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In 1997 the Casa de Esperanza Board launched a strategic planning process. Setting a precedent that would be followed in later decision-making, we gathered information from all our constituencies--Latinas, women, funders, and other agencies. Their message to us was clear: 1) Casa de Esperanza's uniqueness is its Latina identity; and 2) Casa de Esperanza should have a stronger presence in the community.

We established guiding principles for ourselves:

1. Put Latinas and their children first.
2. Investigate new, more effective ways of providing intervention and safety to Latinas. "Shelter," as we know it, may not be the best way.
3. Put more resources into prevention and education. Focus efforts on changing community attitudes and influencing community and family change to decrease tolerance for violence.
4. We can't do it all--build the capacity of other agencies to meet the needs of battered Latinas.
5. Develop a clear and specific public policy agenda.
6. Use technology to strengthen infrastructure and hold services together.

The Board of Directors approved a Strategic Plan to be accomplished during three years, 1999-2001. Its core strategies were:

1. Redesign crisis services to best assist battered Latinas and their children to reach safety.
2. Broaden resources battered Latinas can call upon to reach independence.
3. Become a major force in community efforts to change attitudes about domestic violence.
4. Create organizational structures and fundraising strategies to support the new vision.

The Strategic Plan launched a transformation of our organization:

1. Shelter is no longer Casa de Esperanza's core service. We moved from a shelter model to Refugio, reducing the capacity of the house and the lengths of stays.
2. We changed how we did advocacy, redesigned services, and cut programs. Traditional domestic violence programs provide women's advocates and children's advocates. Building on the importance of familia, Casa de Esperanza advocates provide services to the entire family. Also, we provide women in the community with the same services that we provide to women in El Refugio.
3. We made a philosophical change that radically changed our way of working with women. Recognizing Latinas' strengths--rather than seeing them as "needy"--we shifted our approach to building on those strengths.
4. The second strategy of the Strategic Plan--broadening resources battered Latinas can call upon to reach independence--led us to Fuerza Unida, our first attempt to implement a culturally-specific strategy. In 1999 we interviewed 169 Latinas in the community, asking about their lives, hopes, and dreams. For eighteen months a steering group--led by Latinas--studied the responses and created an action plan. The process resulted in the reframing of our work.

Casa de Esperanza today is a very different organization from the one that opened its doors in 1982. Our journey has led us to recognize that only the community can end domestic violence; Casa de Esperanza's role is to mobilize the community. We developed new mission and vision statements in 2001 and have continued to refine our direction and philosophy. We adhere to a theory of change--social capital--that is interwoven with community. Casa de Esperanza's transformation has prepared us to move into the future and to lead--in our communities, in the Twin Cities, nationally, and internationally.

Executive Summary of the Strategic Plan

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