Use Strategic Planning To Achieve Success

Strategic planning isn’t just for businesses anymore. Many nonprofits use it with great results. In fact, most nonprofits possess the resources to engage in strategic planning and don’t even realize it. Chances are that you have the capabilities and personnel within your organization and on your board to develop and execute a first-rate strategic plan.

The concept of strategic planning is relatively simple: It is the process of determining your organization’s goals, identifying the people, tools, training and skills that you need to achieve these objectives, and then taking action. This type of planning differs from budgeting, generating a business plan or even long-range planning.

Almost any organization can develop a stra-tegic plan. Here’s how.

Develop Your Mission Statement
The first step is getting to know your organi-zation all over again by evaluating or devel-oping your mission statement. Make the statement a concise description of what you intend the organization to be and to achieve in the future.

Before writing your mission statement, get back to the basics and identify what business you are in. Think that’s obvious? Many organizations have surprised themselves after taking this first step. For example, they may have realized they were in the business of transportation, not simply operating trains — or were in the business of entertainment, not just producing movies.

When you have identified the basics, get more specific. Identify the needs you want to serve and the best way for your organization to serve those needs.

Now you are ready to prepare your mission statement. Make sure the statement is clear and succinct — anywhere from a paragraph to a page is advisable. Communicate the essence of what you are about and write it to commit and focus your organization.

Identify Strengths and Weaknesses
Look at your strengths and find ways to capitalize on them. Is your staff experienced? Do you have a high level of recognition in the community you serve? Does a great need exist for the services you provide? Are your staff and volunteers strongly committed to your goals? Do few alternatives exist for your services?

Don’t forget to examine your weaknesses and devise plans to improve them. Maybe the public doesn’t recognize the need for the services you provide. Is your funding uncer-tain? Are many organizations competing with you? Is demographic information available on the services you provide? Is your board of directors weak or inactive?

Now look at the threats to your nonprofit. These can include increased competition for funds, tax law changes that discourage dona-tions and lack of available skilled personnel.

Finally, identify your opportunities. Can you undertake related services? Forge part-nerships with other organizations? Reach out to the community through presentations by board or staff members?

Design Your Plan
In the next stage, you can begin developing specific strategies. These procedures will take your organization from where it pres-ently is to the place your mission statement wants it to be. Develop strategies for each major area needing attention. For example:

• If you think greater public awareness of your programs is needed to achieve your objectives, develop a publicity campaign. Consider programs such as presentations to the public, written communications, press releases and board development.

• When you identified your strengths and weaknesses, you probably found areas where you need new programs. To develop a new program that you’ve assessed the need for, evaluate the availability of funding sources for the program, as well as facilities and staff required.

• Have you identified the need to develop your personnel? Include additional mentoring, on-the-job training and outside seminars in your strategic plan.

• Staying on the cutting edge of tech-nology may be a top priority. Include increased use of automation and acquisition of necessary computer equipment in your plan.

Strategic Planning Meetings
The effectiveness of your strategic planning meetings can make or break your plans. Because of all the potential distractions on site, consider holding your meetings off site. Most strategic plans will require at least three or four meetings of several hours each to develop.

Designate an effective facilitator. If you use a member of your organization, he or she must be careful to serve as a facilitator and not actively participate in the process. The other option is to hire an independent professional facilitator. A good facilitator will keep the group on target with the specific questions and strategies being developed and will balance the group by eliciting comments from quieter members.

Who should be on your strategic planning team? Enlist anyone who is a key player. Consider program heads, finance directors, and key board members. Outsiders such as vendors and consultants can also provide valuable input.

Remember, a strategic plan is dynamic. As you implement some of the strategies, you may realize that certain objectives have a different result from your original expecta-tion. Based on this, you may need to change some strategies. To deal with possible changes and to be sure that the responsibili-ties are being met, schedule follow-up meet-ings periodically.

Get the Right Training To Run Your Organization
Today’s nonprofit can no longer be thought of as anything other than a business. New challenges arise and information proliferates that is vital to your nonprofit’s continued existence. To run a successful organization, you and your staff need the right expertise in every area. That is where expert training from a CPA can be invaluable — off-the-shelf training usually won’t suffice. The right expert trainer can develop a program that will address your specific funding sources, con-tractual relationships, client interaction, staff structure and automation.

Training can benefit your nonprofit by teaching you how to:

• Implement sound internal controls for your organization,

• Create retirement plan options for your organization,

• Develop alternative sources of revenue,

• Educate your constituency on deferred giving,

• Prepare a budget and forecast cash flow, and

• Educate your organization in general ledger, spreadsheet, word processing and database software applications.

Please let us know if you are interested in training. We would be happy to meet with you and discuss your specific needs.

Be Specific
Design each strategy to be as specific as pos-sible, with well-planned due dates and clearly outlined responsibilities. Break down each strategy into smaller, achievable components and assign them to specific staff members or outside contractors. Attach a completion date to each task you assign and frequently check on the progress being made.

When the plan is fully developed you will have clear objectives and know when they are to be achieved and who is responsible for achieving each one.

Go Further
Strategic planning can benefit just about any nonprofit organization. The process will move your organization in the direction you wish it to go — and help it stay competitive in today’s challenging marketplace. Please let us know if we can help your organization develop or implement a strategic plan.