Members of the National Association of Wheat Growers Foundation (NAWGF) Board of Directors and NAWG staff met in Las Vegas this week for a two-day strategic planning session.

Representatives from 11 NAWG-affiliated state associations came to the meeting, along with NAWG officers, who are also officers of the Foundation, and NAWG staff members, who carry out Foundation activities according to a contract between the two entities.

The NAWG Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization formed in 1977 to pursue educational and charitable activities. The Foundation owns the Wheat Growers Building, in which NAWG and other tenants are housed; puts on three leadership training programs each year with the support of industry partners; and works to undertake other educational efforts, like sponsoring learning sessions at Commodity Classic.

Despite these activities, wheat grower-leaders and staff have long felt the Foundation was underutilized and desired time to think exclusively about the Foundation’s mandate.

This week’s meeting was facilitated by Dr. Vincent Amanor-Boadu of Kansas State University, who spent much of the first day’s session giving the 30 attendees a detailed look at the way successful organizations think about their structure, their planning and their work.

Group brainstorming activities the first day and break-out sessions the second day focused on the Foundation’s history; mandate; core values and customers; objectives and metrics; and structure and resources.

Based on the information gathered and discussed at the Las Vegas meetings, participants will continue work with Amanor-Boadu to flesh out a strategic plan.

The NAWG Foundation Board of Directors will consider these conclusions and the organization’s strategic direction at their next meetings, scheduled for October and January.