Strategic Plan

You cannot tell the story of Students Run LA (SRLA) without mentioning the Los Angeles Marathon or the more than 3,000 students in middle and high school who each year train for, run in, and complete the race.  But the marathon is only part of the story, just as completing the race is only a piece of what SRLA’s students accomplish.  And it is those accomplishments—what the students learn and how it impacts their lives—that are at the core of SRLA. 

For well over 30 years, SRLA has been inspiring students in low-achieving schools to, in the words of one student, become the person they strive to be.  Each year, SRLA seniors graduate from high school and go on to college or other postsecondary pursuits, ultimately finding well-paying jobs and satisfying ways to contribute to their families and communities.  But just as SRLA is more than the marathon, it is also more than the students.  It is also the 185 schools and community programs served and the 550 volunteer leaders who train with their students and create a community within their team.   

To build upon the strong success of SRLA, the Board embarked on a strategic planning process in 2022.  The goal was to create a plan that would build SRLA’s ongoing ability to empower our students to improve their lives. 

During the months’ long process, SRLA identified 5 strategic areas that would ensure the organization’s vibrancy, sustainability, and growth.  These focal points include:

BOARD DEVELOPMENT

Under this strategic direction, SRLA seeks to create a highly effective and knowledgeable board.  This includes building strategies for recruiting diverse board members who both reflect the communities served as well as represent a variety of industries and professions.  Trainings to develop infrastructure for board member evaluations and benchmarks for measuring Executive Director’s actions are also part of the approach to this strategy. 

OPERATIONAL VIABILITY 

An important element for the next several years will be to strengthen the organizational foundation of SRLA.  In this endeavor, secure systems will be created for both people and equipment and a full-staffing plan will be developed.   SRLA’s success is dependent upon collaborative relationships with its race, education, athletic wear, and transportation partners.  Operational viability will be enhanced through deepening these relationships and those with other key stakeholders to ensure they continue to meet the growing and changing needs of all parties.    

FINANCIAL STRENGTH  

By enhancing revenue generation opportunities at SRLA, the organization will ensure its sustainability and growth.  Building upon successes in the areas of fund development, SRLA intends to develop and implement a more comprehensive program as well as to develop its earned income streams.  This increased revenue will better serve the 3,000 students in its programs as well as ensure that the Leaders who are vital to the success of SRLA are more consistently supported.

HIGH QUALITY PROGRAMS

Ensuring that the programs offered by SRLA are accessible and equitable for all students who participate is a core value for the organization.  This means that SRLA must be able to provide students with all the materials they need to train safely and to make sure that they get the guidance and mentorship that will help them to develop strong character and good, healthy habits. 

COMMUNIITY CONNECTIONS 

As the committee worked though creating the strategic plan, it became obvious that the relationships made during the program needed to become more intentional and institutional. Building ongoing relationships with students and leaders beyond their years of participation in the program will ensure a stronger future for SRLA.  Today, students and leaders are often connected more to their schools than to the organization.  The goal here is to build up relationships with SRLA to create a stronger community identity that will better serve the SRLA community as a whole as students grow and develop.

Over the next five years, this strategic plan will guide SRLA as it continues to inspire students and leaders, and take the necessary steps to create a more sustainable and stronger organization.