Our Commitment to Learning and Improvement

July 1st is an important inflection point in our year at Sunny Hills. As the agency closes out the previous fiscal year and begins anew, this is typically a time for reflection and renewal in our community. This past week I assembled senior staffers to share their program’s accomplishments as well as their challenges from the previous year, and articulate their goals for 2009-2010. It is an essential phase in our organizational learning cycle and an important community-building exercise. As I listened to my staff, I was gratified to hear them speak of their successes—outreach to new communities, new offerings for specialized populations of youth, and increased capacity to deliver services--and also to hear how operational improvements are being implemented on the frontlines of our work. Mission fulfillment is the ability to deliver services that are not only effective, but also efficient from a resource utilization standpoint.

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Key Goals for 2009-2010

Adherence to Fiscal Year Budget
As we usher in a new fiscal year, our mandate is clear: we must do more with less. Like many non-profit organizations, Sunny Hills has had to tighten our belt. We were able to develop a balanced budget for FY2010 by streamlining expenditures and reducing administrative overhead, chiefly through operational improvements. This budget, approved by our board of directors in May, maintains our ability to deliver high quality services and expand our programming to serve more youth and families. Uncertainties persist around the broader economic climate; Sunny Hills continues to monitor closely the state fiscal crisis and market conditions.

Solidify Regional Service Structure
Over the past several years, Sunny Hills has expanded our geographic footprint to include Sonoma and Alameda counties, in addition to Marin. The successful integration of Bay Area Youth Centers as the East Bay division of Sunny Hills was a key accomplishment of the past year. Further, we continue to enhance our programming in Sonoma County and have now become the provider of choice for emotionally disturbed youth with involvement in the juvenile probation system. One of our primary goals for 2009-10 is to further solidify this regional structure and secure a foundation for continued growth. Innovation has always been a hallmark of this agency; we continue to research new opportunities to expand our service delivery and enter new markets.

Telling Our Story
As the profile of Sunny Hills has changed, telling our story has become even more pivotal to our efforts. This year, Sunny Hills will expand our community outreach initiatives to share the positive news of our expanded reach and impact. We are implementing new ways to reach our audiences and creating opportunities for frequent, ongoing dialogues with our stakeholders.

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As we closed our meeting earlier this week, the pride in our accomplishments—in knowing that kids and families were being served at a high level—was a feeling that was shared by all. It goes without saying none of this would be possible without the dedication and commitment of our professional staff. Please join me in congratulating them on their many achievements.