Letter from the Executive Director

In 1982, eight women founded CityClub to create an outlet for citizens to participate in Seattle’s civic life. Since then, CityClub has become a respected regional organization providing informative civic programming, access to leaders, civil debate and the lively exchange of ideas for tens of thousands of citizens. In 2007, marking 25 years of service, CityClub’s Board of Governors initiated a strategic planning process to review the organization's purpose and programs with the goals of broadening participation and deepening impact.

This report describes that process and its results. We solicited comments from nearly 400 constituents – CityClub’s founders, former trustees, members, program participants, community leaders and funders. We are deeply grateful for their insight and recommendations. They provided the mirror and conscience which informed the board’s decisions about our organization’s new vision, strategic priorities and goals.

Six months of community research affirmed CityClub’s vital role in building social capital. Constituents not only value and trust the high quality, timeliness and depth of CityClub’s programs, but they truly are more engaged as a result of their

participation. Nearly all appreciate more diverse views on civic issues, 2/3 develop new social and professional networks, over half shift their opinion, and a significant number take action as volunteers and community leaders.

Along with affirmation, we also heard challenge in constituents’ calls to go beyond current programming and find ways to move citizens from information and education to deeper levels of civic engagement—dialogue, decision and action. We were charged by the community to develop a feedback loop between citizen input, leader accountability and good public policy.

As the outcome of this strategic planning process and in response to our history and community, we are committing to:

introduce new programs – both face-to-face and virtual –including social networking, blogging and volunteering;
advance our role as a regional convener through strategic collaborations, networking and organizational linkages across the Puget Sound region; and
magnify our presence and impact in the regional media and with community leaders.

We will honor CityClub’s first 25 years of service with bold vision, ambitious goals and the passionate dedication of our board and staff to be responsive and collaborative leaders. We invite you to join us in this vital work as CityClub members and volunteers.

Sincerely,

diane signature

Diane Douglas,
Executive Director