Strategic Planning

Nonprofit work is hard work. Demands nearly always exceed supply and yet the temptation to take on more and more is enticing because we either feel that 1) there is always so much more to be done or 2) we succumb to SOS (shiny object syndrome) in the hopes that surely this is the silver bullet we've been looking for. And now a full plate is even more overloaded.

The idea behind strategic planning is to help sort through the work of the organization in order to focus on strategic choices that lead to sustainably superior performance. As Harvard Professor Michael Porter said, “The essence of strategy is choosing what NOT to do.” What might your organization need to stop doing in order to improve it's performance?

We've all experienced the strategic planning process that generates little more than a report that is buried somewhere on a shelf. While there is no "one-size-fits-all" in terms of methodology for organizations, there are four key reasons strategic planning fails:

1.Rushing the process

2.Lack of data and rigorous analysis

3.Plan isn’t designed with implementation in mind

4.No activity or ongoing accountability and review/evaluation of results

Nonprofit Strategies can tailor a process that meets your organization's needs and budget, resulting in a plan with specific goals and strategies, responsibility assignments, and deadlines. In addition, I provide tips and tools to keep your plan and progress at the forefront of every board meeting.

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