4 Reasons Your Nonprofit Needs a Strategic Plan
By Sam on September 14, 2020
“ABN and our consultant were a breath of fresh air for our organization. Our consultant asked some good and thought-provoking questions about what we are doing now, where we want to be, and how we would get there. A lot of our board members have made very positive comments about working with ABN and I think we all feel a new sense of excitement and enthusiasm for SMARM and what we can do with it.” – Jennifer Huskey, Board Chair, Smoky Mountain Area Rescue Ministries (SMARM)
In this time of uncertainty, planning for the future is more important than ever. A strategic plan is a tool you can use to provide guidance in fulfilling your nonprofit’s mission with maximum efficiency and impact. Simply put, it is a document that points the way forward for your nonprofit. It both lays out your goals and explains why they’re important. Wondering why your organization should have a strategic plan? Here are four good reasons:
1) First and foremost, strategic plans help you to control your organization’s future. They give you direction and determine your organization’s priorities. They help define what your vision of success looks like, and show you how to prioritize the actions that will make this vision a reality.
2) The process of developing a strategic plan helps create buy-in from your stakeholders and improves their understanding of your organization’s mission and capabilities. Once you define your strategy, you can get your board, staff, and volunteers on the same page.
3) Strategic planning enhances your organization’s decision-making capabilities by prioritizing the actions necessary for success. Priorities make it easier to say no to initiatives that may be sidetracking or not mission-focused. Sometimes hard-working people put their energy into areas that may have little-to-no effect on strategic success. Getting your stakeholders on board with your plan helps to prevent that.
4) Communication is key! When your board, staff, volunteers, donors, and the community know where your organization is headed, you allow for more opportunities for people to help you maximize your success in getting there.
The four critical steps to strategic planning (as defined by The Bridgespan Group) are:
1. Achieving strategic clarity;
2. Setting strategic priorities;
3. Determining resource implications; and
4. Developing an implementation plan and establishing performance measurement.
Overwhelmed by the strategic planning process? Don’t be! ABN is here to walk you through the steps. Whether you’re still on the fence about going down the strategic planning road or you’re ready to get started, we’re here to help. To begin, contact Director of Capacity Building Elle Benson at ebenson@betternonprofits.org or (865) 313-2077.