OrganicAthlete

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Strategic Plan

Written by Administrator

Key External Issues and Trends

Issue #1: Health and Nutrition

The CDC reports that 7 in 10 Americans are not even moderately active. The Produce for Better Health Association says only 1 in 5 Americans meet the 5 A Day minimum for fruits and vegetables. Meanwhile, the supplement, pharmaceutical, and medical industries are spreading mass nutrition and lifestyle misinformation. Food and beverage companies spend over $1 billion on sport sponsorships annually to legitimize food with questionable nutritional value, and obesity is now the #2 killer in the United States. In the realm of sports nutrition, the “scientific” marketing and advertising of sports food and supplements opens the door to more hard core things down the road. In contrast to the growing girth and declining health of much of the population, vegan athletes and activists are leading the way in demonstrating the true potential for human performance and environmental responsibility. Top sports nutritionists and athletes now recognize that a low-fat, plant-based diet is optimal for health and performance. We need to replace unhealthy commercial messages with grassroots health education and trustworthy athletic example.

Issue #2: Ecology

Recent research shows that athletic kids in Los Angeles have more lung problems than less active kids of the same age. Kids with cancer caused by environmental toxins never have a chance to play their favorite sports. The pesticides sown on school grounds and athletic fields poison our playing grounds. Indeed, most sport facilities are not designed with people’s health or the environment in mind. But for the future of sport and activity, an about face in how we treat Nature is needed. Many leaders in the green, organic and social justice movements recognize the importance of health and physical activity in our lives, but the movement has not fully tapped in to the inspiration of sport to communicate this critical paradigm shift.

Issue #3: Sport

Corporations largely own and control the sports marketplace and media. In short, corporations by and large shape how society views sports. In the US sports are driven by a consumer mentality rather than authentic community building. However, social leaders frequently employ athletes as spokespeople or role models. For example, vegan advocate John Robbins, author of Diet for a New America, often points to the rare elite vegetarian athletes as examples of optimal health. Indeed, athletes are societal role models to emulate and should act as such. Athletes themselves, though, have yet to fully exercise their collective energy, media magnetism, and societal respect to bring plant-based living and ecological awareness to a mainstream audience.

OrganicAthlete Strengths

Our greatest strength lies in our unique vision and niche. Environmental groups such as Clean Air Champions, the Global Sports Alliance, and the Surfrider Foundation exist to unite the passion and enthusiasm of sportspeople to tackle environmental problems. But OrganicAthlete is one of the first organizations by and for athletes that addresses the problem that diet and lifestyle choices ultimately either destroy or regenerate our health and earth and impact our human potential. We have one of the first comprehensive websites and global communities dedicated to advancing vegetarian diet and lifestyle for athletes. This interesting approach and many well-respected vegetarian doctors, nutritionists, advocates, and athletes give us remarkable media and marketing leverage.

OrganicAthlete Challenges

Like any start-up organization, we face many challenges. This strategic plan serves as a “training plan” to help us meet the following challenges:

• Lack of reputation and membership base- We must establish our reputation and membership base from scratch. While OrganicAthlete has a small database of over 300 people who are interested in this type of project, we otherwise have no reputation from which to build.

• Rapid Deployment - In order to succeed, we must rapidly deploy our plans and strategy, while efficiently and effectively managing the program. The support infrastructure needs to be in place before anything goes for membership inquiries. In a relatively short period of time, we must develop website content that make it look like our website has been around awhile.

• Funding- We have ambitious plans, but little start-up capital. With a little patience, diligence, and creativity, OrganicAthlete can meet its financial goals and maintain a sustainable enterprise. We also have opportunities to partner with other organization to minimize many of our costs.

Goals

1. Become a leader in promoting healthful, plant-based and ecologically responsible lifestyles

2. Develop the organizational capacity to sustainably accomplish our mission and keep it fun.

Objectives

To achieve our goals, OrganicAthlete uses 3 main strategies: information sharing and education, community building and athletic example.

Goal 1: Become a leader in promoting healthful plant-based and ecologically responsible lifestyles

Education and public outreach

Objective: Develop Website

Comprehensive resource for plant based living and performance
Online fundraising capacity
Membership connection

Timeline: site launch in March 2004; continued development with weekly updates

Objective: Develop, write, and publish a “plant-based performance” booklet.

25-50 pages with articles, FAQs, recipes and testimonials
feature PRO-Athlete Activists
feature health and Nutrition committee
similar to a starter kit be geared for athletes

Timeline: printing in September 2004

Objective: Develop, write, and present presentations to athletic clubs, school groups, and community groups.

Timeline: ongoing. Goal to deliver 15 presentations in 2004

Objective: Table at vegetarian events and sports events

Timeline: ongoing

Objective: Publish monthly e-zine Musa sapientum

Creative, interesting themes
Content development of website

Timeline: monthly. Goal to have 5000 subscribers by December 2005

Objective: Establish Health and Nutrition committee

leading vegan doctors and nutritionist that endorse OrganicAthlete mission.
Contacts to answer member newsletter questions
Rolling terms
Advisory committee
5-10 people

Timeline: have committee of 5 by June 2004

Objective: Increase media communications

Timeline: Develop media plan by December 2005

Objective: Hold “Organic Olympics” or OrganicAthlete Conference

Timeline: Develop plan and hold in 2006 or 2007

Objective: Develop training camps and youth camps.

Timeline: Create plan for youth “sport camps” in 2006

Connection

Objective: Develop Organic Revolution Membership Club.

Timeline: Sign 1500 members in 3 years. Retain 85% of membership on yearly basis.

Objective: Network and partner with other NPOs and organizations promoting plant-based living.

Timeline: ongoing

Objective: Network with other NPOs and organizations working on ecological issues and sports.

Timeline: ongoing

Athletic Example

Objective: Build OrganicAthlete Cycling Team into a Division 3 professional cycling team and an elite women’s team with strong national presence.

Identify possible sponsors
develop sponsorship package for 2005 by August 2004

Timeline: 2005 or 2006, depending on development of team

Objective: Identify other sports and athletes to sponsor

Timeline: 2005/2006

Objective: Develop PRO-Activist Athlete Team

Vegan Professional athletes who support OrganicAthlete mission
Create “PRO-Activist” logo for their websites
Bio and information page on OrganicAthlete website
No limit to #

Timeline: Identify and enlist first 10-15 by June 2004. Develop application by August 2004.

Objective: Reduce ecological footprint of OrganicAthlete’s organization and sports teams.

Native fuel powered team vehicles
Fueled by fruit: composting all food wastes

Timeline: ongoing. Create team ecologic footprint webpage with info about program and impact by September 2004

Goal 2: Develop the organizational capacity to sustainably accomplish mission and keep it fun.

Education and public outreach

Objective: Open mobile food vendor that sells organic fruit smoothies at athletic and community events

Generate $1000 minimum of monthly income for OrganicAthlete

Timeline: March – November of each year. Launch in May or June 2004

Objective: Build board and staff skills and knowledge

Identify needed skills
Attend related trainings

Timeline: ongoing

Objective: Establish 501(c)(3) status

Timeline: Complete and file application in April 2004

Connection

Objective: Monitor and assess strategic and operational plans

Timeline: Reassess strategic plan every 1 year.

Objective: Recruit and develop volunteer base

identify volunteer needs and tasksutilize email and web to connect them

Timeline: Create database of volunteers

Objective: Build capacity and diversity of the Board of Directors.
Timeline: Review Board of Directors make-up and make recommendations for Board direction/recruitment during annual meeting in January of each year.

Objective: Increase financial resource base.
Timeline: Create fundraising strategy/staffing plan in January 2005.

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OrganicAthlete is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
PO Box 33 Graton, CA 95444 | 866-258-6179 | info@organicathlete.org |