This year, the Ethan Allen Institute (EAI) embarked on a 5-year strategic agenda to significantly expand the institute's annual budget, followers, and operational capabilities. We began a comprehensive process to rebuild our organizational infrastructure by implementing innovative technologies and outcome-focused internal systems to support this ambitious vision. 

Robust and reliable structural technologies are key to capacity building. We are developing a new professionally-built website that supports a) multimedia content sharing, b) safe and convenient fundraising, and c) an updated data center and online government accountability tool called “VT Votes” through which Vermonters can access carefully-researched information (e.g. legislators’ 2013-22 voting history) to hold politicians and bureaucrats accountable.

Furthermore, we created a formal grants program to grow our funding sources. It will allow us to meaningfully engage with charitable foundations and the conservative grant-making community by demonstrating the ways in which our public policy research, watchdog reporting, and public education campaigns serve Vermont families and workers.

An effective data-driven culture and technological infrastructure (with the capacity to continually evolve) will enable EAI to build a powerful knowledge-sharing network and coalitions with key grassroots groups and grasstops influences. The ultimate goal of our rebuilding efforts is to lay a solid foundation for strategically expanding our audiences and sphere of influence, thus empowering EAI to shape public conversations about the important issues eventually policy formation in the region.

We are looking forward to sharing more about our new initiatives and projects in the coming months. Watch this space for exciting updates!