ASSOCIATION
OF JUNIOR LEAGUES INTERNATIONAL
New York, New York
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Analysis
of the present situation and strategic position
of Junior Leagues, with particular attention
to membership in the United States and internationally |
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Design
of a major initiative to strengthen the healthiness
of Junior League affiliates and AJLI |
  n
the summer of 2000, ANTHONY KNERR & ASSOCIATES
was asked by the Board of the Association
of Junior Leagues International (AJLI), the membership
organization of almost 300 affiliate Junior Leagues
in the US, Canada, Mexico and England, to help it
understand its best possibilities for strategic growth
both domestically and internationally. The assignment
was subsequently broadened to focus on how best to
strengthen the healthiness of both AJLI and its affiliate
Junior Leagues.
Mary Harriman, a young woman with a strong social
conscience, founded the first Junior League in 1901
in New York City by mobilizing other young women to
work at a settlement house in lower Manhattan. The
concept of voluntarism quickly spread to other cities
throughout the United States, and an association of
Junior Leagues was formed in 1921. Junior Leagues
work together through a common mission of promoting
voluntarism, developing the potential of women and
improving communities through the effective action
and leadership of trained volunteers.
Although the Junior League has high name recognition,
vigorous brand identity and robust programming at
the local level, its mission and focus have not been
recently well understood, posing serious problems
for membership development and leading to misconceptions
about its culture and aims. Further, substantial changes
in the role and opportunities of women over the past
several decades presented significant opportunities
and challenges.
On
the basis of this analytic work, we
recommended that AJLI establish a
new set of standards for membership,
designed to strengthen all affiliates,
as well as undertake a peer-based
accreditation process in which each
affiliate would be reviewed by several
Junior League volunteer leaders every
five years. |
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We
first undertook a comprehensive analysis of membership
trends by type of member and type of League and analyzed
the reasons for recent experience. On the basis of
a number of criteria developed in conjunction with
the AJLI Board of Directors, we then studied eleven
analogue organizations that are broadly similar to
AJLI in mission, program, organization design and
geographical scope. We delineated several characteristics
common to the most robust of the analogue organizations
and identified key conclusions and implications for
the Junior League.
We
also undertook detailed case studies of 15 Junior
League affiliates chosen on the basis of a set of
AJLI Board-approved criteria to be representative
of all affiliates. From this analysis we distilled
the key characteristics of healthy, or effective,
local Junior Leagues. Paramount among these characteristics
are clarity of mission, continuing excellent leadership
and strategic thinking. Technology, we believe, will
be an emerging central characteristic of healthy Leagues
over the coming decade.
On the basis of this analytic work, we recommended
that AJLI establish a new set of standards for membership,
designed to strengthen all affiliates, as well as
undertake a peer-based accreditation process in which
each affiliate would be reviewed by several Junior
League volunteer leaders every five years. The analytic
work also provided the basis for recommendations about
AJLI governance, the role of AJLI, best practices
of local affiliates and communications. AJLI is in
the process of implementing these recommendations.
We
have worked closely with the President and AJLI Board
and with the AJLI Executive Director and other senior
staff on all aspects of the assignment.
This assignment underscores the lesson that successful
repositioning requires rigorous analysis, thoughtful
understanding of organizational culture, keen attention
to process and cogent delineation of new approaches.
With the further design and implementation of the
peer-based accreditation process, the Junior League
is embarking on a massive transformation that holds
the potential for significantly strengthening its
local chapters, delivering a higher quality of programs
at the local, national and international levels and
providing significant new opportunities for the leadership
development of women.
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