October 2023 Newsletter

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October 25, 2023

A Letter from our Director + Deputy Director



Dear Community,


Autumn in Asheville is a time of change. The leaves, with their bold and radiant colors, create splendid works of art. Soon the leaves will blanket the ground and the bare branches will begin a new cycle of regrowth. The trees remind us that change can be beautiful.


October harkened a change for Thrive Asheville, too. Welcoming a new executive director and creating a strong leadership team together with Thrive’s founding ED, who will now serve as deputy director. An essential part of ensuring a smooth transition was our shared commitment to Thrive’s mission, to the strategic planning process underway, and ultimately - to all of the important work being done and all that is still to come.


To our delight, we discovered not just a strong working relationship, but true respect and collaboration as we began our work together this month. Collaboration can be challenging. The benefit, however, is that the end result is better than what would have been produced if either party worked alone.


By working together as a strong team, alongside Thrive’s phenomenal staff and board, we hope to be a beacon of what is possible. Thrive Asheville is built on the promise of collaboration and we are optimistic about what we can build together.


In this newsletter, you will

  • Meet our Board Member, David Feingold

  • Check out our 2023 Impact Report

  • Learn about our Strategic Planning Process

  • Hear from our stakeholders about how we are improving conditions in our community.


With gratitude for autumn + for all of you,

October 2023 Newsletter

Connection:

Meet Thrive Asheville Board Member: David Feingold



David Feingold is a new addition to the Thrive Asheville board of directors. After his retirement from Blue Ridge Public Radio, where he served as CEO, David has focused on a range of volunteer activities. He currently serves on the RiverLink board of directors and is an advisor to the non-profit investigative news organization Asheville Watchdog.


We talked to David about the importance of strategic planning and Thrive’s strategic planning process that is currently underway, and here is what he had to say:


Q: What part of Thrive's strategic planning process are you most excited about?

DF:  As a relatively new organization this is a critical and timely opportunity for Thrive to look back on its founding principles and to adjust the initial strategic vision to fit our community’s most pressing issues.


Q: What do you consider to be the key elements of a successful strategic planning process?

DF:  A strategic plan should directly guide the projects and programs of the organization. It should not be a stretch to go beyond the philosophical to the concrete and measurable.  It should be a living, flexible document that can directly inform the work of the organization and be clear and understandable throughout the community.


Q: How will strategic planning support Thrive's sustainability and mission as we move into the future?

DF:  A successful strategic plan will help communicate to supporters and the broader community the value of Thrive and be the foundation for a strong case statement for established and new funders alike. And it will guide the staff and board to make informed decisions on the allocation of resources to meet key goals.

Collaboration:

Thrive Asheville's 2023 Impact Report: Our Changing Community highlights what our ‘small but mighty’ nonprofit organization accomplished through collaboration, learning, and action to support the community in addressing shared challenges in our most recent fiscal year. The 2023 Impact Report provides an overview of our work in two areas of identified focus: affordable housing and sustainable tourism.


Growth can produce challenges and change. Thrive Asheville responds to change and challenges by strengthening networks, convening community leaders, and working on issues to produce short term results and longer term solutions.


Our dedication to creative collaboration has translated to meaningful outcomes in the area of affordable housing through the establishment of the Buncombe Rental Assistance Collaborative which brought together six housing agencies to collaborate on support for landlords and tenants, shared funding, staffing and data to increase effectiveness, and efficiency. BRAC’s commitment to collaboration and passion for purpose resulted in 50 households moving to safer, stable housing, and 20 new housing units being added to the affordable housing stock.  


In the area of sustainable tourism, our cross-sector working groups explored the complexities of tourism and learned about how other communities protect and enhance local quality of life while nurturing a thriving visitor economy through an approach known as destination stewardship. This fall, Thrive produced a report, Destination Stewardship: Balancing Tourism and Local Resident Needs, which explores the topic of destination stewardship, highlights work being done in other communities, and offers possibilities for Asheville. We are excited to continue this work into 2024 and beyond through meaningful partnerships and actionable projects.

Read the full interview with David Feingold HERE

Commitment:

Building upon the accomplishments highlighted in the 2023 Impact Report, Thrive Asheville is currently engaged in a six-month strategic planning process to take stock and prepare for the future. Hannah Randall of Armstrong & McGuire, and former CEO of Manna Food Bank, has been invited as the consultant to oversee the strategic planning process which began in July and will conclude in December. Thrive’s staff, board of directors, and community stakeholders have provided insights and feedback that will be beneficial for the organization  as we assess and evaluate current strategies, processes, and systems to ensure that we are aligning and evolving with the changing conditions of our community.


Earlier this month, Thrive’s board of directors held their strategic planning retreat at the Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity. We want to extend our thanks to Andy and the Habitat team for providing a welcoming space for conversation and team building.


Keep an eye out for updates in early 2024 as we complete the strategic planning process. Thanks to all who shared their feedback through this process and continue to help us improve and meet the needs of the community. We value your input and are dedicated to expanding our community engagement and finding ways to collaborate for greater impact.

Improved Conditions:

As part of our strategic planning process, we surveyed dozens of stakeholders and community members to understand how Thrive is making an impact.  Here is a bit of what we learned about how our community views our work:


“Affordable housing is our area's greatest need, so I appreciate their work.”

- Community Partner

  • In 2023, Thrive Asheville moved 50 families to safer, stable housing.


“I believe the organization is filling a critical gap by looking at the long-term, being innovative and bringing smart, diverse people together for community improvement.”

- Thrive Board Member

  • This year, Thrive built relationships with 50 leaders, collaborated with 6 representatives from local government, tourism, arts, the environment, and partnered with 6 housing agencies to share funding, staffing, and increase effectiveness and efficiency for landlords and tenants.


“The community is badly in need of what Thrive does to continue to stay vibrant, healthy and sustainable.”- Community Partner

  • In 2023, Thrive built on the work of our Ideas to Action Leadership Forum and convened a cross-sector working group to research the implementation of Destination Stewardship Councils (DSCs) producing a report that explores collaborative governance groups, which are integrating tourism into long-range community planning that considers the impacts and opportunities for both visitors and residents.

Read the Full Report HERE
Learn More about our Impact HERE

About Thrive Asheville

We collaborate with local residents and leaders from diverse perspectives to understand our city’s challenges, forge new relationships, and act on the best solutions together. 

We invite you to support this critical work. Please contact Executive Director Casey Gilbert for more information on making a financial investment in our work. 

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and more! 

Kelly GoldenImpact Report, New Executive Director, Affordable Housing, connection, collaboration, conditions, commitment