Strategic Plan 2023–2025

US Climate Action Network (USCAN)

Purpose

USCAN’s 2023–2025 strategic plan is a short term member-driven strategy that is intended to guide the network’s shared work over the next few years. It builds on USCAN’s existing strengths and incorporates the wisdom, knowledge and recommendations its members articulated in the development of this plan.

The 2023–2025 strategic plan was created with the support of Keecha Harris and Associates, Inc (KHA). They guided the network through a six-month process of member engagement that included a visioning exercise at the June 2022 Member Meeting, a member-wide survey, and a series of listening sessions. Input was gathered from over 250 members and partners.

Framing Concepts

Taking greater action toward transformative change, centering love.

The strength of USCAN is its diversity of membership and the perspectives, expertise and strategies they bring to the table. We recognize and celebrate this diversity as we know that in order to successfully attain our ambitious mission, we need to work on multiple issues, employing myriad strategies simultaneously.

The Four Roles of Activism framework, developed by Bill Moyers within the Movement Action Plan, provides a conceptual framework that helps movement actors to understand the different roles required to advance social change, “...how to play each role effectively, and foster understanding and collaboration across the roles.” The bottom line is we all have a part to play and by working together, we can get further. As urgent as the climate crisis is and as formidable the actors are that benefit from status quo, it is critical that USCAN members work together to realize the world articulated in the vision.

Strategic Plan Goals and Strategies

USCAN Pathway toward Impact

Over the past few years, USCAN members have been focused on building alignments by working together in action teams toward shared aims, learning with one another, sharing resources, and developing principles and practices of equity, justice, diversity and inclusion. All of that work laid the basis for what members are now calling for, a pivot toward external facing work that delivers on climate, with clear outcomes and deliverables, while continuing to learn how to work together in principled ways. We can do this.

Strategic Plan Goals and Strategies

USCAN members voted on a plan that will guide the network through 2025. Goals and strategies to build power to win, for which there were overwhelming support, were:

Build Relationships, Trust and Alignment. Trust, connection, power-sharing, and equity are all important pieces to building successful relationships, especially in member-driven networks. Alignment is a process by which members reach a shared understanding with people they trust. Through that understanding, USCAN members can better work together to shape, guide, and work to implement shared goals and strategies.
Engage Members and Communities in Advocacy and Campaigns. As a diverse, member-driven network that is pivoting to more external-facing work, we recognize the value of employing different strategies to address the climate crisis. Identifying, creating and collaborating on the various pathways for member engagement, influence and action is key to USCAN’s success as an organization and as a network.
Strengthen Network Infrastructure and Processes. In order for this strategic plan to be successful, effective, and sustainable, USCAN’s focus on equitable infrastructure and processes is essential.