Better Basics' goals are designed to help the organization further its mission of making a positive difference in the lives of children and their families by advancing literacy through enrichment and intervention programs. The goals help the organization ensure adequate funding and staffing to help fulfill and grow the mission. • 10 percent increase in earned income year-to-year. • 10 percent increase in students served year-to-year. • 15 percent increase in revenue from grants year-to-year. • Grow total revenue at 7 percent (CAGR) through 2018 (to $2M). • Engage 80 percent of target school districts by 2018. • Maintain at least 85 percent retention of staff and Board members. • Identify and facilitate five new long-term school partners.

Better Basics has developed specific strategies to help the organization reach its goals. The strategies Better Basics employs include: -Strategic partnerships: Understand, evaluate and pursue school partnerships that support our core mission and focus. -Programs and services: Regularly update and evaluate our programs and services. -Organizational infrastructure: Strengthen the organizational structure and invest in staff and volunteer recruitment and retention activities. -Finances and revenue development: Develop and execute a strategic approach to fundraising and revenue development. -Board of Directors: Optimize the composition and involvement of our Board members. -Marketing and communications: Generate external awareness of Better Basics and our organization's efforts to facilitate illiteracy reduction.

Better Basics has developed a strong nonprofit organization and effective literacy programs over the last 25 years. In that time, Better Basics has developed a strong and positive brand in the community of an organization that can generate positive results through its literacy programs while maintaining a fiscally responsible organization. Through a strategic planning process, Better Basics has identified several strengths that allow the organization to attain its goals. - A dedicated and qualified staff ensure Better Basics' programs are delivered at the highest quality levels. - The mission of Better Basics to make a positive difference in the lives of children and their families by advancing literacy through enrichment and intervention programs remains vital to a strong community. Better Basics has proven over the last 25 years that the organization has the ability to deliver high quality programming that is beneficial for struggling students. -Better Basics utilizes scientifically-proven methods to reach struggling readers with the support they need to improve their reading skills. Directors of each program strive to ensure that the most current and effective modes for reaching the program goals are employed in program delivery. -Better Basics programs are dependent on a strong and well-trained group of volunteers. Better Basics has successfully utilized a model of volunteer recruitment and retention that allows the organization to fill more than 1,000 volunteer opportunities each year. -Better Basics is able to ensure all staff members are working toward common goals through regular opportunities to meet together to discuss the mission, goals, successes, and difficulties. This regular communication ensures all staff members know that they can reach out for help if they need it.

Each year, Better Basics analyzes the results of every program to ensure that goals are being met for the students that are served by the organization. Better Basics is able to track progress each year, as well as year-to-year. Better Basics' financial documents are studied several times per year to ensure that funding that is entrusted to the organization is adequately and appropriately utilized to fulfill the Better Basics mission. Better Basics' finances are audited annually by an independent auditing firm to ensure fiscal excellence.

Each year, Better Basics is able to see progress in the students served by the organization through increases in test scores and numbers of books read by students. However, these increases are only one indicator of success. Success is also witnessed in increased self-confidence in students who were too afraid of failure to read in front of their class, but after completing a Better Basics program, they can now read aloud with confidence and ease. Success is found for a student who doesn't have the resources to attend a live theater presentation, but because Better Basics can bring a production to his or her school, that student now hopes for a future in the arts. In 25 years, Better Basics has grown from a single tutoring program at one elementary school to an organization serving more than 26,000 students each year through ten literacy programs. Better Basics has made progress towards the vision of eradicating childhood illiteracy and ultimately improving the quality of life in the communities it serves, but the work is not finished. For every student that Better Basics is able to reach, there are still many that have not been served. The Better Basics service area is expanding, opening additional opportunities to reach students.