Strategic Planning - Blue Sky, Tactical Lists, or Dust Collector
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Strategic Planning - Blue Sky, Tactical Lists, or Dust Collector
The best assurance of survival that any enterprise can have is a sound strategic plan. In our work as management consultants Executive Service Corps reviews many strategic plans. What we find is that over 50% of nonprofits have "strategic plans" but few of them are sound. Common defects are * A tactical list, rather than a strategic plan * All blue sky - too vague * Unrealistic objectives * The wrong time frame * Failure to consider the environment * Not devoting enough time to the process The result is a plan that sits on the shelf gathering dust rather than a critical operating document.
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Planning and organizing a fund raising program can be a very challenging task for many organizations that need financial help. Because there are so many ideas that can be used as a fundraising program, picking just one for your event can be overwhelming. You may be considering a fund raising program that was successful for another organization, but since you likely have a different kind of organization or institution, you'll need to assess your particular needs.
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Give Money to Get Money; The Power of Tithing
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Fundraising for Church Groups
A great idea for a church fundraiser is putting together an annual 'Church Feastival' where good food, carnival games, auctions, and family fun combine for a wonderful fundraising event. The idea is to attract a broad spectrum of the local population to your fundraiser by having something for everybody.
The best assurance of survival that any enterprise can have is a sound strategic plan. In our work as management consultants Executive Service Corps reviews many strategic plans. What we find is that over 50% of nonprofits have "strategic plans" but few of them are sound.
Common defects are
* A tactical list, rather than a strategic plan * All blue sky - too vague * Unrealistic objectives * The wrong time frame * Failure to consider the environment * Not devoting enough time to the process
The result is a plan that sits on the shelf gathering dust rather than a critical operating document.
The remedy is to get the right planning team, to address the right issues in the right time frames, and to take the time to do the work.
The strategic planning right team should include key staff, board members, and outside stakeholders. For a small nonprofit the team can be as small as 6 or 7. For a larger nonprofit, with complex issues, it can be 12 to 15.
With too much staff input, the plan can end up as a tactical list. If "revising the personnel manual" is an important goal as opposed to "improving service quality by increasing employee retention", this is a tactical list - not a strategic plan.
Without solid staff input, the plan can be too vague, or does not consider practical aspects of implementation. Are the human resources there to do the work Can we pay for them The time frame should be 3 years. A one year plan is a business plan, and while a useful document, it is not a strategic plan. The focus should be "what do we need to do in the next 18 to 24 months to be where we want to be in 3 years"
The planners need to consider all of the classic issues - are the mission and vision right What are our strengths What do our patrons and clients think of us Where are we positioned strategically and what are our options What are the risks to our agency Asking directors to put dots on a chart at a facilitated retreat is a useful precursor to a strategic plan, but it is not a substitute for one.
Finally the most important step - take the time to address the issues. One client asked the Executive Service Corps to facilitate a strategic plan in an intense process that began on Friday night and ended late Sunday. While the results were impressive and our client was pleased, this is not the preferred way to do strategic planning. The process needs to be deliberative, but it needs momentum. We recommend a series of 6 to 10 meetings over a period of 3 months. Homework is required. The amount depends on the knowledge the agency has about its position in the competitive environment.
Do it right and you get a terrific return on the investment, not another document gathering dust.
About the Author
Michael Daily has over 25 years of senior business experiece. More recently he founded the Executive Service Corps of New Hampshire, a nonprofit that provides high impact volunteer opportunities to deliever affordable management consulting to nonprofits. He can be reached at , www.nonprofit-consultants.org or .
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