The SRC has an opportunity to influence the direction of the South and to address the South’s unfinished business: racial justice. With financial stability, quality programs, targeted marketing and effective branding, the SRC can solidify its leadership role in the area of racial justice through its powerful mission.

The SRC is fully immersed in the restorative process of strengthening organizational capacity in order to meet the institution’s mission, goals, and objectives. The board and staff are fully prepared to address five operational goals designed to provide the foundation of the new strategic plan.

Operational Goal #1 - Organizational Management that will focus on the strategic development of the Board, strong management accountability, financial management, and effective staffing.

Operational Goal #2 – Infrastructure Development that includes facilities, technology, and equipment that will support the organization’s operations as well as conform to fiscally responsible budgetary parameters 

Operational Goal #3 - Programs, Public Policy and Information that will align  with SRC’s mission and values  of a focus on racial justice and poverty in the South. 

Operational Goal #4 - External Affairs will market SRC as a “go to” Southern racial justice organization  with consistent messages about the organization’s key issues and well covered in media for community exposure.

Operational Goal # 5 - Funding that will build appropriate staff capacity for programs, upgrade technology; provide for quality delivery of publications, and support excellent policy/research analysis and public policy initiatives concerning racial justice issues.

To direct the implementation of the SRC’s mission and the three primary programmatic goals that guide the agency’s work.

 Programmatic Goal #1

Ignite a passion for racial justice in the South by developing an honest dialogue about race through programs, publications, and public policy initiatives in order to influence and shape public opinion.

Objective 1.a.  Publish at least two issues of Southern Changes annually to an increasing circulation audience.
Objective 1.b.    Host the Lillian Smith Book Award and the Young Writer’s Guild to include participants from throughout the South. 
Objective 1.c.    Establish a racially diverse SRC Emerging Leaders Outreach Program.Objective  1.d.   Identify strategic opportunities to host gatherings of SRC constituency groups in collaboration with grassroots organization across the region.  The convening will include technical trainings, symposiums, and town hall meetings around issues evolving out of SRC publications, public policy initiatives, and programs. 

Programmatic Goal #2

Fight for racial justice through policy/research analysis, advocacy, and informing public policy. 

Objective 2.a.  Convene southern colleges and universities biannually to discuss and establish collaborative projects around policy/research analysis. 
Objective 2.b.  Bi-annually produce the SRC Southern States Legislative and Policy Review.Objective 2.c.  Publish the SRC State of the South Report.
Objective 2.d.    Convene constituency groups to formulate SRC Action Agenda based on     findings of The Report, every two years.

 Programmatic Goal #3

Investigate issues of racism, poverty, and discrimination in the region, convene programs for public opinion leaders, and support legal and community action to protect civil rights and promote racial justice. By 2010, SRC hopes to develop an investigation capacity through a small legal operation that works in collaboration with larger legal advocates within the Civil Rights community.  SRC’s work will include focus on its historical strength of investigating civil rights violations and conditions of minority populations to support the advancement of prosecution and other legal challenges related to racial justice and poverty.