How to Build a Smooth Nonprofit Strategic Plan Process

A nice chunk of the work of strategic planning happens before you even kick off the process (at least, ideally). We coach clients of all sizes and stages on how to properly prepare for and carry out strategic planning, and can say with certainty that many of the challenges are the same whether the client is a 60+ year-old behemoth or a fresh new arts org. Based on my decade of experience leading strategic planning processes, here are my best tips on how to have a smoother process, and end up with a plan that doesn’t just get lost on your hard drive.

If you’re thinking, “Hold on! What exactly is a strategic plan?”

Read this first ⬇️

A Strategic Plan is a roadmap that guides an organization towards a unified vision for the future. It goes beyond simply listing goals; it considers your unique strengths (competitive advantage) and outlines achievable actions based on realistic resource availability (staffing and finances). This data-driven plan rallies your team and attracts supporters by demonstrating a clear path to success. If you’re tired of wasting time and money on ideas without a practical implementation plan and the financial resources to realize them, it's time for a strategic plan.

Planning for the Plan:

Develop a Clear Vision

While strategic planning consultants can offer up potential answers, their main role is to ask good questions and synthesize findings. Even if they know your sector or specific community, they don’t own your organizational vision. Compelling strategic planning is driven by a compelling vision for the organization, so take a stab at articulating one.

Add Strategic Planning to Your Program Calendar

Lots of people try to drop strategic planning (a major, time-intensive process) onto their already-full program calendar. If you can’t carve out time from your regular program schedule to dedicate to strategic planning, create a small committee of excellent thinkers who have a pass to temporarily reduce capacity in regular areas to dedicate time and energy to the planning process.

Know Your Financial Position

Strategic planning is about identifying your goals, establishing a timeline to reach them, and more likely than not—a commitment to spend some money. Before you brainstorm a mountain of possibilities, look at your financial and staff resources so you can make a plan that’s rooted in reality.

Shop for Funders

Did you know there are funders that will underwrite your strategic plan? Whether you’re hiring a planning consultant or pausing your regular programming to manage it in-house, you should shop around for funders in your region. Ask your peer organizations if they had funding support for their strategic plans. Talk to your current funders about your org’s need for a strategic plan and the big questions you want to tackle, or the big vision you have for what’s next. Grant keywords include phrases like “capacity building” or even just “strategic planning.”

During the Process:

Assign a Lead

Someone in your org needs to own this process and be the main point of contact for internal and external stakeholders. Even if you have a dedicated committee working on the plan, you need to identify an individual among them who will make sure all the relevant people are looped in.

Don’t Leave It All to the Board

The old-school model of strategic planning involved a lot of closed-door, day-long board meetings and zero staff input. No more! To create long-term buy-in and make sure your plan is actually feasible, let your staff drive, your community inform, and your board oversee.

Empower Your Staff

You hired your people because you trusted their skills and perspective. Trust that your head of marketing has the best ideas for marketing your programs. Trust that your development manager knows how to set realistic fundraising goals. Believe your staff when they provide feedback—at the end of the day, they’re the ones who have to actually carry out the plan.

When It’s Wrapped:

The Secret Sauce Is the Storytelling

Your strategic plan is more than internal tool to guide what you do and when; it’s a storytelling goldmine. Shop it out to funders and get elements of it funded. Take your donors out, tell them your vision for the organization, and ask them to be part of it. Position your programs, events, and services within the context of the plan so your staff understands why you’re doing what you’re doing and you can celebrate wins together. Share your major goals across your communications channels and invite people to get involved. A compelling story from a trustworthy organization can do wonders for audience growth.

Hey: if you’re missing some of the criteria on this list, don’t freak out. Now you know what strengths to look for in a strategic planner. For example, if you don’t currently know your financial situation and you don’t trust your projections, look for a consultant with financial planning expertise. Or if your staff engagement has been low in the past and you’re looking to increase collaboration, look for culture facilitation skills. Remember: no plan is going to be perfect. Do the best you can with what you have.

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