One of the biggest time variables in any strategic planning process is the amount of stakeholder involvement you choose to have. With limited or no stakeholder involvement, a smaller organization with a limited scope of work might be able to measure the length of their planning process in weeks rather than months (dependent upon an…

Most members of nonprofit boards know that their organization needs a strategic plan—a plan that is current and truly guides the work. However, knowing that a plan is needed and actually engaging in the planning process are two different things. Volunteer board members can usually find a number of reasons to avoid embarking on strategic…

In times of uncertainty, organizations and their leaders may be tempted to wait and see what happens next (and hope for the best). The risk here is that you are letting other people or other factors shape your direction. Our advice is to take control of your future by devoting time now to create an…

Every statewide election is sure to bring change: new legislators, possible leadership turnover at the department level, revised or new priorities, shifts in funding, and plenty of opportunities and challenges.  You can wait on the sidelines for things to settle-out, or you can bring your board and staff together to ask the “what if?” questions…

After investing significant amounts of time and money developing a strategic plan, nonprofits often struggle with “operationalizing” their plans, squandering opportunities the planning process has created and rendering a low return on the time and resources they’ve invested. In order to successfully turn your strategies into actions, think of the plan as a multi-layered process…