This tough economic climate presents a perfect opportunity for nonprofit organizations to embark on a strategic planning process. A strategic planning process that actively involves all of an organization’s stakeholders enables an organization to clarify its mission, goals, core values, and vision for the future. This critical self-examination provides the foundation for nonprofits to not only respond to change, but to anticipate it.
Oftentimes, the board of a nonprofit organization will appoint a small task force comprised of board and staff members to drive the strategic planning process. Sometimes that strategic planning task force includes those the organization serves. In many instances, the board of directors may determine that the organization would be best served by hiring an external, unbiased, experienced professional to work with the strategic planning task force and guide the planning process.
Whether led by a task force, a planning consultant, or the organization’s executive director or board president, the first step in developing an effective strategic plan usually involves understanding the external opportunities and threats impacting the organization. These challenges could include reduced donor or government funding, societal and technological changes, and changes to the political landscape. Then, an organization needs to seriously evaluate its internal strengths and limitations. This introspective assessment involves evaluating staff competencies, financial stability, organizational structure, programs and services, policies and procedures, and facilities. By understanding the current realities facing the organization, the leadership is better prepared to make informed decisions about the future direction of the organization.
What generally happens next is that the board of the organization and its senior staff come together for a one, two, or three day retreat to review the results of the organizational assessment and determine ways to capitalize on the organization’s strengths and the opportunities provided by the external environment. During this retreat, the group may create or update the organization’s mission statement and vision statement to what the organization strives to become in the future. Then, specific, measurable, and realistic goals and outcomes to be achieved over the next three to five years can be developed. An effective retreat is one that is well-planned, doesn’t waste any of the participants’ valuable time by staying on-track, and allows everyone to feel that they have had an equal voice at the table.
For the strategic plan to then become a living document that actually serves as the organization’s blueprint, an annual operating plan can be developed by the staff responsible for the plan’s day-to-day execution. An operating plan includes specific tactics, outcomes, deadlines, and personnel associated with the accomplishment of each goal specified in the strategic plan. Operating plans developed in an Excel spreadsheet format allow the organization’s leadership to periodically update the plan and track accomplishments by due dates or personnel.
According to Kate Eilertsen, executive director of the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, “Strategic plans, when done well, empower the people in an organization to face their challenges, prioritize their goals, and be profoundly in touch with their core mission. I’ve been involved with four different nonprofit organizations as both a board member and executive director and it always amazes me how differently they evolve. When done well, they motivate both the staff and the board to achieve their big visions by planning, executing, and accomplishing strategies that make an organization work well.
“This year, the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art established four key strategic goals for the next three years. They are: Define and institute a focused mission and dynamic programming goals; Be known as the most welcoming and fun place to go in Sonoma; Maximize earned and contributed income streams; and Develop staff strength to further professionalize the operations of the museum. It was an exciting and energizing process that will certainly take the museum to a new level of success.”
It is important to remember that a strategic plan is not a quick fix to solve all of an organization’s problems, nor is it a wish list or a slick marketing device. It is, instead, a sound tool that a nonprofit organization can use to assess its current state, determine its desired future state, and chart a realistic course of action to achieve its vision.
Dr. B.J. Bischoff is the owner of Bischoff Performance Improvement Consulting, a Sonoma firm specializing in building the capacity of nonprofit organizations and government agencies to better serve their stakeholders. She is a member of the Impact100 Sonoma Board of Directors and can be contacted at bjbischoff@bjbischoff.com.
