virtual option to attend as well.
We’re incredibly hopeful to have the privilege of working with you in this capacity, building on the learnings from our recent Listening Tour focus group and interviews.
We partnered with Jen and Tony Silbert of Spartina Consulting to design a strength-based, participatory approach to strategic planning known as Appreciative Inquiry, or AI, which is based on two deceptively simple concepts:
- What we look for, we find; and what we pay attention to grows. The more strength-based and solution-seeking the conversations are, the more positive and productive the follow-through and action will be.
- People commit to what they help to create. The more involved people are in planning the changes needed, the more committed they will be in seeing them through to success.
Thank you in advance for volunteering your time and talent to be a part of this important work.
