After a year of putting plans on paper, Sally Dix said she is ready to put the rubber to the road.

For most of last year, Dix, the executive director of Bravo Greater Des Moines, along with Bravo’s leadership, moved through an extensive process to garner feedback from community leaders and residents, as well as Bravo stakeholders. 

The purpose of the feedback was to help Bravo’s leadership develop a new strategic plan for the organization, giving all involved a chance to start fresh, while clearly outlining the 10-year-old organization’s mission, the work it does and where it moves from here.

The planning process for laying out the new plan is officially complete, and Dix, Bravo Associate Director Dave Stone and the organization’s board of directors are already putting it into action.

“The process we went through was really introspective and inclusive, and it was very validating for us to see,” Dix said. “I am 100 percent sure the best is yet to come for Bravo. We received such unbelievable support, and we’re going to do great things.”

The new strategic plan, posted publicly on Bravo’s website, accomplishes a few goals for the organization, Dix said. Although Bravo has always had a mission, the new strategic plan articulates that more clearly.

“We didn’t have a vision for the cultural community, and we didn’t have guiding values to keep us focused and structure our work,” Dix said. “These are critical guardrails because there are lots of ways to get sidetracked if you don’t have a vision, the mission and your values in front of you.”

The plan also outlines five priorities for Bravo, priorities Dix said are not major changes from the last decade but will help the organization’s leaders stay focused on Bravo’s mission and how to best carry it out.

Heading into Bravo’s spring grant cycle, Dix said the next step will be to look at the grant-making process and work to implement suggested changes and improvements garnered through feedback last year. Dix said the organization wants to make sure it’s investing in projects that result in what the community wants.

“Bravo is looked at as a leader. If we fund something, other groups look at that list and know it’s a valid project,” Dix said. “We want to make sure we’re providing that leading edge for other funders.”

Although the past year was critically important to the strategic planning process, the excitement to step into the next year and beyond is evident when Dix talks about Bravo’s future.

“Having that chance to lead and participate in shaping a new future for Bravo, we now have the opportunity to put it in place,” she said. “There are so many reasons I love my job, but this is one of the best parts.”

 

5 BRAVO PRIORITIES

Invest wisely in a vibrant cultural community

Under this priority, Bravo Greater Des Moines will work with stakeholders to identify funding needs and align its grant-making structure so it has maximum impact on arts and culture organizations in Greater Des Moines.

“This is something we’ve done all along, so it’s no a step outside the box for us,” Sally Dix, Bravo’s executive director, said. “It remains our No. 1 priority, so we want to keep doing it and do it excellently.”

 

Enhance opportunities for the cultural community to thrive

During the feedback-gathering process, Dix said a common question asked was whether Bravo could do more to provide resources beyond funding to the arts and culture community. Dix said this means Bravo’s leadership will look into how it can provide more seminars, training or board development opportunities.

“This is a new opportunity for us, but we heard what the community said and put it in our plan,” she said. “We can’t say what this will look like right now, but we are looking at it.”

 

Promote the value of the cultural community and Bravo’s direct impact

Greater Des Moines has racked up a long list of national accolades for the opportunities it provides and the quality of life residents find here, Dix said, but none of those awards are possible without the cultural opportunities available to those who live here.

“It’s all part of this fabric that makes this a community people want to live in,” she said. “We have to do a better job of telling that story.”

 

Enrich Bravo’s leadership to sustain success

This priority focuses on Bravo’s governance structure. It also reaffirms the importance of recruiting the right people, as well as training them to effectively carry out Bravo’s mission. In fact, Bravo has already turned this priority into action. In January, the board voted to reorganize its committee structure to better support the new plan.

“We (did this) to be more aligned with our new strategic priorities,” Dix said. “We used to have eight standing committees; now, we only have five, all of which are very clearly tied to these priorities.”

 

Protect Bravo’s legacy of sustainable investment in the community

Bravo will keep a critical eye on its finances to ensure that the hotel-motel tax revenue that funds the organization is invested wisely into the community, Dix said. Possible initiatives outlined in the strategic plan include building a reserve fund for grant-making and operations, as well as exploring possible new revenue streams to elevate arts and culture organizations. 

 

BRAVO’S STRATEGIC PLAN

Bravo’s New Vision and Revised Mission

NEW MISSION: 
To provide reliable funding and support that strengthens arts, culture and heritage organizations serving Greater Des Moines.

NEW VISION: 
Bravo Greater Des Moines envisions a community where arts, culture and heritage organizations across Central Iowa are recognized and supported as vital contributors to the region’s vibrant quality of life.

PREVIOUS MISSION: 
To provide Greater Des Moines with an enriched quality of life by increasing cultural awareness, advocacy and funding, as well as fostering collaboration among cultural organizations.

To see the full strategic plan, go to http://bit.ly/1BxxZCs

 

ON THE BOARD
A quick look at who serves on Bravo’s board of directors

Michelle Book, Sean Vicente, Christine Hensley, Sharon Krause, Bob Andeweg, Tom Armstrong, Bobbi Bentz, Bob Brownell, Mary Chapman, Scott Cirksena, Paula Dierenfeld, Jeff Fleming, Bob Kling, Kristi Knous, Brian Laurenzo, Tracy Levine, Brian Lohse, Matt McIver, Kyle Mertz, Robert Miller, Marketa Oliver, Bill Peard, Ruth Randleman, Debra Salowitz, John Schmidt, John Smith, Katie Stocking, Tony Timm and San Wong