The Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA has experienced significant transformations over the past 12 months. With a new executive team, a new executive director, fresh faces on our board of directors, and now a new strategic plan, we are entering an exciting new chapter. Central to all these changes is our unwavering belief that our community is the foundation of everything we do. This belief has been our compass as we crafted a Strategic Plan that genuinely reflects the needs and aspirations of the community that supports us.

 

Developed with invaluable input from our community, this strategic plan serves as our roadmap for how we can best serve both our organization and the community we cherish. The plan reaffirms our commitment to building a compassionate community where every animal thrives, and it underscores our dedication to fostering respect, empathy, and dignity for all living beings through outreach, advocacy, and comprehensive animal services.

 

Today, we are thrilled to unveil the culmination of this effort—a comprehensive 36-month plan that will shape the future of our organization and positively impact the lives of both the animals and people we serve. As we look toward the future, we’re excited to share a strategic plan that focuses on five key areas, guiding our efforts in the years to come and ensuring that our mission remains aligned with the evolving needs of our community.

 

A key aspect of our strategic plan is our people-centric approach. Over the next three years, we will shift the cultural mindset of our organization to include both animals and their human companions in our mission. By empowering and developing our staff and volunteers and partnering with human service organizations, we aim to ensure the well-being of our entire community. We believe that access to companionship is a basic human right, and we want pet guardians to be able to care for their animals without sacrificing their own health and well-being.

 

Financial sustainability is also a major focus of our plan. By optimizing our facilities, enhancing programs, and investing in vital initiatives like our Rummage Store, we are building a foundation for long-term success. Our strategic plan emphasizes data-driven decisions, including continuous market analyses, to understand regional strengths, resources, and needs, ensuring that we can continue providing quality services for the Charlottesville-Albemarle community.

1. Our People, Our Community, Our Partners

Our first area of focus is our people—staff, volunteers, board members, and the broader community. We recognize that the strength of our organization lies in the individuals who support our mission. To ensure that we are providing the best possible care for both animals and the people who love them, we are committed to enhancing onboarding and training processes for everyone involved with the SPCA. This includes adopting best practices and supporting professional growth across the board.

Collaboration is also at the heart of this focus area. We will re-engage with our partners in animal welfare and veterinary medicine, emphasizing that we are not in competition but rather allies in a shared, challenging mission. By expanding our partnerships and collaborating with intersecting industries, we can better address the needs of both companion animals and their people.

2. Our Facility and Campus

For the past 20 years, our dedicated team has maximized every square inch of our campus. However, the need for capital improvements, renovations, and expansion has become increasingly clear. To make informed decisions that support our long-term goals, we must first gather critical data.

Our team will conduct a comprehensive market analysis of animal services in our area, collaborating with local municipalities to utilize updated census data and community growth forecasts. This analysis will help us identify key gaps in services and ensure that our resources are allocated effectively, both as a leader in animal welfare and as a support system for our community partners.

3. Leveraging Our Thrift Store

Our thrift store is more than just a source of funding for our shelter—it’s a vital hub for community engagement. The store supports programs like our Compassionate Care Clinics, Community Cat Management, Pet Pantry, and Animal Advocacy, while also providing affordable, quality goods to our community members.

We plan to expand community engagement activities by utilizing the thrift store as a central location for SPCA events. This will allow us to deepen our connection with the community while continuing to support our mission financially.

4. Transparency and Communication

Transparency is crucial to earning and maintaining the trust of our community. Over the past year, we have undertaken a journey of self-discovery, holding up a mirror to our organization and working with our community to clearly define who we are, what we stand for, and how we want to show up—now and in the future.

As part of this process, we have rebranded ourselves to better reflect the community we serve and the work we do. Our updates and communications will continue to promote transparency, accessibility, and a clear reflection of our values and philosophies.

5. Evaluating Our Role as a Public Shelter

Finally, our strategic plan includes a critical evaluation of our role in managing the public shelter on behalf of the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County. For over a century, the SPCA has balanced our mission of improving animal lives with the need to provide public shelter services. However, the financial model developed by the city and county in 2009 no longer covers the costs of maintaining these services.

With the increasing costs of animal welfare and the limitations of the current funding model, our nonprofit is struggling to continue both public and private shelter services effectively. Through ongoing negotiations, we aim to secure the funding necessary to continue providing these essential public services while allowing our donors to invest in the expansion of our solution-based programs.

Looking Forward

As we move into this new phase of our work, we are excited about the possibilities that lie ahead. Our Strategic Plan provides a clear path forward, guiding us as we work to improve the lives of animals and the people who care for them. But perhaps more importantly, it reinforces our commitment to listening to our community, adapting to its needs, and ensuring that our mission remains relevant and impactful.We invite you to join us, as together, we can create a future where every animal and every person thrives.