Stake Presidency
E. Strategic Annual Planning

“E. Strategic Annual Planning,” Communication Councils: A Guide for Priesthood Leaders (2024)

“Strategic Annual Planning,” Communication Councils

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E. Strategic Annual Planning

An important part of your role as the priesthood adviser is to guide the creation of a strategic communication plan. This process should be done annually with frequent reviews in communication council meetings throughout the year. The plan creates a vision with action items that may be adjusted as opportunities take place.

Annual plans help a communication council determine how to support specific priesthood objectives. Make sure to include actionable goals, timelines, and assigned responsibilities.

Having a plan creates continuity when changes to your communication council occur. It also helps area and coordinating council or national communication directors support and train stake communication councils.

Counsel with Your Communication Director

Annual planning should begin several months before the new year. Communication directors should schedule time to discuss the following topics with their priesthood adviser:

  • How the communication council can assist priesthood leaders in meeting objectives.

  • Opinion leader outreach, including current relationships and future opportunities for priesthood leader engagement.

  • Opportunities for the Church to overcome misperceptions and emphasize God’s love for all His children. Situations may include topics related to racial issues, social issues, misunderstandings about doctrine or practices, and so forth.

  • Community needs and concerns that may benefit from Church resources.

  • Service opportunities for unit leaders to consider, which allow members to make positive contributions in their community.

  • Plans to construct a new Church building, such as a meetinghouse or temple.

  • Support for initiatives and priorities communicated from headquarters, the area, or the coordinating council.

  • Ways to help Latter-day Saints share their testimonies through digital communication tools.

Based on the discussion, set some specific goals for the council.

For example:

  • Arrange a meeting between the stake president and the mayor.

  • Increase the number of participants using JustServe.

  • Work with a feature reporter on a story about the local seminary class.

  • Hold a fifth-Sunday training for each ward about how to share the gospel through social media.

  • Through close coordination with the open house committee, prepare members and the community for a new meetinghouse or temple.

Budgets

Budgets support the annual plan’s objectives and the council’s administrative needs.

Here are some examples:

  • Supporting initiatives such as Light the World, Easter outreach, and other Church, area, and coordinating council initiatives.

  • Interfaith association dues

  • Support for initiatives such as JustServe

  • Official Church business cards

  • Brochures and folders to give to opinion leaders

  • Opinion leader gifts such as a Christus statue or leather-bound copy of the Book of Mormon

  • Printed volumes of Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days for library placement

  • Social media boosting for key messages or outreach events

  • Travel funds for training and support

  • A subscription to a web conference tool if unable to use the stake’s account

Stake budgets: Stakes supply the budget to support their annual plan.

Coordinating Council budgets: The Church Communication Department supplies project funds for communication councils at the coordinating council or national level. Contact your area communication director for more information.

Area budgets: The Church Communication Department supplies project funds for the area communication council. Area publishing funds are also available through the area communication committee. The Area Presidency may have additional funds available to support specific area needs.

All budget levels: Budgets carry over from year to year.

Finalizing and Sharing Your Plan

The communication council and director will draft an annual plan for your review. This plan should be referenced regularly throughout the year.

Communication councils should share the approved plan with their supporting director. It can also be shared with neighboring councils to facilitate collaborative outreach to common opinion leaders.

For more information on annual planning, including examples and a worksheet, visit the Global Communication Network at GCN.ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Click on Topics, then Annual Planning.