Mission

 

CHC’s  mission is to promote and preserve historic Chesapeake Bay watercraft and to educate the public on the cultural and natural heritage of the Upper Chesapeake Bay… AND to promote and assist scientific research, and  support the gathering of scientific information for preserving the ecological and natural resources of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, thus helping to ensure the Bay’s health and viability.

 

Vision 

 

CHC’s  vision is to bring to life the spirit of its mission BY developing and offering to Upper Bay communities a variety of educational, informational, recreational, research, and educational programs and activities AND building a financially sustainable business model that will allow CHC to continue its mission and vision far into the future.

 

Programs

 

The realization of CHC’s  mission and vision is brought to life through its active community involvement — the wide variety of events, cruises, and educational programs offered to the public.

 

• Public informational short cruises

• Public recreational specialty cruises

• School (formal) educational programs

• Youth (non-formal) educational programs 

• Upper Bay ambassador cruise programs

• Traditional oyster dredging  

• Outreach to Upper Bay communities 

• Research support to local colleges/universities 

• Web and social media information development 

 

Asset Sustainability 

 

CHC’s  ability to sustain its programs will rely heavily on both the short and long term maintenance of its primary asset, Skipjack Martha Lewis. Maintenance of this vessel is important not only to  sustain CHC programs, but also for the preservation of a significant piece of Maryland’s cultural and economic history.

 

• Vessel maintenance 

• Vessel improvements 

• Education and research equipment 

• Annual vessel maintenance budget

• USCG compliance requirements 

 

Financial Sustainability 

 

Successful CHC  program and asset sustainability will be ensured through effective fiscal management, creative fundraising, and active grant seeking.

 

• Annual budget adoption 

• Accounting and IRS filings

• Donor/contributor development 

• Grant development and management 

• Corporate sponsorship development 

• Revenue generating program development  (VIEW A MODEL)

• Rainy Day Fund and endowment program 

 

Organizational Framework and Compliance 

 

CHC’s  long term success will rely on a strong, functional, appropriately structured, and creative organizational framework and compliance effort.

 

• By-laws and organizational structure review 

• Charitable Non-profit filings

• IRS filings

• Committee structure 

• Volunteer recruitment and training (skills, safety, compliance)

 

CHC Goals

 

   2023

• Make Skipjack Martha Lewis seaworthy

• Obtain USCG COI

• Recruit and train crew and volunteers 

• Resume CHC on-the-water activities 

• Develop new revenue streams - grants, donations, fares

• Build sustainable organizational structure (staff/volunteer functions)

 

   2024

• Develop/refine school education programs for grades 2-6

• Conduct on-the-water school trips for grades 2-6

• Develop public educational and recreational cruise programs

• Embark on at least two Upper Bay “ambassador” cruises

• Continue to build new revenue streams

• Retain and Executive Director 

 

Operational Plan    (from INDEED.COM)

 

An operational plan is a specific, detailed work plan that identifies how you’ll reach a specific goal or outcome. Usually, operational plans are part of a larger strategic or business plan. The operational plan provides the steps for how the company will reach the goals outlined in the strategic or business plan. Most operational plans identify:

 

• Who:Who in the company will manage each stage or step of the operational plan.

• What:What specifically the company needs to do to reach the outlined goals.

• When:When each specific task needs to be completed in order to achieve a favorable outcome.

• How:How to reach the set goals, including how the company will use resources like time, money and labor.

 

CHC must develop the operational plan (specific tasks and activities) for 2023/2024 goals. This will require a full scale planning "retreat" to set the detailed path forward and the creation of various working groups/committees. It will also require the recruitment of qualified people to do this work.

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