STRATEGIC PLAN 2025-2028

Context for Plan:

The 2025 - 2027 Strategic Plan of the American Alliance for Theatre & Education reflects the core values of the organization to ensure that all arms of AATE are inclusive, reflective of all members and diverse in perspective and product. The Board of Directors chose to continue with a three-year plan as our field and country face this inflection point with so many colleagues in theatre and education facing obstacles and joblessness. We share this plan so that our goals are transparent and that members hold us accountable to our action steps.

Articulation of Terms:

AATE Membership:  All individuals who joined as a member of AATE so they can receive benefits and access to resources, networks, events, and training.

Potential AATE Membership: Those in the field we strive to include in AATE

AATE Board: All members who currently serve on the AATE Board of Directors

AATE Leadership: Members who serve in leadership position within the organization (network chairs, conference chairs, YTJ advisory and editorial board, committee chairs)

Global Majority: A collective term for people of Indigenous, African, Asian, or Latin American descent, who constitute 85% of the global population.  It is an alternative term to those which are seen as racialized like Person of Color, Ethnic Minority, or BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color).

Our strategic plan is a living and breathing document, making AATE’s work and priorities transparent to our Members. This plan will be assessed annually and adjustments will be made accordingly to be in alignment with the current climate of the world.

Anti-Racism and Equity Work 

• Goal: AATE will become a more equitable, inclusive, and accessible organization to all members.

Year 1

• Strategy– AATE board will examine organizational structure through an anti-bias and anti-racism lens.

• Action Step - Board will work with the consultant to audit AATE organizational structure and examine We See You White American Theatre documents.

• Action Step – AATE Board will participate in a series of anti-racism and anti-bias training.

• Action Step -AATE Board will recommend organizational changes which include both internal and external shifts.

• Strategy – AATE will engage members in sustained dialogues regarding anti-racism and anti-bias topics.

• Action Step – AATE will host online conversations and/or workshops as well as reach out to current and past members to (re)establish and deepen on-going relationships.

• Strategy – AATE will examine the use of language from an anti-bias and anti-racism lens.

• Action Steps – AATE will review implicit and explicit bias embedded in our use of language and make revision to ensure inclusivity and equity.

• Strategy – AATE will invest and nurture current and future BIPOC leaders.

• Action Step – AATE will launch new initiatives to support BIPOC members.

Year 2

• Strategy– AATE will begin implementation of organizational changes recommended by the board.

• Action Step - Board will execute at least top two priorities from the recommendation and review the priorities for the following year.

• Action Step – AATE board and leaderships (i.e. network chairs, journal board, committee members, etc.) will participate in a series of anti-racism and anti-bias training.

• Strategy – AATE will engage members in sustained dialogues centered around EDIA topics.

• Action Step – AATE will host training and online conversations regarding anti-racism and anti-bias as well as solicit feedback on structural changes implemented in year 2. Topics of the training and conversations will be in alignment with the board and leadership training.

• Strategy – AATE will examine the use of language from an anti-bias and anti-racism lens.

• Action Steps – AATE will annually review implicit and explicit bias embedded in our use of language and make revision to ensure inclusivity and equity.

• Strategy – AATE will invest and nurture current and future BIPOC leaders.

• Action Step – AATE will host initiatives to support BIPOC members.

Year 3

• Strategy– AATE will continue implementation of organizational changes recommended by the board.

• Action Step - Board will execute at least two new priorities from the recommendation.

• Action Step - Board will review, assess the effectiveness of the organizational changes during year 2 and 3 and make a future recommendation.

• Action Step – AATE Board, and leaderships will participate in a series of anti-racism and anti-bias training with members. 

• Strategy – AATE will engage members in sustained dialogues centered around EDIA topics.

• Action Step – AATE will host training and online conversations regarding anti-racism and anti-bias as well as solicit feedback on structural changes implemented in year 3.

• Strategy – AATE will examine the use of language from an anti-bias and anti-racism lens.

• Action Steps – AATE will annually review implicit and explicit bias embedded in our use of language and make revision to ensure inclusivity and equity.

• Strategy – AATE will invest and nurture current and future BIPOC leaders.

• Action Step – AATE will host initiatives to support BIPOC members.
  
  

Finance 

• Goal: Enact and maintain a budget and financial practices that reflect AATE’s solvency priority and strategic plan.  

Year 1

• Strategy: Responsible Stewardship - AATE Board focuses their efforts to move the organization to operating entirely in the black.

• Action Step: Pay down any debt.

• Strategy: Diversified Resources - AATE will maintain multiple revenue streams to include year-round income and contributions.

• Action Step: Apply for grants, ensure multiple programming events are revenue bearing and more targeted fundraising goals (as opposed to relying primarily on revenue from National Conference).

• Action Step: Ensure the Give/Get practice for AATE Board remains part of leadership’s role in the organization.

• Strategy: Justice-Focused Allocation of Resources - AATE will position our budget as a moral document.

• Action Step: Provide financial resources for AATE’s Anti-Racism & Equity goals.

Year 2

• Strategy: Responsible Stewardship - AATE Board will lead a campaign to rebuild our savings (President’s Fund).

• Action Step: Advocate for the need, fundraise for the money, and move surplus income into the President’s Fund. 

• Strategy: Guided Resources - AATE Board will set and facilitate financial support to AATE’s programmatic and organizational goals.

• Action Step - Create line-item support for programs and goals outlined by the board.

• Strategy: Justice-Focused Allocation of Resources - AATE Board will continue to position AATE’s budget as a moral document

• Action Step - Implement the Anti-Racism/Race Equity strategy and enact the evolving action plan of those goals with AATE finances.

Year 3

• Strategy: Responsible Stewardship - AATE will target resources toward the Board determined goals.

• Action Step – Goals identified for targeted resources include in-person national conference, expand AATE staff, increase visibility nationally.

• Strategy: Evaluated Resources - AATE will reassess financial resources. 

• Action Step – An organizational evaluation of finances and/or professional financial audit will be conducted.

• Strategy: Justice-Focused Allocation of Resources - AATE will hold ourselves accountable.

Action Step - Continue our financial transparency by providing comparative metrics of goals vs. actuals related to budget and financial support of Anti-Racism/Race Equity commitments.

Member Support 

• Goal: Grow, diversify, and maintain a community engaged in transparent communication and valued AATE programming. 

Overall

• Strategy: Continue to offer tiered scale/pay-what-you-can membership and programming fees.

• Action Step: Communicate through a strategic recruiting/marketing campaign about available pricing.

• Action Step: Post events, reflect as a Board on the pricing of these events, identify successes and areas for further improvement.

• Action Step: Board proposes a budget that appropriately reflects financial needs of members and the organization.

• Strategy: Continue to offer organizational and Leaders of Color Institute specific Mentor programs to expand Membership base.

• Action Step: Create touchpoints to ensure communication between the Mentor/Mentees actually occurs.

• Action Step: Create a celebration at the end of year to honor the learning done.

• Action Step: Create an option on the mentors/mentees application for publications and engage members of the Research and Scholarship network to facilitate this mentorship.

• Strategy: Continue to offer Affinity Groups to support existing and new Members.

• Action Step: Celebrate and acknowledge existing Affinity Groups, highlighting the important role of allyship and open access.
• Action Step: Investigate best practices on how to communicate with the Affinity Groups.
• Action Step: Offer infrastructure to support the creation of new Affinity Groups.
  
  

• Strategy: Continue to offer both online and in person programming to maintain access for all.

• Action Step: Post online and in-person events, reflect as a Board on the format of these events, identify successes and areas for further improvement.

• Action Step: AATE Board proposes a plan each Fall that maps out online/in person offerings.

Year 1

• Strategy: Survey the membership about programming, organizational benefits, and possibilities to align programming in response to the needs of our Members

• Action Step: Develop a formal survey/questionnaire to identify the most important areas of programming for us to focus resources, why people are members, and what they want. Gather data on career level as student/new guard interests may differ from more seasoned members.

• Action Step: Implement the survey through email and in-person outreach. Create a QR code for the survey so it is easily accessible at AATE events.

• Action Step: AATE Board members prepare and deploy informal discussions during conference to gather additional data.

• Action Step: As a board, review and evaluate survey data.

• Action Step: AATE Board proposes new plan to develop networks and programming in alignment with this data for the next 2 years.

• Action Step: Revise and publicize the ‘member benefits’ so they match current member experience.

Year 2

• Strategy: Develop regional approach to in-person programming to raise awareness of AATE network opportunities and membership resources.  

• Action Step: Identify target regions for member development.

• Action Step: Identify possible areas for collaboration (project, panel, workshop etc.) with the partner organizations, member organizations, and institutions to cultivate new members and share resources (space, participants, and budget).

• Action Step: Develop regional leadership (from the Board and wider membership) to plan and implement in-person programming in alignment with survey data. 

• Action Step: Market tiered membership and mentorship program to these targeted regions.

Year 3

• Strategy: Reassess committees to ensure AATE is reaching all Members’ needs based on current trends.

• Action Step: AATE Board reviews membership numbers, and assess best practices for communicating with members:

• Identify areas of success, and areas to improve in terms of communication and ways to reach new members.

• AATE Board proposes plan for the next three years based on this reflection.

• Streamline committees.

• Strategy: Reassess identity, promotions, and marketing to ensure we are aligned to Members’ needs and current programming.
• Action Step: Review AATE’s mission and vision statement and propose modifications. 
  
  

• Strategy: Assess regional approach to in-person programming.  

• Action Step: Identify success of collaborations (project, panel, workshop etc.) with the partner organizations, member organizations, and institutions.

• Action Step: Identify success of cultivating new members and highlight successful strategies that can be continued or expanded. 

• Action Step: Identify success of cultivating regional leadership and highlight successful strategies that can be continued or expanded.