Fall 2025 Strategic Planning for Biodiversity Collections Course

iDigBio is pleased to announce an 8-week "Strategic Planning for Biodiversity Collections” online course! Click here for more information and to apply. Applications close on September 7, 2025!

The goal of the course is for the students to produce a short (5–10 pages) strategic plan for their collection. Each plan will address vision, mission, values, stakeholders, strategies, goals, objectives, evaluation, and sustainability, among other things.

• Lesson 1 focuses on Stakeholders, Mission, Vision, and Core Values in addition to introducing participants to the course;
• Lesson 2 focuses on Strategies, Goals, Objectives, and Value Proposition; 
• Lesson 3 focuses on Environmental Scan (SWOT/TOWS analysis);
• Lesson 4 focuses on Sustainability (addressing the SWOT/TOWS analysis);
• Lesson 5 focuses on Evaluation, including Logic Models, Metrics, Benchmarks, and Milestones;
• Lesson 6 focuses on bringing everything together into a cohesive Strategic Plan, developing an Executive Summary, and adding Acknowledgements;
• Lesson 7 focuses on elements of design and formatting, developing a one-page strategic plan, and developing an elevator pitch; and
• Lesson 8 focuses on peer feedback and how to continually improve, communicate, and implement the Strategic Plan.