2025–2028 Strategic Plan

Adopted February 2026

Executive Summary

In 2025, Music Teachers National Association engaged The Hodge Group to guide a strategic planning process designed to clarify priorities, establish measurable goals, and position the organization for long-term sustainability and impact. This process included a comprehensive assessment of MTNA’s current environment, incorporating interviews with board and staff leadership, surveys of members and affiliate leaders, and roundtable discussions with past presidents, young professionals, and leaders from similar nonprofit organizations.

Research findings highlighted a strong foundation for MTNA’s future. Leadership and membership demonstrated a high level of commitment to the organization’s mission, supported by positive financial conditions and a robust culture of volunteerism. At the same time, stakeholders identified opportunities to strengthen organizational capacity, modernize programs and systems, reduce barriers to participation, and expand communication and engagement across a changing music teaching landscape.

Insights from this research led to the development of the three strategic areas of focus that guide this plan:

1. Resource Alignment and Development: Financial, membership, and governance
2. Modernization: Program diversification, systems, and brand refresh
3. Communication and Marketing: Visibility, leadership empowerment, and engagement

Together, these priorities aim to stabilize and grow membership, refresh MTNA’s brand and programming, improve leadership development and governance, and expand the association’s visibility and engagement with both current and future music teachers.

This strategic plan serves as a working roadmap to align MTNA’s programs, leadership efforts, and resources around these priorities, ensuring measurable progress while strengthening the association’s role as the leading professional organization for music teachers. The plan will run from January 1, 2026–December 31, 2028.

Goal Statements and Measurements

For each of these three strategic areas of focus, the Board of Directors and The Hodge Group identified the following goals and measures of success:

1. Resource Alignment and Development

   1. Goal: Stabilize active membership, increase new membership, and improve retention.
      Measures of Success: Increased membership renewals; increased membership activity; increased number of new members; increased conversion rate from prospective member to new member.
   2. Goal: Improve governance and leadership orientation experience.
      Measures of Success: Increased satisfaction with experience; increased knowledge of MTNA operations; increased understanding of respective and collective roles and responsibilities.
   3. Goal: Develop a comprehensive leadership toolkit to empower leadership tiers toward assigned leadership responsibilities and enhance the leadership experience.
      Measures of Success: Completion of development and implementation; increased satisfaction in leadership experience.
   4. Goal: Align resources with program success and viability.
      Measures of Success: Demonstrated alignment between job descriptions, performance indicators, and strategic priorities; increased time allocated to priority programs vs. non-priority activities; maintained or increased membership utilization for ongoing programs.

2. Modernization

   1. Goal: Refresh brand.
      Measures of Success: Consistent, mission-aligned brand identity across all channels; strengthened and diversified ways of communicating the organization’s unique benefit and relevance to members and other stakeholders.
   2. Goal: Modernize membership experience.
      Measures of Success: Increased member engagement, including participation in events and online platforms; adoption and/or application of new tools or platforms.
   3. Goal: Streamline internal systems and structures for greater efficiency. Measures of Success: Increased process efficiency for internal workflows; decreased administration cost; and continued exploration and implementation of new or alternate payment options.

3. Communication and Marketing

   1. Goal: Increase and diversify content portfolio with concise, high-impact messaging (micro-content).
      Measures of Success: Increased content volume; increased engagement rate per post; increased variety of content; development of defined communication timeline; implementation of a system to monitor metrics of communications leading to desired actions (event registrations, etc.)
   2. Goal: Increase visibility and promotion for MTNA Certification.
      Measures of Success: Increased certification inquiries, participants, and completions
   3. Goal: Increase awareness and community experience of online opportunities. Measures of Success: Increased participation in online events, workshops, and/or discussion forums; established registration-to-attendance rate with increasing targets; monitoring of awareness through surveys and polls; monitoring of website traffic to online opportunities to track increased targets.

Conclusion

The strategic planning process affirmed that MTNA is well positioned for the future. With a strong mission, committed volunteer leadership, and a supportive membership community, the organization has the foundation necessary to evolve alongside the changing needs of music teachers and students.

By focusing on resource alignment and leadership development, modernization of programs and systems, and expanded communication and marketing, MTNA can strengthen its impact, improve the member experience, and broaden its reach to the next generation of music teachers. These priorities reflect the insights gathered throughout the research process and respond directly to opportunities identified by members, leaders, and industry partners.

Successful implementation will depend on continued collaboration among national leadership, staff, and the extensive network of state and local affiliates. Through clear metrics, ongoing evaluation, and shared commitment, MTNA can translate this plan into meaningful action that supports its members and advances the profession of music teaching.

This roadmap positions MTNA not only to respond to today’s challenges, but also to lead the future of the music teaching profession with clarity, relevance, and purpose.