Living Water International

2011-2015 Strategic Plan

In early 2010, Living Water International looked back at 20 years of history and five years of exponential growth; the board of directors commissioned incoming CEO Mike Mantel with the task of creating a strategic plan for the next five years that would help the organization double its growth and impact yet again.

Rather than working behind closed doors using a traditional top-down strategic planning method, Mike empowered a task force to conduct a year-long, highly participatory planning process dubbed “Watershed: Cultivating our Strengths for Growth and Impact.”

We held summits in Latin America, India, Africa, Haiti, and the United States. We challenged hundreds of stakeholders from across Living Water’s global network to prayerfully rediscover the best of the past and to build on those strengths to create a shared vision of the future.

The vision that emerged was clear, consistent, and in many ways… surprising. It focused on:

• Growing deeper before growing wider
• Maturing all programs to include water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) activities
• Concentrating work in geographic zones to maximize transformation
• Emphasizing service delivery over time, not just implementation
• Catalyzing innovative disciple making activities in partnership with local churches.
• Helping communities mobilize their own material assets
• Developing and meeting consistent standards
• Caring for and equipping the people who do the work
• Decentralizing authority, empowering regional and field staff in new ways
• Cultivating a learning organization that pursues excellence and innovation

This challenge has been articulated by our staff, partners, and stakeholders; it has been accepted by our senior leadership and board; and it is already underway as our new direction for the next 5 years.

It will take an incredible amount of prayer, advocacy, and financial support from our supporters to make this plan a reality; in order to spread the word and mobilize support, we plan expands our presence in 10 major metropolitan areas around the US by 2015. Short-term trips will grow exponentially as a means for deep personal engagement for supporters who want to experience more. We will seek new partners who are as excited about this direction as we are.

This ambitious plan is not without risk, but we believe that this is a new phase for Living Water that will bring about incredible impact for the kingdom of God during our generation. Take a few minutes to read it.