Organizational Member Strategy FAQs
1. Why are we working on an organizational member strategy?
We are seeing:
- Continued decline in membership
- Fewer and different types of farmers in the future with different needs and expectations
- The need to serve farmers at all stages of their careers
- Resource inconsistencies and concern over the development of future revenue streams (CFB finances)
- Changing member and employee preferences on how to deliver services differently, through both staffing and structure
- A need for better stewardship of current and future volunteer leaders.
Therefore, county Farm Bureaus and Illinois Farm Bureau must work together with a sense of urgency and take intentional steps to reinvent the organization over the coming years to maintain relevancy for farmers of the future while ensuring the advocacy and engagement needs of all members are being delivered as efficiently and effectively as possible.
2. Who is working on this?
An Advisory Committee includes four IAA Directors, four CFB Presidents, four CFB managers, and two Young Leaders. These individuals were selected through an application process. This group meets monthly and advises staff on the next steps. The OMS staff team is made up of Chief Strategy Officer Mark Gebhards, and six IFB staff representing each division of IFB (Governmental Affairs & Commodities, Marketing & Communications, Finance, Legal, Field & Member Services, and the President's Office). In May 2024, 37 members representing 33 counties were appointed to three OMS subcommittees, which are focused on membership, programing and engagement, and county Farm Bureaus.
3. What has the OMS accomplished so far?
In 2022, Aimpoint Research and IFB leadership evaluated the local and global factors impacting the future of agriculture, highlighting the need for a roadmap for the most efficient, effective and relevant IFB in the future. In 2023, IAA leadership prioritized a grassroots structure for the OMS process backed by member-feedback-driven data. The OMS Advisory Committee was formed from county managers, presidents and IFB directors. The committee developed a “why” statement, prioritized which challenges OMS should tackle first, and designed a plan to gather foundational member feedback.
IFB staff traveled more than 4,500 miles and conducted 34 focus groups across the state. Additionally, nearly 4,000 members, representing all 102 counties, completed OMS surveys. As an initial response to the data, subcommittees were formed to focus on three areas: membership, programming and engagement, and county Farm Bureaus. Thirty-seven members representing 33 counties were appointed to the subcommittees. Each subcommittee will meet multiple times a month and present an action plan to the OMS Advisory Committee. Additionally, the IFB Board of Directors visited Ohio Farm Bureau to learn about Ohio’s recent strategic plan, and the opportunities and challenges that could be applied to OMS.
Bonus content: Listen to IFB’s chief strategy officer Mark Gebhards discuss the three OMS subcommittees and the IFB Board of Directors’ trip to Ohio.
4. How is OMS utilizing its grassroots base?
In keeping with our core mission, this is a grassroots effort that both starts and ends with our members. First and foremost, OMS decisions must be based on data-backed feedback from our members. To ensure widespread and representative member data, IFB staff traveled more than 4,500 miles and conducted 34 focus groups. Additionally, nearly 4,000 members, representing all 102 counties, completed OMS surveys. The data from these efforts ensures that a representative sample of IFB membership will be heard – by age, district, region, and membership group. Thanks to the investment in this process by members, this data sets the foundation of the OMS process moving forward. Building on that foundation, OMS committees and subcommittees are comprised of county managers, presidents and board members, and they are utilizing member data to shape the next steps in this process.
5. What is different about this strategy effort compared to other efforts Illinois Farm Bureau has worked on in the past?
Past President Guebert and IFB leadership took the opportunity to restructure IFB’s leadership team after two retirements this year, creating a new Chief Strategy Officer position and team, and allocating significant staff time to be utilized for the OMS. Within that restructuring, roles and responsibilities were shifted to improve how we serve members and county Farm Bureaus, setting the stage for future organizational change. We’ve asked ourselves many of these questions before. This time, steps have already been taken to initiate change, and the momentum is there to craft and take more actionable steps that will position us for success.
6. Are we still utilizing Aimpoint Research consulting firm to assist with this work?
Aimpoint will continue to be leveraged for industry intelligence, but the overall strategy will now be led by the OMS Advisory Committee and staffed by IFB’s Chief Strategy Officer and staff team.
7. Why were Advisory Committee members asked to sign NDAs?
Non-Disclosure Agreements (or “NDAs”) are fairly common practice for corporate initiatives of this size and scale, and they serve two main purposes. First, as part of this effort, the Advisory Committee will have access to and evaluate confidential source material that would be inappropriate to share outside of the group; this material may include not only proprietary research data from third-party vendors but also confidential financial data specific to individual county Farm Bureaus, the Illinois Farm Bureau, and/or COUNTRY Financial. Secondly, NDAs help protect the Committee’s work-in-progress. As part of the strategy work, the Advisory Committee is likely to consider and discuss a variety of ideas and proposals, and the Committee may ultimately recommend pursuing some ideas but not others. Consequently, NDAs help manage the timing of updates and communications to various stakeholders about the Committee’s work-in-progress and any proposals the Committee is seriously considering.
8. Will the OMS work consider the future of our relationship with COUNTRY Financial?
Illinois Farm Bureau will continue to have a strong relationship with COUNTRY Financial. The OMS timeline takes into consideration the current durations of the COUNTRY partnership agreements. Considering those agreements in the ongoing analysis and strategy development is crucial to our ongoing success. However, we believe it is critical to learn more about our members and what farmers will need in the future as the driving basis for change in the next several years.
9. How will information and decisions be communicated?
From now until March 2024, we are focusing on gathering feedback and input from members and prospective members and will plan to share those findings throughout that time. We understand that Illinois is a diverse state. From northern to southern Illinois, east to west, our members may need different things. There won’t be a one-size-fits-all solution. We also understand that not everyone is ready for change. We hope to pilot some new approaches based on this data collection phase, so we are interested in working with county Farm Bureaus that are interested in a different approach.
10. Why are you using the old “Vintage” logo in your strategy materials?
The “bug” icon is nostalgic for many, reminding members of the establishment of our partnership agreements with COUNTRY Financial. As we evaluate the best structure for our future, we wanted to remind everyone of the strong foundation we have now and inspire creativity in current leaders, just like our forefathers had when they set us up years ago.
11. How can members be part of this process?
Additional member feedback is welcome and encouraged throughout the OMS by email at OMS@ilfb.org or by contacting your local county Farm Bureau.
Click to watch Mark Gebhards Remarks about OMS at 2023 Annual Meeting.
