2024-27 Strategic Plan

As the world’s largest and most influential sports medicine and exercise science organization, ACSM takes its role seriously. We strive for excellence and continuous improvement because our members, certified professionals, profession and communities depend on us.

Our new 2024-27 strategic framework is more than just words. Based on the input of thousands of stakeholders, our plan ensures unprecedented alignment across the organization and will guide us toward a strong, successful and influential future.

ACSM 2024-27 Strategic Plan PDF

Vision

Extend and enrich lives through the power of movement.

Mission

Educate and empower professionals to advance the science and practice of health and human performance.

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Values

Integrity

ACSM is guided by strong ethical principles, founded in honesty, trust, and evidence-based practices, which are objective, balanced, and responsible.

Transparency

ACSM openly shares information, ideas and expectations and creates an environment for open and honest communication.

Collaboration

ACSM fosters diverse perspectives, encourages participation, shares knowledge and resources, and supports members, staff, and stakeholders to achieve better outcomes and greater impact.

Accessibility and Equity

ACSM embraces diversity and strives for equal opportunity and access across our community.

Goals and Strategies

Create a compelling customer experience
- Optimize all ACSM meetings and educational activities to increase constituent and stakeholder engagement, awareness, and overall value of the activity.
- Proactively support and validate the value of the professions occupied by ACSM members and certified professionals that make up the core of ACSM's constituent and financial base; Identify and execute opportunities to better support members and certified professionals at all levels of their career.
- Implement a segmented and tailored marketing and communication strategy to ensure members and certified professionals receive information relevant to their interests; create more opportunities for connections, community, and networking among customers.
- Engage more deeply with students by communicating student benefits, providing opportunities for professional growth, and creating pathways for leadership and volunteer roles.
- Support the CCRB/certification goal of making ACSM a home for prospective and current certified professionals.
Deliver an ongoing commitment to technology and infrastructure
- Develop a continuous improvement approach and invest in website usability to create a cohesive, streamlined, user-friendly web experience for all customers and staff to optimize site navigation, user engagement, and online transactions.
- Use the association management system (AMS) and other technology resources to collect and evaluate data (e.g., membership, financial, program and web traffic analytics) with an ongoing commitment to data integrity and use data to develop and implement evidence-based solutions and initiatives.
- Make annual financial and staff investments in supporting the ongoing maintenance and advancement of technology.
- Maximize the opportunity the AMS provides in terms of integration with other systems and platforms (e.g., learning management and community engagement platforms).
- Develop and disseminate state-of-the art technology-based educational resources.
Perform a governance realignment
- Provide clarity of roles and responsibilities between volunteer leaders and staff to optimize performance of the organization to fulfill vision and mission.
- Review, simplify, align, and communicate governance documents for efficiency, clarity, and consistency across ACSM; create a governance-focused communications strategy that serves and informs all governance groups (e.g., board, committees, and elected leaders).
- Design an updated board and committee structure that is representative of members and stakeholders (including students and certified professionals), is sustainable for the organization, achieves the aims of ACSM, meets needs of customers, and is aligned with this strategic plan.
- Implement the RACI matrix (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed) within and across committees to improve operational efficiency and align board, volunteers, and staff; ensure RACI best practices are consistent across committees and follow the same rules and procedures to promote integrity, transparency, and equity.
- Enhance Regional Chapters’ relationship with the overall ACSM organization and develop strategies that provide reciprocal benefit and further ACSM’s mission, vision, values, and strategic priorities.
Build a fiscally sustainable organization
- Implement a system which includes long-term budgeting, financial planning, clear and regularly updated decision-making guidance, policies, and standard operating procedures including a reporting roadmap.
- Create systems for accountability and reporting of financials with proactive and transparent communications.
- Sustain and enhance current revenue streams while developing new revenue streams. Continually evaluate partnerships and collaboration with allied organizations to increase revenue, reduce costs, and further ACSM's vision and mission.
- Create and implement program-specific fiscal sustainability/profitability threshold policies including consideration of non-monetary value of a program; evaluate data and make evidence-based decisions on program value.
Promote excellence in science and evidence-based practice and expand ACSM's reputation as a global scientific leader
- Elevate science with ACSM operations, policies, and strategic priorities.
- Optimize educational activities to advance science across all disciplines within ACSM.
- Enhance the collaboration and representation of disciplines across ACSM activities to reflect the continuum of science and practice.
- Create and enhance ACSM’s relationship with partners and stakeholders to provide reciprocal benefits.
- Advance ACSM’s reputation as the leader and go-to source in exercise, sports science, and sports medicine.

Strategic Plan Infographic

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Like Where We’re Headed? Come Join Us!

There are many ways we can work together. For 70 years, ACSM has been dedicated to promoting well-being, sport safety, fitness and physical activity through research, education and public health efforts. Be part of the difference we’re making in the profession and around the world as we extend and enrich lives through the power of movement.

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About ACSM

ACSM’s mission is to educate and empower professionals to advance the science and practice of health and human performance. With more than 50,000 members and certified professionals from in 90 countries, the American College of Sports Medicine® (ACSM) helps people worldwide live longer, healthier lives.

For the past 70 years, ACSM has supported professionals representing diverse fields in sports medicine, exercise science, nutrition, health and fitness. Through research, advocacy, education, and evidence-based practice, we aim to extend and enrich lives through the power of movement.

About ACSM's Strategic Vision

ACSM’s 2024-27 Strategic Plan has outlined priorities that will help us better serve our members, advance the professions we represent, and improve the health of people worldwide. The new strategic plan is focused on making an impact and measuring outcomes as we strive for excellence.