21 Goals for 2022

GiGi’s Playhouse Chicago staff and board members at our annual January Board Retreat at the Playhouse.

Written by: Kali Schrey, Communications Committee Member

It’s crazy to think that another year has come and gone, and as we transition from 2021 to 2022 it is important to not only reflect on where we came from, but where we are going. This past year brought both triumphs and tribulations, feeding our motivation to continue onwards and upwards. As a Playhouse, we’ve created a 2022 vision which highlights the vibrancy of our community and the ways that we can bring people together “by empowering, supporting, and creating opportunities for people with Down syndrome in Chicago”. As a tribute to all of our amazing friends that are rocking an extra 21st chromosome, we have created a list of 21 goals for the new year.

In January of 2020, GiGi’s Playhouse Chicago launched an internship program for individuals with Down syndrome, with the intention of creating skill development opportunities as well as increasing the representation of those with Down syndrome on the administrative side of GiGi’s. Our interns worked on following a routine, asking for help, and understanding job expectations and tasks. The internship program is now entering its third year and we look forward to increasing the representation of those with Down syndrome in our Playhouse. Our interns use the SMART goal format, when setting expectations for their own performance and achievement. SMART is an acronym that is used to guide one’s goal setting and it’s used widely in professional settings. In order for a goal to meet SMART standards it has to be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time bound. Our Board of Managers has created some SMART goals of their own to work toward in the upcoming year. Here are 21 which we hope to accomplish in 2022:

Finance Committee Goals:

1. In the new year it is imperative that we maintain the strong financial status that we have built so that we can continue serving our community. Over the course of the next six months we want to build a finance committee with at least two active members.
2. We want to incorporate our Intern Program as both a skill development opportunity for our interns, as well as a chance to increase representation of individuals with Down syndrome on our leadership team. We will ask for support from our interns in the form of processing and depositing checks.
3. A long term goal that we have outlined is to create and implement a financial tracking system that can be used across committees and members of the board for an organized way of budgeting and tracking spending.

Governance Committee Goals:

4. Within the next six months, we would like to organize a process for creating a new committee and onboarding an individual with Down syndrome to help lead the charge.
5. Being a newly formed committee we want to add additional team members to help with responsibilities such as big picture strategy, increasing efficiency, and creating best practices.

Programs Committee Goals:

6. In the upcoming months, we’ve set out to transition all of our current programs into approved programs and increase participation through community outreach and marketing.
7. We’d like to expand our committee so that we have a representative from each age group.
8. A long-term goal, which we anticipate extending beyond just 2022, is to further develop our group leader training for therapeutic programs.

Outreach Committee Goals:

9. We are determined to increase community outreach and engagement this year, and we plan to do so through actively connecting with our parent leads and starting family groups.
10. GiGi’s Playhouse Chicago is extremely grateful for the community relationships that we have already built, and in 2022 we want to continue to strengthen those relationships as well as form new ones by connecting with individuals and organizations that are in support of our mission.
11. Another major goal that we have identified is to proactively seek advocacy opportunities to increase awareness, identify underserved communities so that we may narrow the gap, and create leadership and employment opportunities for individuals with Down syndrome in the city of Chicago.

Communication Committee Goals:

12. In order to increase communication, we want to release a bi-weekly blog with updates about what is going on at the Playhouse and in the lives of those in our community.
13. We’re really looking forward to creating a program where we can spotlight a child with Down syndrome each month and share, through the voices of their family, what they mean to the world.
14. Over the next several months we will increase our social media presence by engaging with Down syndrome advocates online and putting out more content.

Facilities Committee Goals:

15. Our overarching goal is to provide a safe, inviting, and functional space that serves the needs of GiGi’s participants and their families and accommodates the therapeutic and educational programs that we offer.
16. Over the course of the year, we would like to improve our program spaces, specifically upgrading our Career Development Hub.

Fundraising Committee Goals:

17. Maintaining active participation is not only important for those in the community, but for our board members as well. By February of this year, each board member will sign up to serve on the committee of at least one of our four fundraising events.
18. Over the course of the year, we will plan and execute networking events to create new corporate sponsorship opportunities.

Events Committee Goals:

19. We will work with the Fundraising Committee to plan and execute four signature fundraising events throughout the year.
20. We will utilize the events that we host to foster connections with and increase representation of individuals with Down syndrome in our community and on our committee.

It is evident that each of our committees have spent time reflecting on the triumphs of the past year and drawing upon our successes in constructing their goals for the new year. Even though they each hold their own roles and responsibilities within our organization, they all contribute to our goals as a Playhouse. In the spirit of rounding out our 21 goals for 2022, we will leave you with our collective goal for the new year:

21. In 2022, GiGi’s Playhouse Chicago will have a strong representation of people served by the Playhouse on leadership teams, and will put forth efforts to be recognized as a Center of Excellence.

Our leadership team dreams big, but we are hopeful that with the continuous support of our friends, families, and our community, we can achieve all of our goals this year. We can’t wait to see where this year takes us!