Riverbanks Zoo and Garden Strategic Plan 2023-2028

Strategic Plan 2023-2028

PREPARED BY:

Creating Connections.

Inspiring Action.

Impacting Conservation.

Riverbanks Zoo and Garden - Strategic Plan | Table of Contents

OVERVIEW Message from President & CEO Introduction

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GUIDING PRINCIPLES Our Mission Our Vision Our Values

4 5 6

KEY COMMITMENTS & OBJECTIVES Animal & Plant Care Riverbanks Experience Conservation Impact Community Engagement Team Experience

9 10 11 12 13

APPENDIX Process Organizational Profile Staff Survey Acknowledgments

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Riverbanks Zoo and Garden | A Roadmap for the Future Dear Friends, This strategic plan reflects the voices and diverse perspectives of Riverbanks Zoo and Garden’s team members, Commission and Board members, conservation partners and community stakeholders who responded to surveys, participated in personal interviews, meetings, and workshops. We would like to especially thank the members of the Strategic Planning Innovation Team and senior staff for playing a leading role in the development of this plan. We are grateful for their wisdom, insight, and ideas. Their time and efforts have helped create a dynamic roadmap for our future.

The plan strengthens and carries forward our mission by identifying our primary objectives and supporting actions for the next five years. It builds upon current success and prioritizes future innovations that will ensure that Riverbanks continues to be a leader in family fun and conservation engagement in South Carolina and around the world.

Thank you for your interest and support in our mission to create connections that inspire action and impact the conservation of wildlife and wild places. We hope you will join us on this journey as we embark on the next 50 wild years.

Sincerely,

President & CEO Riverbanks Zoo and Garden

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Riverbanks Zoo and Garden - Strategic Plan | Introduction The strategic plan lays the foundation for how we will tackle the next 5 years, laying the groundwork for a reimagining of the institution and its future. We have the opportunity to recommit to the animals and plants that are our most important assets, to conservation, to the Riverbanks team, to our guests, and to our communities.

Our goal is to make a difference: to create the opportunity for profound experiences that amaze and intrigue; that inspire joy, reflection, and reaction; and that bring people together to take action for our planet.

This plan is designed to be a living document—one that won’t sit on the shelf, but that will become part of our regular operations, providing guidance to staff, inspiration to leadership, and incentive to donors. We have sought to elevate and incorporate all voices in the Riverbanks communities, including leadership, staff, volunteers, community representatives, corporate partners, members, donors, and peer organizations. This process was designed to build buy-in for the plan through regular engagement, so that the Riverbanks team truly owns their plan and is ready to support its goals and champion the mission.

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OUR VALUES

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S

5

PLE

OUR VISION

CI

4

PR

IN

OUR MISSION

G

I U

N I D

G

3

UR O

ON SSI MI

We create connections and inspire actions that have a lasting impact on wildlife and wild places.

4

OU RV ISI O

N

We envision a world where every generation works to ensure that animals and plants thrive locally and globally.

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OUR VALUES

EXCELLENCE

CARING

BELONGING

GROWTH

PROFESSIONALISM

We are committed to continuous improvement and always providing our guests with the highest quality experience.

We show consideration, kindness, and appreciation for animals, the planet, our guests, and each other.

We strive to create and reinforce a sense of belonging. We value our team members and our guests for their unique perspectives, capabilities, and contributions, and we welcome their full and authentic participation.

We inspire creativity and collaboration to promote bold and inspiring ideas.

We consistently pursue professional standards of excellence and sustainable growth of our organization, demonstrating integrity and ethics in every aspect of our business.

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CONSERVATION IMPACT

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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

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TEAM EXPERIENCE

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S

10

ENT

RIVERBANKS EXPERIENCE

IT M

9

M

M

ANIMAL & PLANT CARE

Y KE

O C

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KEY COMMITMENTS

ANIMAL & PLANT CARE

RIVERBANKS EXPERIENCE

CONSERVATION IMPACT

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

TEAM EXPERIENCE

We provide the highest standard of animal and plant care through a commitment to animal wellbeing and horticultural practices.

We provide memorable experiences that increase connection with the natural world to inspire actions that have lasting impact on wildlife and wild places.

We are committed to conservation and sustainability strategies that have a positive impact on wildlife and wild places in South Carolina and around the world.

We are dedicated to cultivating meaningful relationships in our community to advance our mission.

We create an environment where team members feel welcome and appreciated for their contributions to the success of the Zoo and Garden.

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AN IM A

& L

E R A C T N A L P

We provide the highest standard of animal and plant care through a commitment to animal wellbeing and horticultural practices.

Continually improve and replace aging facilities and habitats to meet or exceed shared standards for care and management of species.

Enhance collection plans to consider the sustainability of species, suitability to campus and enhancement to the guest.

Increase staff capacity and training to provide the highest standard of care.

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RIV ER BA We provide N memorable

KS

E NC RIE PE EX

experiences that increase connection with the natural world to inspire actions that have lasting impact on wildlife and wild places.

Enhance the physical campus and programming to be more inclusive and accessible.

Increase on-site opportunities for developing connections with our mission.

Improve overall guest satisfaction scores by 10%.

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CO NS ER V

T C A P IM

N O I T We are committed A to conservation and

sustainability strategies that have a positive impact on wildlife and wild places in South Carolina and around the world.

Establish signature conservation programs that address wildlife trafficking and pollinator habitat.

Provide opportunities for all staff to participate in hands-on conservation efforts both on and offsite.

Develop a campus sustainability plan to reduce resource consumption and grow a culture of sustainability.

T EN EM AG G

COM MU NI TY EN We are dedicated to cultivating

meaningful relationships in our community to advance our mission.

Expand relationships with organizations and communities to engage an increasingly diverse audience.

Strengthen relationships with community leaders to increase understanding of Riverbanks and the value to the community.

Increase corporate and philanthropic giving.

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EX PE R TEA M

E C N IE

We create an environment where team members feel welcome and appreciated for their contributions to the success of the Zoo and Garden.

Provide staff with opportunities for professional growth to enhance job satisfaction and performance.

Increase employee satisfaction with through staff engagement and appreciation opportunities.

Decrease employee turnover by 10% through compensation analysis and benefits programs.

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ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE

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STAFF SURVEY

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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A

X

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DI

PROCESS

P P

N E

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Process

Spanning from December 2022 - July 2023, the strategic planning process was a major effort and investment of resources and time. Riverbanks leadership and staff were dedicated to creating an open, inclusive process that elevated as many voices as possible. The team was also invested in collecting meaningful data and contributing the time and effort to offer thoughtful guidance in the development of the plan. The work was accomplished over four distinct phases, each building on the work and findings of the previous phase.

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Our Process| Phase by Phase

1: DISCOVERY Where are we?

2: OPPORTUNITIES Where can we go?

3: REALITY What will we do?

4: ACTION How will we do it?

In this learning phase, we dug deep into the organization, looking at internal and external data to help us understand Riverbanks quantitatively and qualitatively. This learning process included a staff survey, staff and volunteer interviews, and market and audience analysis.

Based on our findings, we started to dream big. First, we worked to define the Zoo & Garden's identity through updated mission, vision, and values. We then identified key themes we wanted to tackle in the strategic plan and began brainstorming specific initiatives to address them.

Using our brainstorming work and data as the basis and our mission, vision, and values as a decision-making filter, we drafted our priorities (key commitments) and determined what specifically we can and want to accomplish (objectives).

Finally, the team turned our objectives into detailed action plans, identifying the tasks, timelines, resources, and people needed to reach our ambitious goals.

These will become our roadmap for the next five years.

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Organizational Profile

The Organizational Profile provided a highlevel overview of review and analyze five years of internal data such as visitor studies, market data, and financial, attendance, pricing, and membership data operations and visitation at Riverbanks Zoo & Garden.

This included benchmarking a competitive set of comparisons with organizations from across the country that have a similar drivetime population. This analysis enabled us to develop a profile of the regional market landscape and document the organization's current business model and future opportunities in the market.

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Organizational Profile | Visitor Origin

Membership drives attendance, but nearly 33% of visits come from beyond a 90-minute drive.

This is a unique composition.

STRATEGIC IMPACT Considering the recent price change, this may be a good opportunity to test for price sensitivities.

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Organizational Profile | Regional Opportunity

Charlotte and Greenville contribute equally to total visitation as is – Charlotte has more people and a lower market penetration.

STRATEGIC IMPACT A moderate investment in the Charlotte market could yield a substantive attendance increase.

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Staff Survey Staff engagement was assessed through in-person interviews as well as a comprehensive, professional survey administered and analyzed by Global Aspect Human Capital Advisors in order to better understand the current state of organizational culture. The survey revealed complex interactions across dimensions rated most and least favorable and employee department. Key Driver Results suggesting potential focus areas with the greatest likelihood of influencing future employee engagement at Riverbanks Zoo & Garden were reviewed with the leadership team during the survey presentation and review session.

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Staff Survey Takeaways EXISTING STRENGTHS Pride in being a part of Riverbanks Beauty of campus Guest experience

AREAS TO IMPROVE Opportunities for greater staff connection to mission Institution-wide communication/collaboration Sustainability practices and conservation tactics

“There are guests that walk the park every day for years – saying hello builds a relationship, and this place means a lot to a lot of visitors – multiple generations have grown up here.”

OUR PRIORITIES Local conservation, access, and partnerships Inspire real action through public programs Provide exceptional guest experiences that build connections

- Staff comment

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Acknowledgements Thank you to the staff and volunteers of Riverbanks Zoo and Garden and to the members of the Riverbanks Society and Riverbanks Park Commission.

Your commitment has made this project possible and will make the aspirations in this plan a reality.

Pathfinders: Tommy Stringfellow Christie Vondrak Lochlan Wooten Ashley Harris Monique Jacobs Rachael Bashor Kevin Eubanks Greg Peccie

Innovators: Lauren Waite Casey Fissel Nikki Hartman Alyson Proveaux Kathy Vause Tori Sipos Ryan Hatcher Amanda Schlegel Greg Kanavel Mallary Gose Ray Brindle

Nate Ennis Gueren Hughen Michelle Moellering Micah Acton Eric Shealy Brian Francis Taylor Morris Adam Matney Mike Buck Hunter Balog Amanda Segura Mike Collins

Canopy Strategic Partners was honored to facilitate this process for Riverbanks Zoo and Garden.

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