Home » Learning » Leadership Tools » Non-Profit Tools » Non-Profit Strategic Planning

Non-Profit Strategic Planning

Looking for strategic planning consulting? Call 1-800-598-7662 to speak with an LRI consultant.

Non-Profit Strategic Planning

Here’s the text of an email I sent today to the president of the Board of Directors of a non-profit. I think it speaks to how to do streamlined non-profit strategic planning.

“Hi, Meg – The best way to make this process go expeditiously is to prepare a draft plan for the Board to look at. The work we do before hand with the executive committee should be oriented to creating that plan. We’ve already decided on the format for the plan.

“The key decisions the Board needs to make revolve around reaffirming the mission of the organization – and then deciding the specific goals/priorities to achieve – within its resources. The key questions to ask are: ‘What’s our underlying strategy in terms of how we will achieve each goal? How will we re-allocate resources to assure we have the capacity to achieve it?’ Don’t make the mistake of setting goals and then starving the organization of resources to achieve them!

For example, if raising money from grants is a priority, then you’ll need capacity to research and develop grants. If generating revenue from fee-for-service programs is a priority, then you’ll need capacity to manage those programs. You have to work through the options, decide where the impact will be greatest, and make choices.

For each potential goal, keep asking, do we have the capacity? If not, how will we get it? At what cost? What will be the benefit? Is the return to our mission significant?

I look forward to seeing you all and helping you lead this to a successful conclusion.

A Good Day for Non-Profit Strategic Planning

Yesterday was a good day with a client in Los Angeles. It’s a non-profit association with two dozen branch offices. The process was good – I helped them see the situation clearly. They had some key issues to deal with. The authority has traditionally been vested in the local branches, not in the central association office. The first issue they needed to tangle with was how to construct a more rational system that devolved sufficient authority to the central hub to enable the organization to operate efficiently.

Wrapped around the governance question was a financial issue – the organization, though profitable, was declining financially. Something needed to be done to create a sustainable business model. Happily, they had the answers at their fingertips. Many of the pieces were already being conceived – a much bigger fund-raising operation, more vertical oversight of back office operations. But several pieces of the puzzle were missing – most importantly, a strategy for front-loading the investment in new capacity. Where was the money going to come from? Second, they needed to agree on what oversight by the central association office really meant? Did it mean true performance management with consistent expectations tied to both positive and negative consequences? Or did it mean something else?

By the end of the two days, we had the puzzle completely assembled. We figured out which assets would be sold to raise the cash. We figured out a new framework for flexible governance and oversight, rewarding high performing branches with more autonomy, penalizing low performing branches with more oversight. We had the performance assessment piece in place. We’d sharply defined the role of the branch directors. We had worked on the vocabulary and messages to describe the strategy effectively. By the end of the second day, everyone had their assignments. The team was aligned. They were ready to go.

Non-Profit Strategic Planning Consulting

To speak with a strategic planning consultant, call (916) 325-1190 or email info@leadingresources.com.

Tips for Improving Communication

Take the Straight Talk® communication survey to discover your communication style.

Pass the Straight Talk® communication book around at work to improve the quality of communication.

Order a Straight Talk® communication workshop for your organization. Workshops can be crafted to focus on communication styles, managing decisions, or resolving conflicts.

Tools for Building a High-Performing Organization

Download over 100 high quality leadership tools.

Learn about the 10 best practices of high-performing organizations.