Announcing RIPIN’s new strategic plan

After a comprehensive, year-long process, we are excited to announce RIPIN2025, a new strategic plan that will guide our organization for the next three years.

Our new strategic plan is built on four pillars:

1. Tell RIPIN’s Story.

All Rhode Islanders who can benefit from RIPIN’s work will know about us and the full scope of services that we provide. Throughout our strategic planning process, we heard from stakeholders—including many consumers who had already worked with RIPIN—who said they did not know about many of the services we provide, or that they wished they had known about us sooner. Over the next three years, RIPIN will invest in outreach and advertising and explore new ways to share who we are and the many ways that we can support Rhode Islanders across the lifespan.

We are peer professionals on a mission to help Rhode Islanders of all abilities, ages, and backgrounds get the support they need to thrive.

2. Community Connections.

RIPIN will be an active presence and trusted resource within diverse communities. Consumers and partners also shared a desire to see RIPIN have more of a presence in communities throughout the state, making it easier for the people who need our help to connect with us. We are committed to better integrating our peer professionals into the communities we serve, especially through providing more services in our clients’ neighborhoods and in their languages.  

3. The Best Employees at the Best Employer.

RIPIN will maintain the strongest nonprofit workforce in the State by building our reputation as an exceptional place to work and grow. Nothing is more critical to our mission than the strength and diversity of our peer professional workforce and leadership. RIPIN will continue to work to attract and retain top talent, empower our team members, and provide them with competitive pay, professional development, career growth opportunities, and support.

4. Forge Systemic Solutions.

RIPIN will be a respected leader in promoting and securing policies that help our constituents get the support they need. RIPIN is able to help many people overcome barriers, but many of the issues consumers face are systemic in nature. Our work gives us a unique view into how these challenges impact everyday Rhode Islanders. RIPIN will continue to amplify parent and consumer voices and work with policy makers at every level to make sure systems work for all Rhode Islanders.

Refining our Mission and Vision

The core of RIPIN’s mission and vision remains the same, but as part of the strategic planning process we took the opportunity re-draft these statements to better reflect what is at the heart of our work.

RIPIN’s Mission: We are peer professionals on a mission to help Rhode Islanders of all abilities, ages, and backgrounds get the support they need to thrive.

RIPIN’s Vision: A Rhode Island where systems work for the people who rely on them, driving improved and more equitable outcomes.

Our Strategic Planning Process

From the very beginning, we knew wanted this strategic planning process to be as inclusive as possible. This meant seeking participation from members of the diverse communities our programs serve as well as the participation of our peer professional staff.

With the help of Spartina Consulting, we embarked on a yearlong process guided by a Core Planning Team made up of RIPIN staff from all levels of the organization. This team helped organize a series of listening sessions that were held both in-person and online via Zoom, including one listening session conducted entirely in Spanish. At these sessions, we heard from clients from all over Rhode Island and from our community partners, funders, and other stakeholders. In the end, nearly 200 participants shared their insights on RIPIN’s strengths and opportunities for the future.

Next, we gathered the entire RIPIN team for two half-day strategy retreats. Together, we analyzed and synthesized all the internal and external feedback we collected. From there, the Core Planning Team and RIPIN leadership brought it all together to create the final strategic plan.

What’s Next?

The RIPIN2025 strategic plan will guide our work for the next three years, but it belongs to the communities we serve as much as it belongs to RIPIN.

That is why we are inviting the public to a virtual conversation with RIPIN Executive Director Sam Salganik on Friday, January 28 at 12:00 PM.

Join us for a chance to hear about RIPIN2025 from Sam, ask your questions and share your insights.

Click here to register for this virtual community meeting.

Can’t make it to the virtual meeting? We always welcome your feedback at [email protected].