While many of our members might think the best use for a bench is in the weight room, here at The J we’re excited to be at the start of a lengthy ‘benchmarking’* process that will help us celebrate our strengths while identifying opportunities for improvement.
“Our most recent benchmarking data is from seven years ago,” says Finance Director Maureen Scardino. “That’s just not very useful to us in 2023.” The process will take two years, including one year to collect data and the second to implement strategies based on the data. A crucial element at the start of the process is the survey that our members recently received. Responses will help staff determine program performance by understanding how participants view program quality, staff quality, pricing, and value.
Separate surveys have also been created for LJCC board members and staff.
Maureen says that another key element will be to dig into our financial performance by looking at important metrics and comparing our performance with similarly sized JCCs. “But one of the best parts of this process,” she adds, “is that the JCC Association of North America — which has a lot of experience in this area — will assist us throughout the project and help assess the results.”
We hope our members are as excited about this project as we are!
*The term “benchmark” comes from the early days of mass-produced firearms, when weapons were test-fired after being affixed to a bench in order to improve standardize results.