Why Strategic Planning is Crucial

Planning to Plan: When planning happens infrequently, it requires a significant amount of time just to prepare for the planning process. This can take weeks or even months, delaying action.

Board-Led Strategy: IThat’s right… The board leading strategy is problematic. Board members, who are part-time volunteers, are expected to decide on the strategy. They often lack the day-to-day insights needed to make informed decisions about both goals and tactics. Well informed boards can act as great guardrails for nonprofits playing a role in oversight, but they aren’t well positioned to make vision oriented or strategic decisions.

Outdated Plans: The lengthy process can result in a plan that is outdated by the time it's ready. Adjusting such plans is cumbersome, leading to them being shelved and forgotten.

Staff-Led Planning
The planning process should be led by the executive director and leadership staff, who have the most insight into the organization's daily operations and challenges. Staff should regularly provide updates on what's working and what isn't, ensuring the plan stays relevant and actionable.

Frequent Iterative Planning Planning should be an ongoing process. In the Impact Method®️, which I teach my clients, we do strategic planning every two months. This iterative approach allows for continuous refinement and adaptation, ensuring the plan evolves with the organization’s needs and external changes.

Inclusive of Capacity Goals
Strategic plans should include goals related to capacity building, such as fundraising and staff development, in addition to programmatic goals. Building a robust infrastructure is essential for achieving long-term mission goals. For many nonprofits, especially startups or those struggling financially, capacity goals are crucial for sustainability and growth.

Regularly Discuss Key Outcomes: Hold frequent meetings to discuss the key outcomes your organization needs to achieve.

Distribute Decision-Making: Implement systems and processes that distribute decision-making across the team, leveraging the expertise of all staff members.

Focus on Results: Align actions with desired outcomes, rather than just completing tasks.

Increased Agility: Regular planning sessions allow your organization to quickly adapt to new challenges and opportunities.

Enhanced Team Engagement: When staff are involved in the planning process, they feel more invested in the organization’s success.

Better Decision-Making: With distributed leadership, decisions are made closer to where the action happens, leading to more informed and effective outcomes.