Welcome to ACAPT's 2025-2028 Strategic Plan

Strategies

• Members report feeling more connected to ACAPT and are actively participating in programming, elections, and business meetings.
• Volunteer systems are more accessible, equitable, and structured to support diverse involvement and leadership continuity.
• New and transitioning Program Directors are supported through mentorship and leadership development opportunities.
• Institutional diversity is consistently represented in ACAPT’s engagement, communications, and recognition efforts.
• Member-driven communities and platforms (e.g., Institutes) are actively used for peer connection, idea exchange, and collaboration.

Success Indicators

• Formalize a succession plan for Board and volunteer leadership to ensure continuity, diverse representation, and institutional memory.
• Launch a mentorship or leadership academy program specifically for new or transitioning Program Directors.
• Enhance digital platforms such as Higher Logic and Teams to support year-round peer engagement, discussion, and resource sharing.
• Assign trained moderators to each Institute’s online community to increase activity, support inclusive dialogue, and track engagement needs.
• Create mechanisms to recognize institutional and individual engagement across ACAPT programs and initiatives.
• Use pulse surveys and annual member feedback tools to assess member satisfaction and perceived inclusion and visibility.
• Continue improving communication pathways to reduce response times and provide clear access points for involvement.
• Strengthen external partnerships to align resources and elevate ACAPT’s visibility and role as the collective voice of academic PT.
• Promote accessibility and inclusive design across all ACAPT events, platforms, and resources.
• Facilitate opportunities for cross-institutional collaboration within and across Institutes.

Strategies

• Redefine and restructure the Center for Excellence to serve as a hub for research, data, and scholarly impact
• Reevaluate the purpose, access, and utilization of the IPS, including conducting annual focus groups to improve tools and user experience
• Leverage dashboards, reporting tools, and APIs to streamline real-time access and benchmarking
• Redesign committee and task force structures to support data governance, quality, and cross-institute collaboration
• Develop a volunteer engagement framework to recruit and train members for data-focused initiatives
• Integrate research and scholarship alongside quantitative data within ACAPT's knowledge systems
• Establish clear data-sharing agreements and ethical standards

Success Indicators

• ACAPT has established a sustainable and well-supported infrastructure for data and research that meets member needs and drives continuous improvement.
• Members, staff, and leaders consistently report confidence and satisfaction in accessing and using ACAPT’s data systems and tools.
• Institutions demonstrate increasing engagement with ACAPT’s data tools, such as the IPS, as part of their strategic planning, program development, and benchmarking efforts.
• More institutions regularly submit IPS data, reflecting a growing culture of shared accountability and transparency.
• ACAPT’s data and research resources are leveraged to inform new initiatives, improve member services, enhance scholarship and knowledge generation, and guide strategic decisions.
• ACAPT is recognized as a trusted source of data and research, evidenced by increased citations and references in scholarly publications, national reports, and peer organizations’ work

Strategies

• ACAPT is widely recognized and cited by external organizations, peer associations, and educational leaders.
• Members regularly contribute to and access ACAPT’s thought leadership, policy briefs, and resource libraries.
• ACAPT receives increasing requests to serve as a partner, advisor, or convener on major initiatives in PT education.
• Members feel connected to ACAPT’s influence and are equipped to lead within their institutions and communities.
• Forums, collaborations, and communications reflect diverse voices and foster cross-institutional community-building.

Success Indicators

• Develop and publish high-quality thought leadership content through blogs, policy briefs, articles, and strategic commentary on emerging issues in academic physical therapy.
• Create pathways for members to co-author or contribute to ACAPT statements, commentary, and resource development to elevate diverse leadership perspectives.
• Build formal partnerships with APTA, CAPTE, FSBPT, and other key organizations to collaborate on events, resources, podcasts, and joint advocacy.
• Highlight institutional and community-driven innovations by featuring member leaders and programs through campaigns, storytelling, and presentations.
• Host regular virtual or in-person town halls, panels, and dialogues centered on timely topics such as equity, innovation, and collaboration.
• Provide training, toolkits, and guidance to equip members as local and national advocates and thought leaders.
• Contract subject matter experts (SMEs) to support the development of targeted, top-quality content aligned with ACAPT’s strategic priorities.
• Support mentorship and cross-institution peer learning models to foster leadership development, retention, and succession planning.
• Launch and track a leadership pipeline that prepares early-career professionals, program directors, and volunteers for elevated roles.
• Encourage all Institutes to integrate leadership development and collaboration into their initiatives, content, and programming.
• Establish a content oversight and influence tracking system to monitor ACAPT’s citations, external references, media presence, and podcast features.
• Maintain a centralized, accessible repository of ACAPT-authored resources to support branding, outreach, and community engagement.
• Gather ongoing feedback from members about ACAPT’s influence, visibility, and value through annual surveys and targeted focus groups.

Strategies

• A growing percentage of ACAPT’s annual revenue is sourced from non-dues income such as grants, sponsorships, and educational offerings.
• ACAPT builds long-term, values-aligned relationships with sponsors and partners who support its mission and programming.
• Staff and volunteers report improved clarity in roles, expectations, and satisfaction with their experience.
• Volunteer pipelines are active, supported, and aligned with succession planning and leadership development needs.
• Internal processes support timely execution of programs and reduce bottlenecks in decision-making and implementation.

Success Indicators

• Establish a multi-year sponsorship strategy that includes benefits, relationship-building, and recognition tied to ACAPT’s mission and values.
• Create a framework for new revenue-generating educational offerings, events, or microlearning programs that require minimal staff resources.
• Review and refine internal workflows to reduce redundancy, improve communication, and clarify staff responsibilities.
• Implement regular check-ins or brief staff feedback loops to assess workload, morale, and alignment with strategic goals.
• Formalize volunteer onboarding and leadership training resources to better prepare members stepping into service roles.
• Build a volunteer tracking and recognition system to monitor engagement and identify leadership potential.
• Use simple planning tools to reduce time from idea to program launch and support quick pivots based on member needs.
• Evaluate and improve governance and decision-making timelines to increase responsiveness while maintaining accountability.
• Apply basic metrics to measure organizational health, such as revenue diversification, retention of sponsors, and speed of execution.