Strategic Plan 2026 - 2030

NRC 2030 - Stewardship, Connection and Lasting Change

We are pleased to share our 2026-2030 strategic plan with you all: NRC 2030 – Stewardship, Connection and Lasting Change. As members, volunteers and donors…we want you to see the transformative impact the NRC will have throughout the decade.

Through volunteer engagement, stakeholder conservationist and strategic planning team discussions, as well as document review, staff and board retreats, we collected organizational insights to develop strategic goals and the final strategic plan. This is a plan built by you – the people of the New – to guide the New River Conservancy’s focus, impact and success.”

We will energize, excite and activate New River communities with the work of protecting the River they love for years to come. The plan outlines how we will:

Strengthen our organization

Advance stewardship

Expand strategically

Elevate our impact

Grow financial support

The staff and board look forward to working with you and all our stakeholders to turn this vision into results.

To protect the waters, woodlands and wildlife of the New River Watershed - this is our mission.

Download our Strategic Plan, or scroll through this page, to discover how we will grow in the coming years.

Final NRC_Strategic_Plan 2026-2030(1).pptx

New River Conservancy

Stratgic Plan 2026-2030

Focused stewardship, strategic partnerships, and measurable impact across North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. In partnership with Spark Mills, with New River Conservancy staff lead, Stella Cybulski, we build the strategic plan through listening, reflection and alignment.

Goal One

Strengthening organizational foundation and resilience

We build the internal capacity to support effective, sustainable stewardship.

Goal Two

Advance community - centered watershed stewardship

Deepen community engagement to protect and restore the New River Watershed.

Goal Three

Expand strategically across the tri-state watershed

Intentional, differentiated engagement in North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Goal Four

Elevate impact measurement and organizational visibility

Demonstrate watershed impact with transparency and credibility.

Goal Five

Achieve long - term financial sustainability

Build a diversified financial foundation for long-term mission fulfillment.

Goal Six

Strengthen membership engagement and loyalty

Deepen relationships with members as long-term stewardship partners.

Implementation

How we will put the strategic plan into practice

Actionable steps towards future development.

Goal 4:2

What will success look like? Example - Implementation

Create a public-facing impact dashboard by developing accessible, real-time reporting tools using storytelling, mapping and data visualization.

Goal 4:2

What will success look like? Example - Water Watchers Date Portal

Develop accessible, real-time reporting tools using story telling, mapping and data visualization.

Gaps and Foundamentals

Early barriers to long-term success

Structural barriers and necessary next steps have been identified that should be addressed to maximize the work of the New River Conservancy and our ability to achieve plan goals.

Where will success take us?