New Mission Statement:

AACI will utilize the strengths, talents and passions of Israel’s English-speaking Olim community to initiate, develop and implement projects that involve, serve, benefit and advance the English-speaking Olim community and/or the people of Israel.

Guidelines for the Future:

To reinvigorate AACI and ensure its future financial viability, re-engage and re-energize its membership, adapt to changing circumstances, and proactively define its future direction, while preserving its reputation and brand name, traditional values, and raison d’être, AACI has created these guidelines for the future operation of the organization.

National AACI will shift its focus from a community center organization into a project-oriented organization engaging and benefiting Israel’s English-speaking Olim community and/or Israelis at large. AACI will continue its commitment to being an apolitical and non-denominational Zionist organization.

National AACI will become an incubator, developer, and implementer of select projects that involve, serve and benefit English-speaking Olim and/or other Israelis, while avoiding duplication or competition with successful, existing, third-party programs. That said, cooperative engagement and creative collaboration with other social service providers, where AACI’s participation brings added value to projects, will be encouraged. Moreover, AACI’s unique service niche – helping new and veteran English-speaking Olim to integrate, contribute to, and thrive in, Israeli society – will continue to be emphasized.

The renewed National AACI will include a modified Olim assistance center based primarily on technology, and will preserve the Annual Memorial Ceremony that recognizes fallen Anglo Olim.

Within an established, balanced, annual operational budget, National AACI will concentrate its energy and resources on projects meeting the mission statement of AACI and approved by the board of directors. Projects will be presented to the board following review, evaluation, and recommendation by a volunteer led Project Review Committee. Each project must have a detailed, descriptive project plan in place, identifying project goals, intended beneficiaries and benefits, required resources, success benchmarks, a development plan, a timetable for implementation, project leaders, proposed partners, competing programs, and a proposed budget. Projects may be generated internally or from the community at large.  Projects will be reviewed by the Projects Review Committee, chaired by the VP of Operations and Projects, in consultation with the professional staff. Any projects recommended by the VP and Projects committee will be presented to the Executive Board between the quarterly board meetings for refinement. Any projects recommended by the VP and Projects committee will be presented to the board for approval and adoption. Those projects recommended by the Project Review Committee, and approved and adopted by the board, will have the full backing of the AACI Team (staff, board, officers, volunteers, project champions), along with a board approved budget. A manageable number, e.g., 3-5, projects, are envisioned during any one period, depending upon available resources.

While energy and funding will be invested primarily towards bringing projects approved by the board, to fruition, National AACI will also work closely with the Netanya Amutah and the AACI branches to market programs. AACI will generate some unique social programming, e.g., a mix of aliyah/klitah information, and music/cultural/travel, by Zoom, for country/worldwide consumption. National AACI will also continue certain existing income producing services such as fund raising/development, travel program, its cemetery program, membership (in a limited, volunteer led format), etc.

To implement these future direction guidelines, National AACI will make the structural and legal changes in its constitution, in conjunction with its lawyers and accountants, as necessary. To pursue these new objectives, and enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of board meetings, National AACI will establish a smaller, more project-oriented board of directors, consisting of at least 13 members, preferably with representation from around the country, with a focus on and involvement with the projects. Operations of the organization will be under the supervision of the CEO. The board of directors shall retain ultimate decision-making authority and will substantively discuss and review the finances of the projects, the continuing services, and the overall organization, on, at least, a quarterly basis. An executive committee of National AACI, consisting of 6 elected officers, will meet more frequently to review the activities of the amutah, and recommend actions to the board of directors.

For purposes of this document, the Executive Committee of AACI will be comprised of:
President
VP Development
VP Operations and Projects
VP Klitah
Treasurer
Secretary
CEO (non-voting);
and the term “National AACI” means the central governing body of the organization located in Jerusalem.

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