What to Know Before Embarking on a Nonprofit Strategic Planning Journey
A lot of us in the nonprofit world are rethinking how we do things this year. After federal spending cuts reduced the availability of government funding for nonprofits, the path forward looks foggier than ever for a lot of organizations.
However, every nonprofit organization has tools that can help them find a clear path forward – like nonprofit strategic planning.
Strategic planning for nonprofit organizations is the most beneficial when you’re trying to figure out what the next few years will look like, rather than trying to solve a short-term, one off problem.
If this sounds like something that might be helpful for your nonprofit organization, we’ve put together some information that any nonprofit should know before embarking on a strategic planning journey!
What Are You Really Hoping to Accomplish with Nonprofit Strategic Planning?
Before you dive headfirst into a strategic planning process, take a breath and ask: Is strategic planning really what we need right now?
Strategic planning is a powerful tool—but it’s not a fix-all. The key is understanding what you’re trying to solve and whether a long-range plan is the best tool for the job.
If you’re grappling with big, ongoing challenges that have been hanging around for years—like unclear priorities, internal misalignment, or lack of long-term direction—then yes, strategic planning is likely your next best step.
But if you’re facing a sudden external threat or crisis, what you might really need is short-term scenario planning or crisis management with an experienced facilitator. (Good news: we help with that too, and it’s a different—but related—type of engagement.)
Or maybe you’re just looking to grow your fundraising program or better understand your donor base. In that case, a targeted revenue strategy or donor analysis could be more helpful than jumping straight into a full strategic plan.
Once you’ve confirmed that strategic planning is the right fit, the next step isn’t launching right into vision statements and SWOT analyses. First, you need to clarify what you want the process to do for you. Do you want to:
Build an internal roadmap for staff and board?
Create an external-facing plan to inspire funders and partners?
Rally your team and build unity around your future direction?
It’s okay not to know all the answers yet—but you should be clear on the kinds of questions you need answered. Strategic planning works best when your goals are specific and measurable. That clarity is what turns a planning process from just another retreat into a real launchpad for change.
Does your organization have the capacity to take on a nonprofit strategic planning process?
While your organization might have all the need in the world to find a new path forward through strategic planning, there might be other reasons that the time is not right.
If your organization doesn’t have the capacity to take on the strategic planning process, then it’s not going to be a feasible option. If everyone is currently overwhelmed by day-to-day work, then maybe there’s a better time in your journey to take on nonprofit strategic planning. Think about your annual work flow and calendar and identify when you might have a slower few months. I know a lot of us don’t feel like things ever slow down. So, if that sounds like you and your team, look at what projects you can push back or put on hold so you can invest some time in strategic planning.
Then, you’ll need to consider whether your staff and board are aligned on the need for the strategic planning process. Embarking on this journey only works if everyone in the organization is aligned and willing to work towards the same destination.
If you don’t have the capacity or buy-in from the staff and board, what would need to change to solve that problem? Maybe it’s as easy as talking with everyone to align goals, or maybe it’s a longer-term fix for an issue like a lack of capacity. Either way, your organization’s capacity to take on strategic planning should be at the forefront of your decision moving forward.
Has your organization done strategic planning in the past? Look at what worked and what didn’t
If your nonprofit has done strategic planning in the past, you have the benefit of looking at your past experience before setting out on another journey.
If you’ve been through it before, reflect on what went well! Your experience in the past will help inform what parts of the process would be most beneficial to focus on this time around. It’s also important to reflect on what you’d love to change on this journey. Looking at your past experience can be a great guide for what you should be ready for on your next strategic planning expedition.
Are your organization’s mission, vision, and values up-to-date?
Your mission, vision, and values are going to be a key element of the strategic planning process.
Take a look back at when these pieces were created. Maybe they do still reflect your organization perfectly, but there’s a good chance that they’ll need some updates if it’s been a while since you created them.
If revamping your mission, vision, or values needs to be an element of your nonprofit, this could end up changing the time and budget necessary as you set out on the strategic planning journey.
Talk to nonprofit strategic planning consultants about the process
One of the best ways to get the most out of the strategic planning process is to speak with nonprofit consultants who have helped other organizations successfully navigate this process.
Because they spend their time helping guide organizations through this process, they know best practices. Nonprofit consultants have done this before, and they know what obstacles to look out for and how to best plan for what’s ahead. They’re also a huge help when establishing a project budget and timeline.
If you do decide to talk to a consultant, it’s always best to talk to a few! There might be consultants that you really click with who understand your organization, and there might be other consultants who are more familiar with a different type of nonprofit than your own.
Talk to us about nonprofit strategic planning!
If it’s time to start thinking about the strategic planning process, you can always reach out to the team at Harper Consulting Group for a free consultation! We’ve helped many organizations navigate the nonprofit consulting process, and we’d love to chat about how we could help you!
If you’re not quite ready to reach out to any consultants, we’ve also prepared a Strategic Planning Roadmap, which will help your organization start thinking about the process and what embarking on it might look like for you.