Mission

Our Vision, Mission & Strategic Plan

The Values of Toastmasters International

Toastmasters International’s core values are integrity, dedication to excellence, service to the member, and respect for the individual. These are values worthy of a great organization, and we believe we should incorporate them as anchor points in every decision we make. Our core values provide us with a means of not only guiding but also evaluating our operations, our planning, and our vision for the future.

The Vision of Toastmasters International

Toastmasters International empowers people to achieve their full potential and realize their dreams. Through our member clubs, people throughout the world can improve their communication and leadership skills, and find the courage to change.

The Mission of Toastmasters International

Toastmasters International is the leading movement devoted to making effective oral communication a worldwide reality.

Through its member Clubs, Toastmasters International helps men and women learn the arts of speaking, listening and thinking – vital skills that promote self-actualization, enhance leadership, foster human understanding, and contribute to the betterment of mankind.

It is basic to this mission that Toastmasters International continually expand its worldwide network of Clubs, thereby offering ever-greater numbers of people the opportunity to benefit from its programs.

The Mission of the Club

The mission of a Toastmasters club is to provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment in which every member has the opportunity to develop communication and leadership skills, which in turn foster self-confidence and personal growth.

The Mission of the District

The mission of the District is to enhance the performance and extend the network of Clubs, thereby offering greater numbers of people the opportunity to benefit from the Toastmasters educational program by:

• Focusing on the critical success factors as specified by the District educational and membership goals.
• Insuring that each Club effectively fulfills its responsibilities to its members.
• Providing effective training and leadership opportunities for Club and District Officers.

The Strategic Plan

1. EVERY CLUB DISTINGUISHED
Provide systems, educational and training programs, and increase the overall quality and performance of the Toastmasters Club so that it meets the needs and wants of each member while becoming a Distinguished Club.

• Create an environment that maximizes quality and efficiency in every Club.
• Through consistently effective Club officer training, ensure that Club programming is based on the quality Club standards.
• Train Club officers to meet and exceed minimum standards of performance. Pursue improvement in educational programming and the improvement of Club leader effectiveness through training.
• Increase Club awareness of and involvement in the Distinguished Club Program through publications and promotions.
• Create a system that will allow clubs to compare their progress to that of other clubs, thereby encouraging involvement by creating competitive awareness.
• Continue to create/update materials on communication and leadership subjects.
• Continue to implement and expand the "Better Speaker Series," "Successful Club Series," and the “Leadership Excellence Series.”

2. ENSURING DISTRICT EXCELLENCE IN SERVICE TO CLUBS

• Evaluate, develop and maintain a District organization structure that provides for:
  • Helping all clubs be distinguished
  • Optimum service to clubs
  • Effective and efficient communication to and from membership
  • Effective responses to the needs of clubs
• Train District officers to enable Clubs to deliver quality programming based on the quality Club standards.
• Continue to maximize the support that Club and District officers receive in terms of updated programs/ tools/technology necessary to meet member needs.
• Promote existing Toastmasters International recognition systems for Club extension, membership growth, and Club achievement.
• Provide District officers/Clubs with the most current, useable performance data as quickly as possible.
• Help Districts focus upon and make a true commitment to service excellence.
• Train and coach District leaders on service techniques and inspire them to build within Clubs the belief that commitment to service is to the member is job "one."

3. EVERY AREA, DIVISION, AND DISTRICT DISTINGUISHED

• Ensure that all Districts focus on Club building, membership growth, and educational accomplishments.
• Continue to promote the importance of District, Division, Area, and Club recognition programs.
• Create a realization that the success of an Area, Division, or District is ultimately based on the success of the Clubs.
• Provide Club officers with training that will enable them to influence their club to become a Distinguished club, which will help Areas and Divisions be Distinguished.
• Encourage Districts / Divisions / Areas to focus on helping clubs that are not Distinguished to become Distinguished.
• Ensure that Districts train and support each Division and Area Governor so that he/she will be Distinguished.
• Ensure that all funds entrusted to Districts are used to achieve the Mission of the District.
• Ensure that International Directors are involved in helping Districts become Distinguished by making this objective their primary field responsibility.
• Eliminate programs and activities that divert individual or District-wide attention away from being Distinguished.
• Provide programs and materials that will increase the effective use of District officer time and District resources.
• Focus all meetings on the business of being distinguished.

4. MEMBERSHIP AND CLUB GROWTH

Increase our total number of members and Clubs through vigorous marketing and retention efforts.

• Survey member interests, satisfaction levels, and demographics to ensure we are meeting their wants and needs.
• Maintain our "market driven" approach to marketing Toastmasters to ensure we continue to meet the needs and wants of current and prospective customers.
• Identify and cultivate new and diverse markets for Toastmasters Clubs.
• Determine strong and consistent corporate Club sponsors and expand our markets with them.
• Promote existing membership- and Club- growth programs to Clubs and Districts.
• Maintain Toastmasters’ cost/benefit ratio to ensure that Toastmasters continues to be perceived as a good return for the time and money invested.
• Ensure that Area Governors have a valid perception of their role and responsibility in the Club building and membership building processes.
• Promote consistency of the Toastmasters product -- the Club. Encourage consistent quality among Clubs. Promote consistency from meeting to meeting within Clubs.

5. FINANCIAL SECURITY

• Maintain a minimum amount in reserve sufficient to sustain the organization and support its ongoing development.
  • Strive to develop an annual budget that generates a surplus.
  • Maintain our current investment policy of maximizing return with an acceptable level of risk.
  • Continue to search for non-dues revenue sources.

6. LEADERSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• Position Toastmasters as an effective method of personal and career enhancement by building leadership skills.
  • Promote the leadership track as a means of improving the overall effectiveness of Club and District leadership.
  • Emphasize the leadership development opportunities available through service as a Club and District officer.
  • Based on market research determine what is wanted/needed, refine and develop tools/programs directly related to success in the work place and the community.
  • Ensure that Toastmasters materials meet the graphics/design expectations of our target market.
  • Emphasize the importance of core values and ethical behavior in our leadership development programs and materials.
  • Create a culture in which District leaders seek out and mentor leaders who can assume roles of responsibility in the future.
  • Provide tools and resources to help decrease the burden of District and club volunteers