CDSS (Country Dance & Song Society) logo, in green and blue
rainbow-colored dividing border

Every five years, CDSS evaluates what we’ve achieved in the past five years and where we want to be five years from now. We love this opportunity to strategize for the future so that we can grow and steward our traditions for years to come, and we are excited to share this work with you.


The CDSS Board of Directors is tasked with setting the strategic vision of CDSS and defining the direction and goals for the organization. To that end, in 2021 we formed the Strategic Planning Task Group, consisting of staff and board members, to review and assess the previous strategic plan (2019-2023) and develop a new one.


Over the past two years, the Strategic Planning Task Group has met regularly, analyzing data from member, affiliate, and organizer surveys, the Cultural Equity Advisory Group Report, and camp evaluations; collecting feedback from key stakeholders; and discussing the mission, vision, values, and goals of CDSS. The resulting 2024-2029 Strategic Plan was approved by the full board at the 2023 Annual Board Meeting.


In the strategic plan you will find:

  • Mission: What we do
  • Vision: What we want to achieve
  • Values: The guiding stars and aspirations through which we evaluate our work
  • Strategic Goals: Our priorities for the next five years

The CDSS staff will use this strategic plan to guide their work over the next five years. While our work will not be limited to these four priority areas, the strategic plan directs the staff to focus time and resources on these goals. The CDSS Board and staff will use this strategic plan to monitor the progress of the organization and course correct as necessary.


We hope you are as excited by this strategic plan as we are! Join the Strategic Planning Task Group for an online town hall meeting in early 2024 to learn more about the plan (more details coming soon), or reach out to any board member for more information. 


Sincerely,

Gaye Fifer, President

On behalf of the CDSS Strategic Planning Task Group

Avia Moore, David Smukler, Jenna Barron, Joel Bluestein, Jeremy Carter-Gordon, Luanne Stiles, Marni Rachmiel, Gaye Fifer, Katy German, Joanna Reiner Wilkinson

Footer photo by Carol Ormand; Dance, Music & Spice 2023.

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