Editorial Freelancers Association

Strategic Plan Update: September 2022

In February 2022, the EFA announced its first-ever strategic plan, covering the period January 2022–January 2025. The plan, along with new mission and vision statements, will inform the work of the Board of Governors, volunteers, and staff over the next three years to strengthen our operational efficiencies and effectiveness as well as human-centric priorities related to engagement and inclusion.

We are pleased to provide our members with a brief update regarding the implementation of the strategic plan across five strategic priorities:

White on red hexagon icon with gray text Professionalize & Expand Education, EFA Strategic Objective

• Strengthened staff operations to handle a full-scale education program by hiring a full-time educational programs coordinator
• Established profitability minimums for EFA courses
• Created database of potential instructors with a focus on diversifying instructor pool
• Improved website reporting functionality
• Improved presentation of course catalog
• Added self-paced courses to the catalog, an affordable way to learn new skills on a flexible time frame
• Migrated to a new course platform integrated with the EFA shopping cart, making it easy for students to log in and view all their courses in one place

White on red hexagon icon with gray text Engage & Strengthen Membership, EFA Strategic Objective

• Created and disseminated a survey on Job List experiences to both EFA members and clients
• Enhanced the Discussion List to ensure healthy discourse and valuable networking
• Developed and planning to pilot an Academic Editors Group
• Shared National Volunteer week post that recognized and acknowledged many EFA volunteers
• Gathered information from chapter coordinators about future and immediate needs
• Eliminated $35 join fee, effective September 1, 2022
• Planning implementation of new association management software

White on red hexagon icon with gray text Elevate & Integrate Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion, EFA Strategic Objective

• Executive Committee encouraged members of the Diversity Initiative to run for the Board of Governors
• Reminded Chapter Coordinators to include a link to Anti-Harassment Policy in event registration
• Working to ensure that images posted on the website and on social media channels include alt text
• Launched and promoted the Ruth Mullen Memorial Scholarship Program
• Welcomed new Diversity, Equity, and Belonging Committee Chairpersons Sara Kamali and Andrea Reid

White on red hexagon icon with gray text Streamline & Systematize Structure & Governance, EFA Strategic Objective

• Announced Strategic Plan and completed and circulated implementation matrix to Board of Governors, volunteers, and staff
• Provide quarterly strategic plan implementation status updates at Board meetiings
• Created and circulated Conflict of Interest Policy for EFA staff and volunteers
• Finished part 1 of Board Operations Handbook and approaching completion of part 2

White on red hexagon icon with gray text Coordinate & Optimize Communications, EFA Strategic Objective

• Recruited 25 Social Media committee volunteers, streamlined social media handles and platform management for more effective communication, exploring additional platform options
• Refreshed the Freelancer newsletter and recruited new volunteer column editors and writers
• Discussion List Community Managers continue to ensure a safe, inclusive, professional, and vibrant online community for members
• Recruited members to join the Website committee
• Planning a communications audit to better understand current communications channels and their effectiveness

Office Closed Monday April 8.