Gateway HorseWorks' Strategic Vision 2021-2026

REFLECT

GROW

S T R A T E G I C V I S I O N

2021-2026

EVOLVE

To our community: Through the unexpected pause of 2020-2021, the Board of Directors at Gateway HorseWorks took the opportunity to reflect on the challenges and successes of the last five years and engaged in a strategic planning process, thanks to the Chester County Community Foundation.

Throughout this process, it became clear that there were fundamental elements of the organization which were woven into the fabric of all our decisions, sessions, and programs. While the original founding language of our mission, vision, and values statements was relevant, we realized it did not fully capture who we have become and who we aspire to be. We have revised our mission and vision statements, added a core value, brought together members of the community to serve as an Advisory Committee, and developed an innovative, dynamic growth plan for the next five years.

We are excited to share it with you and hope you will join us as we step into the future!

Warmly,

Kristen de Marco, Executive Director

2045 UNION HILL RD MALVERN PA 19355

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484.433.9911

The Evolution MISSION

VISION

Our Mission Gateway HorseWorks’ Mission is to incorporate horses for the mental health treatment of people.

Our Vision Gateway HorseWorks’ vision is to make the incorporation of horses for the mental health treatment of people accessible to all by prioritizing access for our most marginalized and vulnerable communities. Through the development of groundbreaking programs, education, and a communitydriven approach, Gateway HorseWorks aims to further research in this field of practice and be a leader in innovative mental health solutions.

VALUES

Communicating our core value: Access Since Gateway HorseWorks’ inception, we strived to make the incorporation of horses for the mental health treatment of people accessible in our community.

Traditional talk therapy falls short or is rendered ineffective for people who have experienced trauma. The need has never been greater for more innovative tools in the mental health toolbox, however, access to groundbreaking mental healthcare, as well as horses, is still an elite experience. Gateway HorseWorks is dedicated to dismantling this lack of accessibility with sustained intention.

Additionally, we commit to centering diversity, equity, and inclusion as a keystone in the organization to create more access to this field of practice.

WWW.GATEWAYHORSEWORKS.ORG

THE NEXT FIVE YEARS

2021-2026

Since our inception in 2015, we have experienced many challenges and successes. We started out renting space and horses by the hour at a local therapeutic riding center. This allowed us to pour our start-up capital where it was needed most—offering low-cost or free individual sessions to children, adults, and families, and offering free community programs in collaboration with other agencies, foundations, and organizations. In 2018, with our clients served annually growing exponentially, we moved across the street to a farm which was for sale.

Despite our best efforts to raise the money, the farm was sold, and we were left without a place to keep our horses or offer sessions to our clients. It was then that we put out a call for help and the community responded. A generous donor family stepped forward and offered to purchase a farm Gateway HorseWorks could call home.

What we learned through that time of loss and uncertainty was that Gateway HorseWorks wasn’t a place, but rather a community of dedicated Board Members, staff, horses, volunteers, and clients who believe in innovative mental health solutions. As we began discussing “what’s next” in this strategic planning process, we all felt the pull to identify our next Big Goals and begin building the future.

In the next five years we plan to: 1. Raise $5M in 5 years 2. Open a second location 3. Launch Gateway HorseWorks' Signature Programs 4. Create a Land Trust 5. Increase representation, research, and reimbursement 2045 UNION HILL RD MALVERN PA 19355

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484.433.9911

RAISE $5M Why 5M? Deepen our investment in existing community programs Provide financial stability for GHW Allow existing staff to be salaried and eligible for benefits Hire additional full time staff to join the team: Development Director, Mental Health Clinicians and Equine Specialists, Administrative Assistant, etc.

Add several additional rescue horses to the herd Start an endowment fund Provide seed money for our second location

IN 5 YEARS Why 5 Years??

Allow us time to recover from the pandemic Begin a thoughtful, methodical search for the right people for staff and our second location Align with new donors, foundations, grantors, and corporations while growing relationships with existing ones

WWW.GATEWAYHORSEWORKS.ORG

OPEN A SECOND LOCATION As we began to imagine opening a second location, we were faced with some difficult realities. Renting or purchasing another farm and getting it operational requires a lot of time, money, and risk. Moving into a new community without adequate social capital would leave us without support from local donors, grantors, foundations, and government agencies. Because we view these as essential elements in staying true to being a community-driven organization, we considered the question, “how do we grow towards our larger dream of becoming a national nonprofit while staying grounded in who we are?” The answer: Gateway HorseWorks’ Signature Programs.

Our free-to-participant community programs are the heart and soul of Gateway HorseWorks. And, almost weekly, practitioners certified in the same model as our team from around the country reach out to us for guidance, advice, and support as Gateway HorseWorks is recognized as a thought leader in this field of practice.

It was then that these ideas began to coalesce. By replicating our programs, other practitioners from around the country can build on our successes while remaining true to their mission and stay grounded in their communities.

Therefore, Gateway HorseWorks’ aims to open its “second location” by partnering with an existing organization in the next 5 years.

Breaking Free

Unbridled Hope

people in recovery

survivors of human trafficking

Stable Connections bereaved children & families

Beyond The Barn

dependent & justice-involved youth

Galloping Home

Stable Pathways

veterans

people experiencing incarceration

It Takes A Village

Horses For Heroes

youth in residential treatment

2045 UNION HILL RD MALVERN PA 19355

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clinical & non-clinical medical staff

484.433.9911

SIGNATURE PROGRAMS Benefits to Signature Program partners include: Ability to build on Gateway HorseWorks’ name and reputation Obtain access to our partners, program designs, measurement tools, and funding Immediate help deployed to their communities Partners maintain their individuality as organization, underpinning the grassroots approach Receive social media, website, PR, and marketing guidance and support Access to clinical, equine specialist, business development, and mentoring support

Benefits to Gateway Horseworks include:

Building a national brand Lower our financial investment and risk GHW team will be focused on growing programs, not on managing day-today operations at other locations Access to larger funding with donors, foundations, and government Create larger, homogeneous data samples across partnered Signature Programs, creating more interest from university researchers National PR pitches move beyond one-off stories Continues to center GHW as the industry leader Empowers GHW to advocate on a larger stage for access to innovative mental health services Allows GHW to retain intellectual property while being shielded from some liability

WWW.GATEWAYHORSEWORKS.ORG

CREATE A LAND TRUST As our momentum continues, we anticipate that donors, local governments and land conservancies may want to donate land and/or farms to Gateway HorseWorks to ensure our innovative Signature Programs reach their communities. We will find the right people and horses to establish our flagship locations around the country through partnership, collaboration, and a community-driven approach.

2045 UNION HILL RD MALVERN PA 19355

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484.433.9911

Gateway Horseworks will Collaborate with: Placed internship programs from local agricultural schools Professional training programs for people in reentry seeking job training and placement Clinical mental health providers from masters programs Local horse rescues

WWW.GATEWAYHORSEWORKS.ORG

MEASURING Over the next five years, success will be measured by the connective growth of representation, research, and reimbursement. Gateway HorseWorks views each of these components as fundamental to creating a world where all people have access to high quality, innovative, effective, and sustainable mental health care.

Representation As a leader in the field of equine-assisted mental health programs, Gateway HorseWorks has a responsibility to advance not only access to treatment but access to training and opportunity in this professional field. We commit to elevating leadership within the organization and the equine industry.

SUCCESS Research

Groundbreaking mental health interventions require an evidence and research base to gain widespread support. Research is necessary to advance the field and increase access to equine-assisted mental health services for all. We commit to partnering with researchers at universities to investigate and publish evidence of the efficacy of our programming.

Reimbursement

In order to effectively remove costprohibitive barriers to access, we commit to advocating for more robust coverage and reimbursement of these innovative mental health interventions from insurance companies.

2045 UNION HILL RD MALVERN PA 19355

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484.433.9911

CHAMPION UNBRIDLED CHANGE As a community-driven organization, it is important to us that we provide varied and meaningful opportunities to support Gateway HorseWorks' mission, incorporating horses for the mental health treatment of people. Our organization sustains community programs and provides access to engagement through: Named gift opportunities Fundraising Events Grants Corporate Partners Individual Donors Foundations

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