Activity & Recreation Center

(ARC)
Strategic Organizational Plan

Prepared by:

Ashlyn Gramm, Emily Griffith, & Victoria Jackson

Activity & Recreation Center (ARC)
Management Team
JG² PR

March 29, 2018

Table of Contents

Page
Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................... 3
1.0 Organization Background ....................................................................................................... 4
1.1 Business definition ..................................................................................................... 4
1.2 Vision .......................................................................................................................... 4
1.3 Mission ........................................................................................................................ 4
1.4 Value Proposition ........................................................................................................ 4
1.5 Organization Structure ................................................................................................ 5
1.6 History & Culture ....................................................................................................... 5
2.0 Situation Analysis.................................................................................................................... 6
2.1 Definition & Scope of Situation .................................................................................. 6
2.2 Stakeholders Effected ................................................................................................. 7
2.3 Competition ................................................................................................................ 7
2.3.1 Community Centers .................................................................................................. 7
2.3.2 Gyms ........................................................................................................................ 8
2.3.3 Retirement Communities .......................................................................................... 8
2.4 SWOT Analysis........................................................................................................... 9
2.5 Market Position ......................................................................................................... 10
3.0 Plan ....................................................................................................................................... 10
3.1 Objectives, Strategies & Tactics................................................................................ 11
3.2 Critical Success Factors ............................................................................................ 13
3.3 Key Performance Indicators ..................................................................................... 16
3.4 Budget & Resource Allocations ................................................................................ 17
3.5 Timeline..................................................................................................................... 17
3.6 Evaluation Method & Anticipated Results ................................................................ 17
Appendices .................................................................................................................................. 19
A. ARC Organizational Chart ......................................................................................... 19
B. History of Normal Township’s Senior Program Development .................................. 20
C. ARC Budget................................................................................................................ 22
D. Proposed 2018-2019 Budget ...................................................................................... 25
E. Proposed 2018-2019 Timeline .................................................................................... 26
References .................................................................................................................................... 27

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Executive Summary

The Activity & Recreation Center (ARC) is a nonprofit organization in Bloomington-Normal that
provides senior citizens (ages 55 and over) with a unique approach to opportunities for
socialization, fitness, and assisted services. The ARC seeks to become a self-sustaining
organization by increasing annual revenue and improving internal communication.

This document presents a proposed plan for the 2018-2019 fiscal year to increase annual revenue
and improve internal communication, so the ARC can become a self-sustaining organization. The
information obtained to create a foundational understanding of the ARC’s current operations and
management goals came from an initial interview held with ARC management (M. Morgan & S.
Olsen, Personal Communication, 13 Feb. 2018). This plan was created after careful analysis on
the ARC’s current operations and management goals. The potential for reasonable growth was
later created to complement objectives to reach the organization’s goals. The objectives for this
plan include:
• To create an employee communication plan by incorporating weekly meetings.
• To decrease employee and volunteers' role ambiguity by X* percent.
• To convert 10 percent of current memberships to SilverSneaker memberships.
• To increase SilverSneaker members' average monthly attendance by X* percent.
• To increase annual revenue by 15 percent.

If each of these objectives are met by the deadlines proposed in the plan, the plan is successful. At
the beginning of the plan, there must be benchmarks established as a point of comparison to
reveal ARC employees’ current levels of job ambiguity. Also, once the ARC’s employee
communication is improved, there will be decreased ambiguity in job roles, thus allowing
employees to perform their jobs effectively. This improved internal communication will create
opportunities for clear communication from employees to members about converting to
SilverSneaker memberships. It will also aid in efforts to increase SilverSneaker members’
monthly attendance. These objectives then lead to the final objective of increasing annual
revenue. This is possible with the conversion of SilverSneaker memberships and increased
monthly attendance because the ARC has the potential to earn more than 12 percent more
annually with SilverSneaker memberships than individual memberships.

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1.0 Organization Background
This section explores the core business of the ARC. It will define the type of business operated at
the ARC, its vision, its mission, its value proposition, its organizational structure, and its history
and culture. All this information will provide the supplementary material needed to understand
the situational analysis in section 2.0 and the plan in section 3.0.
1.1 Business Definition
The ARC has been serving the age 55-and-over community of Bloomington-Normal for more
than 18 years. Its first location was the Normal Township Hall. However, its current location
resides at 600 E. Willow St., a facility that was once used as an ice rink. Recently, the ARC has
undergone extensive remodeling at its current location to offer a wide variety of programs and
services to its members. It continues to foster an environment that ensures a rewarding retirement
and successful aging experience to its members. The ARC relies on its employees, volunteers,
and the community to function effectively.
The ARC—sponsored by Normal Township and City of Bloomington Township—works with
other supportive senior-service agencies and individuals inside and outside of McLean County.
The ARC strives to provide a modern, friendly atmosphere for socialization, fitness, recreation,
nutrition and health support, and assistance services. Its classes and activities meet a wide array
of interests, expectations, and needs while working on continuous expansion of its member base.
1.2 Vision
JG² PR created a vision statement for the ARC because there is currently none. The ARC can
either use the provided vision statement moving forward or prepare a new one based on JG² PR’s
recommendations.
To be a self-supporting organization that is recognized as the preeminent center for active
seniors in McLean County.
1.3 Mission
Because the ARC has broadened the scope of its aims and values since it first opened, JG² PR
recommends an updated mission statement as follows:
To provide senior citizens a modern approach to socialization, fitness, and assisted services.
1.4 Value Proposition
The value proposition is a concise outline about what truly differentiates an organization from
any of its competitors. The ARC’s primary focus is on senior citizens in the Bloomington-Normal
community and surrounding area, but it accommodates all ages.
Slogan: “Activity doesn't age.”
Key Message Platform:
• Aging doesn't mean activity stops.
• 77 percent of United States seniors, ages 60 and over, reported a desire
to remain active (“The United States,” 2012, p.15).
• We’re more than just a place to play bingo.
• The ARC offers a diverse range of activities such as technology classes,
Texas Hold’Em Poker, pickle ball, painting classes, and knitting/sewing
classes.

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 • The ARC fosters a modern environment with new up-to-date facilities.
• Since 2016, extensive remodeling has increased the ARC’s capacity to
support the diverse range of programs currently provided.
1.5 Organization Structure
The ARC’s organizational structure adheres to traditional hierarchy (see Appendix A), which
consists of six full-time staff, 20 part-time workers, and more than 60 regular volunteers. The
structure is this way because of limited access to funding. The ARC is a nonprofit 501(c)(3)
organization that relies heavily on McLean County real estate taxes, interest, the General Town
Fund, the Town of Normal Grant, membership fees, program fees, miscellaneous income, and the
Living Memorial Fund (see Appendix C).
The ARC does not possess a physical employee handbook with a breakdown of the
responsibilities and expectations for each role. Describing these roles in detail and distributing it
among employees and volunteers is an organizational resource we suggest the ARC develop. The
following list contains the ARC’s full-time positions and the names of the individuals currently
filling these roles:
● Director of Operations—Mindy Morgan
● Director of Programming—Molly Camper
● Communications Coordinator—Samantha Oleson
● Maintenance Supervisor—Tom Lentz
● Lead Custodian—Preston Hill
● Member Services Manager—Elicssha Sanders
1.6 History & Culture
In 1990, multiple agencies worked together in the town of Normal to provide services to senior
citizens, including a meals program through the Peace Meal organization and the Socialization
and Education Program provided by the YWCA. Within the following two years, the Normal
Township Board of Trustees created a Senior Citizen Advisory Committee and relocated the
senior citizen programs to the Community Room at Township Hall. After issues rose between the
two existing programs, a part-time senior citizen coordinator was hired in 1993.
As the Township’s Senior Citizen Program continued to grow, the Town of Normal began to
research new locations and additional programming opportunities. In May 1998, the senior citizen
program moved to the Community Activity Center at One Normal Plaza. The center remained at
this location until the Normal Township began looking for a larger space to house its programs
and services in 2009. In 2013, the Township purchased the former Illinois State University’s
Student Recreation Building and completed extensive remodeling to allow the current ARC to offer
a wide variety of programs and services to the 55-and-over community of Bloomington-Normal.
For further details on the history of the ARC, please refer to Appendix B.
The ARC believes in supporting a wide range of services and programs for older adults in a
modern and friendly atmosphere. The facility is open, bright, and draws a regular crowd that likes
to socialize around coffee at the cafe, win prizes at the highly anticipated weekly bingo, and
continue to develop as individuals through the various classes and opportunities offered at the
center. The friendly atmosphere is a result of the employees and volunteers valuing members.
The ARC values its employees who, in turn, increase their loyalty and desire to work for an
organization that values them. For the ARC, this positive work environment means employees
have genuine interactions with members and make them feel welcomed. The renovations show
the organization is willing to invest in its members to provide a better experience.

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2.0 Situation Analysis
Analysis of the ARC’s business situation is crucial because it faces various pressures on its
internal environment. The current state of its internal communication among employees is
inconsistent because of the amount of change the ARC has recently undergone. The recent
changes are affecting the small number of employees, giving them limited time to communicate
altogether and second-guess management decision-making. This section provides information on
how the ARC can become a more successful operation by establishing formal and consistent
communication.
2.1 Definition & Scope of Situation
The ARC is an organization that supports a comprehensive range of programs and services for
older adults (ages 55 and over). Members are required to pay an annual membership fee—couples
$50/year and individuals $30/year—and it currently has more than 4,000 members. The other
option for membership is to use the SilverSneaker membership that may be covered by certain
insurance plans. The ARC offers classes and activities to meet a wide array of interests,
expectations, and needs while working on a continuous expansion.
The ARC currently needs to alter its methods of internal communication with employees and
volunteers. With only 20 staff members serving the 4,000 members enrolled at the ARC, the
inconsistent internal communication is creating a less-efficient and more equivocal environment
to operate. This environment is affecting the ARC’s overall ability to execute its strategies.
Due to job autonomy and complexity experienced by employees and volunteers, distance will
form between the organization’s top management team and lower-level employees and volunteers
(as cited in Desmidt & George, 2016). Therefore, the problem must be traced back to the roots:
there needs to be an organization-wide shared understanding of the ARC’s strategic direction.
This understanding will entail employees not only agreeing on what their respective
responsibilities are, but also needing a consensus of purpose that will legitimize organizational
decisions (Desmidt & George, 2016).
Organizational strategic consensus must start with a firm foundation of internal communication.
This is the degree of information shared and interaction held within an organization. The ARC
currently communicates with employees using Office 365, with limited monthly meetings due to
time constraints. However, because of varying skill levels with digital communication channels,
sharing information between top management and lower-level employees and volunteers is
becoming increasingly difficult. As stated before, because of low numbers of staff and high
accountability for the work that must be done, time is the scarcest resource. The staff is pulled in
multiple directions with incomplete, conflicting, ambiguous, and otherwise problematic
communication, resulting in inconsistent staff performance.
There must be consistent, regular means of communication that all staff members receive and use
regardless of their time constraints. Beginning with employees, scheduled mandatory staff
meetings can be instrumental in mitigating against uninformed or misinformed people. This
uncertainty or ambiguity among employees can trickle down to volunteers and members, if it has
not already. This approach to better communication is also important for the SilverSneaker
membership. Many existing members are unaware of this option, so if it is clearly communicated,
the ARC can reach its goal of eventually becoming self-sustaining and to achieve its overall
financial objective to not increase membership fees because of shrinking revenue from local taxes
and increasing operating expenses. Overall, clear, consistent, and concrete internal
communication is key to the ARC being a high-functioning organization.

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2.2 Stakeholders Effected
The ARC serves multiple publics in the Bloomington-Normal community. Each of the
stakeholders serve an essential function to the success or failure of the ARC.
External stakeholders include tax-paying Bloomington-Normal citizens and funding from the
towns of Bloomington and Normal. If the ARC is inconsistent in its services and does not meet
members’ expectations, tax dollars could be redirected to other services, which is why
Bloomington-Normal taxpayers are the most important external stakeholder. These taxpayers
generated $244,000 for the 2017 fiscal year (see Appendix C). It is also important for the ARC to
serve the community’s best interest to ensure continued funding. Additional external stakeholders
are vendors who provide supplies and services necessary for the ARC to fulfill its mission.
Internal stakeholders include employees, volunteers, and members. Employees matter to the ARC
because they sustain all operations of the organization which range from administration to
interactions with members. Volunteers are important to the ARC because they allow for
expansion of additional activities and programs for members that could not operate solely from
the ARC’s employees. Members are the most important internal stakeholder because without
them, the organization would have no purpose and cease to exist.
2.3 Competition
The ARC is unique because of its focus on senior citizens with a unique, upbeat culture in the
Bloomington-Normal area. However, uniqueness does not eliminate potential competitors. The
constraints associated with this environment include not appealing to seniors who are not capable
of keeping up with the activities offered at ARC. Housing authority and retirement communities
have potential customers, but the likelihood of these customers wanting to go to the ARC is
decreased because the same services are offered in the community. This is not something the
ARC can change, but it is important to note from an investigative position of the competitive
point of view. Additionally, private rehabilitation and training businesses do not pose a great
enough threat to be considered in this competitive analysis because these businesses operate on a
short-term timeline with clients.
Below are different competitor categories, which evaluate the level of competition on a three-
point scale of low (1) to high (3) competition based on factors including quality, service, and
price. Low competitors are not as strong an alternative; they have low opportunity for senior
activity services. Medium competitors have the potential to become high-level competitors if they
end up offering more alternatives that are closer to what the ARC offers. High competitors offer
equal or more opportunity for seniors and have a competitive price range compared to the ARC.
2.3.1 Community Centers
 YMCA (3): The Bloomington-Normal YMCA is an organization that encourages growth
for all ages, incomes, and backgrounds. The YMCA is also involved heavily in the
community. The YMCA focuses primarily on fitness and offers the Silver Sneakers
membership, which makes it a direct competitor for the ARC (“Health and fitness,”
2014).
 YWCA (2): The YWCA is an organization focused on eliminating racism and
empowering women. Specifically, with their Normal Township senior services, they offer
transportation, home care, and volunteer opportunities which makes them a direct
competitor (“Senior services,” 2016). The YMCA’s plan for a new facility built by OSF
Hospital also increase its competition.
 Normal Public Library (1): The library offers tax aid, computer classes, books, and a
quiet environment that less-active seniors may find appealing. The services at the library
are free, and the library provides a sense of community, placing it as a competitor for the

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 ARC. Since the library does not offer fitness and other opportunities, it is a low-level
competitor only because it is a mere alternative (“Services,” 2018).
2.3.2 Gyms
 Four Seasons (3): The Four Seasons has two locations in Bloomington, Illinois. This gym
is a nonprofit that focuses on providing social and physical recreation opportunities for
all ages. This gym began as an ice rink, pool, and restaurant, and it currently serves more
than 20,000 members. It also has 140 group fitness classes and 150 pieces of gym
equipment. The Four Seasons is a local gym with only two locations, relies on corporate
sponsors, and fosters a culture surrounding valuing members, community involvement,
and creating a comfortable environment. All these factors place this local gym as the
highest gym competitor to the ARC. Four Seasons is significantly more expensive than
ARC and has a monthly membership rate. The individual membership is $69 a month and
the discounted senior (ages 65 and over) membership is $44 a month (“Community,”
2018).
 L.A. Fitness (2): L.A. Fitness is a national chain of gyms that tries to meet the distinct
needs of each community it serves. It includes a wide range of amenities and highly
trained staff to provide a fun and effective workout to family members of all ages and
interests. L.A. Fitness does provide a SilverSneaker cost-reduction for seniors. In
addition, it also offers SilverSneaker classes two times a week for resistance training and
Aqua Fit classes for members with joint ailments or injuries. Individual memberships
(ages 65 and over) with SilverSneaker is free. A competitive advantage the ARC has is
that it serves strictly the aged 55-and-over community, versus L.A. Fitness that
accommodates the younger generations (“Bloomington,” 2018).
 Gold's Gym Express (2): Gold’s Gym Express in Normal offers “Fit for 50” classes that
target gym members ages 50 and over. Like the ARC, the Normal Gold’s Gym Express
membership is covered by SilverSneaker. Although Gold’s Gym Express in Normal does
not offer as wide a range of fitness classes for senior citizens as the ARC, the Gold’s
Gym Express is still considered a competitor. This Gold’s Gym Express also caters to a
younger client base (“Normal (Gold’s Gym Express,” 2018).
2.3.3 Retirement Communities
 Westminster Village (3): This locally owned and operated nonprofit senior-residential
community has been in the Bloomington-Normal for 35 years. Westminster Village is
built on a 40-acre campus with landscaping, trees, and opportunities—such as meals,
housekeeping, home maintenance, and transportation— for its residents to enjoy the
finest retirement living. Westminster Village offers independent living, assisted living,
and skilled nursing care. This facility offers social programs, such as cruises, exercise
classes, dancing classes, wellness programs, movies, bingo, and educational experiences.
This facility is a top competitor for the ARC because it offers the equivalent of services
plus more to its members. Additionally, Westminster Village offers a more-exclusive,
members-only atmosphere (“About Westminster Village,” 2018).
 Evergreen Village (2): This community is a supportive assisted-living facility for seniors
and has multiple locations in Illinois and Indiana. It offers senior assistance and
supportive living, memory support, and traditional care. This facility offers many social
programs that include mental workouts, weekly fitness classes, physical activities, art
activities, spirituality opportunities, community events, social outings, and person-
centered programs. This facility is a competitor because it offers similar opportunities
and programs like ARC, but it is only for seniors who are unable to function entirely
independently. Senior living facilities are expensive, and this facility does not provide
specific information on pricing (“About the Evergreen,” 2018).

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  Heritage Health Bloomington (1): Heritage Health is a nursing home in Bloomington that
offers various therapy options for residents, skilled nurses, transportation, community
services, social activities, and a hair salon and barber shop. Many of these services rival
those offered at the ARC; however, since this facility only serves 88 residents, its impact
on potential ARC members is not as great as that of other competitors (“Our services,”
2018).
2.4 SWOT Analysis
The SWOT analysis serves as an analysis of the ARC’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and
threats that expose areas of advantage, disadvantage, growth, and limitations for future business.
Every SWOT aspect is stated (i.e., “aspect”), individualized for what it entails for the company
(i.e., “implications”), and hypothesized in terms of how it may benefit the company for future
operations (i.e., “possible actions”).

Aspects Implications Possible Actions

Strengths Serves multiple Diverse knowledge and Younger generations can

generations preferences teach older generations how
New building Offers competitive to use technology for
advantages communication (possible
technology classes) (Lenstra,
2017).
Marketing technique for
gaining new SilverSneaker
members

Weaknesses Lack of internal Lack of consensus for Bi-monthly meetings,

communication organizational strategic employee communication
Low number of full- goals satisfaction survey
time staff High accountability, Redefine role responsibilities
Dependence on overworked staff, of all staff, face-to-face
volunteers overlooked factors meetings
Inconsistent external Volunteer performance
communication, lack of interviews, fact sheets,
organizational direction FAQs

Opportunities SilverSneaker Not have to increase SilverSneaker Awareness

Unleased space membership fees Seminar, posters
upstairs Revenue, not have to Partnering business
Nonprofit 501(c)(3) increase membership relationships
fees (services/programs to provide
Qualified to receive the seniors)
grants and other financial Can use this additional
donations income to renovate empty
spaces in the ARC

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 Threats Shrinking tax revenue Increase membership Bring your family to ARC
Operational costs fees (show younger generation
Loss of what the ARC provides its
Changing membership seniors) (voting season)
fee option by equipment/services
eliminating couples Members using the SilverSneaker Awareness
membership (upcoming couple’s membership fee Seminar
April) may be upset and Communicate reason why
confused with the change is happening and
change option for “free” membership
with SilverSneaker

2.5 Market Position

The ARC believes that “activity doesn’t age,” which is why it serves ages 55 and over. The ARC
provides a recreational facility with a modern approach to a healthy lifestyle— physically,
mentally, and socially. With its new facility, the ARC is able to attract new members; however,
due to a lack of internal communication and a small number of full-time staff, the ARC cannot
adequately serve its growing member base.
The ARC is viewed as a credible organization that provides a unique experience for senior
recreational activities. Competitors include community centers, gyms, and retirement
communities (see Section 2.3). Overall, the ARC is able to distinguish itself from its competitors
through the unique combination of its services.
Within the senior services market, the ARC is a niche occupier. A niche occupier is a specialty
option that targets a define interest in a market (Smudde, 2105, p. 183). The ARC is the only
independent organization of its kind that specializes in providing a unique combination of
services to senior citizens, ages 55 and over, in the Bloomington-Normal community. Remaining
a niche occupier is the best option for the ARC to continue serving this specialized market. The
ARC can remain a niche occupier by following this proposed plan to improve internal
communication.
3.0 Plan
This section provides a formal and specified plan of action for the ARC for the new fiscal year
(June 1, 2018, to May 31, 2019). It builds on the previous two sections. This plan will help guide
the ARC to make the necessary improvements to best achieve its mission and reach its vision.
The following subsections include objectives, strategies, and tactics; critical success factors; key
performance indicators; budget and resource allocations; an implementation timeline; and the
final evaluation method and anticipated results.

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3.1 Objectives, Strategies, and Tactics
The following table is composed of objectives, strategies, and tactics necessary for this plan.
Objectives focus on particular outcomes by stating a desired effect, a measurable goal, a defined
target audience, and an established deadline. Objectives are accompanied by rationales and
benchmarks. Rationales support the need for the objective by stating why the specified goal
makes sense for the organization, and benchmarks give a point of comparison for the goal.
Strategies categorize the specific discourse and actions that will be utilized to realize each
objective and ensure the objectives are fulfilled cohesively and efficiently. These specific
activities and discourse are the tactics of the strategic plan that will ultimately achieve the related
objectives.

Objectives Strategies Tactics

Audience participation Create and distribute 88
1. To distribute 88 surveys measuring role
ambiguity to all employees and volunteers by surveys to employees and
volunteers
June 2018.
(Rationale: Due to no established benchmark of
employee and volunteer role ambiguity, these
surveys will establish one.)
(Benchmark: No current benchmark.)

Two-way communication Performance review

2. To create an employee communication plan
evaluations
by incorporating weekly meetings for full-time
staff beginning June 4, 2018. Employee communication
satisfaction surveys
(Rationale: Employees have raised concerns Weekly meetings
about ambiguity due to lack of internal
communication. Weekly meetings for full-time
staff will bridge that gap.) Office 365 training session to
Audience participation
ensure employees understand
(Benchmark: No consistent meetings for full- the information services
time staff. The most recent management
Bimonthly focus groups
meeting occurred on February 7, 2018.)

Provide salient Clearly define job descriptions

3. To decrease employee and volunteers’
ambiguity about job roles and responsibilities
by X* percent in six months.
(Rationale: At this time, a goal cannot be
established until competition of Objective 1)
(Benchmark: No benchmark has been
established. A benchmark will be established
after completion of objective one.)
information about the and distribute to employees
expected responsibilities
of ARC roles
Source credibility Establish training program to
develop role leaders to serve as
“experts” and trainers of future
volunteers or employees

Audience participation Employee evaluations

Job description survey to

establish benchmark

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4. To convert 10 percent of current
memberships to SilverSneaker memberships by
June 1, 2019.
(Rationale: A single membership annual fee is
$30, while the SilverSneaker membership has
the maximum potential of bringing in $240 over
the course of the year. The SilverSneaker
membership allows members to come up to
eight times a month and are charged $2.50 each
visit. Converting regular memberships to
SilverSneaker memberships would increase the
annual revenue.)
(Benchmark: Currently just over 5 percent of
ARC members have a SilverSneaker
membership.)
5. To increase SilverSneaker members’ average
monthly attendance by X* percent by June 1,
2019.
(Rationale: The SilverSneaker membership
allows members to come up to eight times a
month and are charged $2.50 each visit. To
maximize the potential earnings with this type
of membership, members must be coming to the
ARC eight times a month.)
(Benchmark: No benchmark has been
established. The ARC management must
calculate average monthly attendance to
establish a benchmark and goal.)
6. To increase annual revenue (without
increasing membership fees) of the ARC by 15
percent by June 1, 2019.
(Rationale: This is attainable if the first
objective is achieved because single
membership annual fee is $30, while the
SilverSneaker membership has the maximum
potential of bringing in $240 over the course of
the year.)
(Benchmark: The current annual revenue is
$798,425.)
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Noninteractive selective Bathroom stall flyers
media exposure
Pop-up reminder with entry
card swipe
Newsletter
Website banner
Social media Facebook
Incentive for members to
convert their membership from
Audience participation
annual to Silver Sneakers. (i.e.
Top-down communication to
members about switching their
membership to SilverSneaker
for the chance to win 15 free
classes.
Verbal cues Group activity leaders reiterate
“activity doesn't age.”
Encourage members to convert
Audience participation
their membership to
SilverSneaker using the
incentive for the chance to win
15 free classes. If a member
converts their membership,
they have the potential to
increase their own contribution
to the ARC’s revenue by 21
percent. To reach this
potential, members need to be
engaged and go to the ARC
eight times a month.
Verbal cues Promotion about SilverSneaker
membership on Facebook,
website, pop-up reminder with
entry card swipe, and
reminders from employees
talking about the free class
incentive for the membership
3.2 Critical Success Factors
The following table describes four categories of factors that could positively and negatively affect
the ARC when trying to fulfill its objectives.
• Opportunities include occasions where the ARC can capitalize the situation to build its
image and increase member support and engagement.
• Barriers include ideological, attitudinal, or social opposition to the ARC.
• Environment includes internal and external factors that could affect the ARCs objectives
and operations.
• Resources include the employees and materials necessary to fulfill business objectives.

Objectives Opportunities Barriers Environment Resources

Employees to create,
1. To distribute 88 Establish a point of Respondents may Employees want to
distribute, collect,
surveys measuring comparison provide inaccurate feel valued
and analyze the
role ambiguity to concerning role information or not Employee morale surveys
all employees and ambiguity participate
volunteers by June
Improve employee Excel program to
2018.
time management, insert data
satisfaction, and
overall efficiency Paper and printing

2. To create an Decrease Time constraints Motivated Consistent time, day,

employee employees' due to low workplace and location for
communication ambiguity about numbered staff with meetings
Mission and
plan by operations and demanding
strategic unity Agenda for
incorporating offerings responsibilities
meetings
weekly meetings Improve employee
for full-time staff Designate secretary
time management
beginning June 4, role to document
2018. Increase efficiency meeting minutes for
of customer- employees who are
employee unable to attend
interaction
Find space for
Brainstorm meetings
innovative ideas
Outlook for
and solutions
scheduling meetings

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3. To decrease
Improve employee People may claim Strengthened Creation of employee
employee and
time management they know what relationships handbooks and job
volunteers’ their job entails and among leadership descriptions and
ambiguity about Increase efficiency
of customer- could become and subordinates responsibilities,
job roles and offended that ARC requiring more
responsibilities by employee Members recognize
is claiming they are allocations
X* percent in six interaction positive change in
not doing their jobs
months. Provide members staff’s working Leadership needs to
completely and
with a full habits and embrace and monitor
correctly. interactions, change
experience of the
Not all employees leading to an
ARC with a
have ambiguity enhanced
smooth-operating
credibility and
staff Could find overlap
in job roles, thus member experience
determining a
position is no
longer needed
Employees need to
willingly respond
well to their
potentially new job
duties

4. To convert 10 Help financially Members not Members motivated Employees

percent of current struggling members wanting to put in to convert continually advocate
memberships to who do not know the effort to check membership the importance of
SilverSneaker they have the if their insurance is SilverSneaker to
Motivated
memberships by option of compliant with members
employees to
June 1, 2019. SilverSneaker SliverSneaker inform members Computer tracking
through their Members not system operating
insurance. Member
wanting to put in properly
statisfaction
Improve the effort to change
Insurance companies
communication to their membership continuing to offer
members about Uninsured the SilverSneaker
SilverSneaker
members being option
frustrated with not
Increase employee Paper/printing
having this
productivity Graphic design
offering.
program for pop-up
Removal of Health insurance
ads
couples’ companies not
membership fee wanting to pay out
drives attention to SilverSneakers.
SilverSneaker Members are
unaware of
SilverSneaker
offerings because
of health
insurances’ lack of
communication to
customers.

Page 14 of 28
5. To increase
Increase ARC’s Targeting current Members Need more staff or
SilverSneaker
annual revenue SilverSneaker experience a possible building
members' average
Increase member members noticeable increase expansion if there are
monthly attendance
engagement Members may be in overall member more members
by X* percent by attendance and
June 1, 2019. reluctant or believe More equipment and
engagement, so
they are already demand for services
they want to
attending at their Need to be prepared
become more
capacity to restock certain
engaged
Members may not themselves appliances and
have consistent toiletries
A sense of
transportation to the Need more staff to
relationship
ARC monitor activities and
building among
Members may be members, staff, and recreation
frustrated with the volunteers
elimination of
Engaged, satisfied
couple’s
memberships and members will
could be reluctant continue to be
motivated with
to resign as a
their enhanced,
SilverSneaker
active lifestyle
member

6. To increase The ARC does not Members might not High traffic Employee
annual revenue want to increase want to put in the gym/classes communication about
(without increasing membership fees, effort to either SilverSneaker
Engaged/motivated
membership fees) but increasing check if their
employees, Paper/printing
of the ARC by 15 annual revenue is insurance is
volunteers, and Graphic design
percent by June 1, possible if existing compliant with members
2019. memberships are SilverSneaker. program for pop-up
converted to ads
Members not
SilverSneaker
wanting to put in
memberships.
the effort to change
Removal of their membership at
couple’s the ARC.
membership fee
SilverSneaker only
drives attention to
pays the ARC when
SilverSneaker
the member visits
the facility.
Members are
unaware of
SilverSneaker
offerings because
of health
insurances’ lack of
communication to
customers.

Page 15 of 28
3.3 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
KPIs are measurable steps for the ARC to take throughout the plan to ensure a successful result.
The ARC’s management should periodically use the proposed measurements and compare them
to the benchmark, or the initial point of comparison.
• Objective 1 – To distribute 88 surveys measuring role ambiguity to all employees and
volunteers by June 2018.
o Benchmark – No current benchmark.
o KPI – Set deadlines for surveys to be completed two weeks after distribution and
hold employees and volunteers accountable for completion.
▪ Analyze this data and adjust future surveys as needed.
• Objective 2 – To create an employee communication plan by incorporating weekly
meetings for full-time staff beginning June 4, 2018.
o Benchmark – Need to schedule consistent meetings with entire staff. The most
recent management meeting occurred on February 7, 2018.
o KPI – Conduct bimonthly focus groups with employees to track their response to
the increase of internal communication.
▪ Analyze this qualitative data and adjust meeting logistics as needed after
each focus group.
• Objective 3 – To decrease employee and volunteers’ ambiguity about job roles and
responsibilities by X* percent in six months.
o Benchmark – To establish a benchmark, management must create and distribute
a survey to measure role ambiguity among volunteers and employees.
o KPI – Redistribute the survey in December 2018 and May 2019.
▪ Analyze and compare the results from the benchmark and adjust efforts
among decreasing role ambiguity as necessary.
• Objective 4 – To convert 10 percent of current memberships to SilverSneaker
memberships by June 1, 2019.
o Benchmark – Currently just over 5 percent of ARC members have a
SilverSneaker membership. Record the number of actual members who have a
SilverSneaker membership.
o KPI – SilverSneaker memberships should increase by 1.2 percent every month
over the 12 months, starting June 2018.
▪ Look at these numbers each month and adjust the following monthly
percentages accordingly.
• Objective 5 – To increase SilverSneaker members’ average monthly attendance by X*
percent by June 1, 2019.
o Benchmark – Record June 2018 SilverSneaker member attendance.
o KPI – Monthly analysis of SilverSneaker member attendance to increase by 3.3
percent each month.
▪ Look at these numbers each month and adjust the percentage
accordingly.

Page 16 of 28
 • Objective 6 – To increase annual revenue (without increasing membership fees) of the
ARC by 15 percent by June 1, 2019.
o Benchmark – The current annual revenue is $798,425.
o KPI – The average monthly earnings should be $76,515.
▪ Look at these numbers at the end of each month and adjust the following
monthly earnings accordingly.
3.4 Budget & Resource Allocations
The budget for this plan includes the ARC’s internal and external income from the 2017-2018
fiscal year (see Appendix C for 2017-2018 budget) and is subject to change for the 2018-2019
fiscal year. The budget also includes expenses from the proposed plan’s tactics for each objective
to reach the point of self-sustainment. The expense numbers are based on research on similar
products and are subject to change. The total proposed expenses for the 2018-2019 fiscal year
will be approximately $50. These expenses will apply in Objective 1, Objective 3, Objective 4,
and addition unforeseen expenses. The proposed expenses are low because majority of the tactics
in the plan can be done by revising current internal resources. This budget includes 10 percent of
unforeseen expenses; however, it does not include overhead costs.
See Appendix D for proposed 2018-2019 budget.
3.5 Timeline (beginning with the proposal’s acceptance/approval)
If the ARC accepts the proposed plan, it will need to follow a rigorous timeline beginning June 1,
2019. The purpose of a timeline is to ensure all milestones are met to keep the plan on track from
beginning to end. The timeline for this plan gives instruction to management about what and
when things should be done. The timeline’s milestones are categorized by color according to the
objective they are associated with. Highlighted boxes in the timeline represent milestone
deadlines. The overlaps, where multiple milestones occur, are clearly organized within each
week’s column, and it is important to keep track of all weekly tasks. Managerial decisions will
determine delegation and logistics of weekly milestone completion. Due to unpredictable internal
and external factors, the timeline is flexible and subject to change.
See Appendix E for proposed 2018-2019 timeline.
3.6 Evaluation Method & Anticipated Results
To evaluate the effectiveness of the plan, there must be measurements taken throughout and at the
end of the plan in May 2019. The measurements to evaluate the plan’s effectiveness include:
measuring decreased role ambiguity measured with surveys, collecting qualitative data from
bimonthly focus groups about internal communication, ensure increased annual income earnings
at the end of the 2018-2019 fiscal year, ensure increased SilverSneaker membership conversions
using tracking system, and ensure increased SilverSneaker member attendance using tracking
system. These measurements are in correspondence with the KPIs that should be measured
throughout the duration of the plan. See Section 3.5 for KPIs and benchmarks.
• Objective 1 – To distribute 88 surveys measuring role ambiguity to all employees and
volunteers by June 2018.
o If all employees and volunteers fill out the survey in a timely, honest manner, the
objective was successfully met. The survey results must also be accurately
collected, analyzed, and used to build future communication.
o If the objective is unsuccessful, use the available data to move forward.

Page 17 of 28
• Objective 2 – To create an employee communication plan by incorporating weekly
meetings for full-time staff beginning June 4, 2018.
o If there are monthly meetings for full-time staff held consistently throughout the
2018-2019 fiscal year, the objective was successfully met.
o If the objective is unsuccessful, adjust the frequency of meetings to be held
biweekly or monthly.
• Objective 3 – To decrease employee and volunteers’ ambiguity about job roles and
responsibilities by X* percent in six months.
o If surveys reveal that employees and volunteers have decreased their role
ambiguity by at least X* percent overall, the objective was successfully met.
o If the objective is unsuccessful, adjust the efforts associated with decreasing role
ambiguity (i.e., performance review evaluations, edit content in employee
handbook, etc.).
• Objective 4 – To convert 10 percent of current memberships to SilverSneaker
memberships by June 1, 2019.
o If SilverSneaker memberships increase by 1.2 percent every month over the 12-
month duration (starting June 2018) or totals at 10 percent, the objective was
successfully.
o If the objective is unsuccessful, adjust SilverSneaker promotions for the next
fiscal year to reach the conversion goal for the 2019-2020 fiscal year.
• Objective 5 – To increase SilverSneaker members’ average monthly attendance by X*
percent by June 1, 2019.
o If there is at least a 40 percent increase of SilverSneaker members’ monthly
attendance, the objective was successfully met.
o If the objective is unsuccessful, adjust efforts associated with increasing
SilverSneaker member attendance (i.e. employee-member communication,
incentive to convert membership, etc.).
• Objective 6 – To increase annual revenue (without increasing membership fees) of the
ARC by 15 percent by June 1, 2019.
o If average monthly earnings are $76,515 or totals $919,188.75, then the objective
was successfully.
o If the objective is unsuccessful, adjust operations for the next fiscal year to reach
the increase for the 2019-2020 fiscal year.

Page 18 of 28
Appendices

A. ARC Organizational Chart

Page 19 of 28
B. History of Normal Township’s Seniors Program Development

Page 20 of 28
Page 21 of 28
C. ARC Budget

Page 22 of 28
Page 23 of 28
Page 24 of 28
D. Proposed 2018-2019 Budget

Page 25 of 28
E. Proposed 2018-2019 Timeline

Page 26 of 28
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