The following elements must be considered when beginning a strategic plan.
The Three-to-Five-year plan:
- The executive board and staff managers should get together to realign goals and kick off the strategic-planning process. This plan is a living, breathing rough draft that incorporates everyone’s ideas.
- Measurable goals are important for the team to achieve and make a list of priorities for each one. The SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats). This can assist you in identifying goals and determining which model strategic plan will function best for your company.
- This step of the planning process is entirely internal, but it may be modified if key stakeholders disagree. Your overarching organizational strategy plan is a dynamic document that should be examined and changed as needed to facilitate your strategic business plan.
The Annual “Business” Strategic plan:
This plan is the practical strategy that your organization utilizes to carry out its overall strategic plan. The nonprofit will define many parts in this plan, such as:
- Your organization’s mission statement
- The variety of programs and services your organization offers.
- Measurable results for each objective.
Among your business objectives, there should be one to “create the volunteer support necessary” to bring your company plan through to completion; this is what your development plan will depend on to provide optimum results.
The Mission Statement
- Questions to ask: Why does it exist? What exactly are you attempting to achieve? and What sets you apart from other organizations?
- This statement should be written precisely yet with non-finite verbs (no tense verbs) and allows for continual development and improvement of your goal; it is a work in progress.
The Nonprofit’s Goals
Including the following information in your strategic business plan demonstrates your organization’s focus and how internal efforts will lead to major improvement.
- Must be measurable and transparent.
- Priorities for program and services.
- Preferences for the intended audience.
- The facilities and locations.
- Planning and organizing a community.
- Public policy and advocacy.
- Marketing/branding communications.
- Development of resources.
Developing The Strategic Plan
The strategic fundraising plan is frequently confused with the strategic development plan. This is where your organization outlines the various parts and activities that will be used to fund all your significant philanthropic endeavors.
The group’s fundraising strategy will include:
- Your event (or virtual event) schedule.
- Fundraising campaigns.
- The grants you intend to investigate and submit.
For example, you might decide to plan one major nonprofit event per quarter, undertake research to identify five grants to apply for, and determine when to begin a feasibility study to decide whether you are ready for a capital campaign.
Your overarching strategic plan provides the backdrop and primary goals you intend to achieve.
Meanwhile, your organization’s strategic plan creates and defines the objectives that make up those overall goals.
Finally, your strategic development plan addresses how you fund and implement these projects.
Steps to creating a strategic growth strategy.
- Know your development plans, what percentage of funding will you decide on charitable individual contributions, plan giving, endowment fund, corporate support, and grants.
- Get feedback from your stakeholders. Board members, staff members, partners and consultants.
- Decide Marketing Strategies for Major Gifts, Stewardship, Donor Retention, Crowd Funding, Concurrent Individual giving and Direct Mailing.
- Consider some of the following inquiries. What are the things that we can optimize? What aspects of our work require extra time? Who has recurring activities in our organization that take time away from more vital activities?
In conclusion, your organization’s ultimate purpose is to have an influence on its mission and work for the greater good, not to make money. Use your organization’s budget to figure out how much money you’ll need to reach your charitable goals. Then divide it into categories to choose how you’ll raise the funds.
Learn more about strategic planning and developing a shared vision of your future, then determining how to make it a reality by attending the June 18 Sunshine Certificate in Nonprofit Management class on Power Vision – Strategic Thinking for Nonprofits (Planning) on Saturday, June 18, 2022, from 1 to 5 pm.
Source: Bloomerang Blog – https://bloomerang.co/blog/nonprofit-strategic-planning/
Author: Jay Love , co-founder of Bloomerang in 2012.