A Homebrewer in Every Neighborhood and a Homebrew Club in Every Community
Hello, Planet Homebrewing! We homebrewers are a special group. We have a knack for irreverence. We don’t like being pigeonholed. We don’t like being thought of as one-size-fits-all, and we don’t subscribe to predefined rules. Am I right?
For individuals who choose to practice this hobby we are so passionate about, it’s an exciting time for the American Homebrewers Association (AHA). We’re charting a new course to represent, support, and fuel homebrewing. On June 27, 2025, your new AHA Founding Board of Directors (see Zymurgy March/April 2025) announced the new AHA 2025 Strategic Plan. This plan directly relates to the AHA becoming an independent organization no longer managed by, or existing under, the 501(c)(6) Brewers Association.
Elements of the strategic plan came together over the last few months, following multiple meetings with your AHA Board, the AHA Strategic Planning Task Force—chaired by Shawna Cormier with vice-chair Drew Beechum, Cody Matkin, Paulina van Eeden Hill, and myself representing AHA staff. The group accounted for member input on AHA’s proposed vision collected in February 2025, too. Best practices and grounding concepts were kept in mind as we finalized the 2025 plan.
What is Strategic Planning?
- Defining an organization’s priorities and allocating people, technology, and other resources to achieve its vision and goals.
- Evaluating the organization’s vision and mission and determining the best ways to achieve them by establishing defined priorities with metrics.
Why Create a Strategic Plan?
- Organizations guided by strategy have long-term goals that describe the desired end-state of impact they aim to create for their members and the public.
- A strategic plan acts as a communication device that functions like a GPS, providing guidance.
- Plans live and breathe. Strategy merits ongoing reference, regular review, and adjustment to keep pace with change.
Members should be aware of the organization’s vision, priorities, and goals. Staff and volunteers need to know the big picture of what they are trying to accomplish.
Definitions:
- Vision – Where we want to go and what the world will look like based on our impact, commitment, and staff and volunteer performance.
- Mission – Why the AHA exists and what we intend to do.
- Purpose – Declares an organization’s intention to act consistently with its nonprofit, tax-exempt status. Appears in the bylaws and/or articles of incorporation.
- Strategic Priorities – Measurable goals guiding resource allocation and the direction of the organization.
- Targets – Quantifiable benchmarks to reach to meet goals.
- Values – Commonly held beliefs that shape an organization. Critical to trust, ethics, beliefs, and attitudes within the organization and the community it creates.
We hope you share our enthusiasm for the opportunities our new independence brings. It’s essential to acknowledge that future AHA volunteer leaders will build on the historic changes made in 2025. In 2026, we will conduct AHA Board of Director elections to build upon the work of your new founding board. Board candidates will benefit from being on an AHA committee first. So throw your hat in the ring to be a committee volunteer.
Julia Herz is executive director of the American Homebrewers Association. You can follow Julia’s homebrew talks and travels on Instagram @ImmaculateFermentation.
2025 STRATEGIC PLAN
Strategic Priorities
- Organizational Strength and Health
- Business: Stabilize finances, produce a valid 3-year plan, and transition staff as needed.
- Operations: Hire an Association Management Company (AMC) to carry out day-to-day AHA operations.
- Governance: Create the path to independence.
- Planning: Craft the future of the AHA as a force to positively influence homebrewing generations to come.
- Knowledge and Learning
- Education: Continue 2025 services and benefits.
- Events: Bring back HomebrewCon in summer of 2026.
- Volunteerism & Leadership Development: AHA’s future relies on establishing a thriving volunteer community that takes an active role in fueling its organization.
- Community, Collaboration, and Competition
- Community: Engage with our membership community.
- Collaboration: Catapult homebrewing by positioning the AHA as a national homebrew club, served and fueled by club officers.
- Competition: Execute prep for 2026’s National Homebrew Competition (NHC).
Read our full strategic plan and learn more about our mission and vision.
AHA’s Mission
“We celebrate and promote the art, science, and joy of fermentation, championing a united and knowledgeable community of today’s and tomorrow’s homebrewers.”
AHA’s Vision
“A homebrewer in every neighborhood and a homebrew club in every community.”
AHA’s Values
- Community – We cultivate an inclusive, collaborative hobby welcoming all. Homebrewing thrives when it is shared and enjoyed together.
- Education – We inspire curiosity and confidence with unsurpassed resources so homebrewers can grow, innovate, and experiment.
- Joy – Brewing is more than a hobby, it’s a source of joy, creativity, and connection. We celebrate the moments that make homebrewing unforgettable.
- Volunteerism – Driven by our community and powered by passion, the AHA is shaped by homebrewers who guide everything we do.
2025 Committee Charges
The following committees have been established by the AHA Board of Directors:
- Clubs – Strengthen and support AHA-sanctioned homebrew clubs by fostering leadership development, sharing best practices, and cultivating a thriving network of local communities.
- Community & Education – Advance the AHA’s role as a catalyst for learning and connection within the homebrewing community.
- Events – Shape the vision and execution of in-person events that bring the AHA mission to life.
- Finance – Safeguard the fiscal health and sustainability of the AHA.
- Governance – Promote organizational excellence through sound governance practices.
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