|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Many organizations feel a great sense of excitement and inspiration in starting a new nonprofit. In order to continue to be a vibrant organization, a nonprofit must always have an understanding of the organization will take in the future and a specific action plan to accomplish that goal. A strategic plan is the action plan to help your organization set goals and achieve them.
Peter Brinckerhoff, in Mission-Based Management, details nine phases of planning that he believes will help any organization plan for the future. Good planning takes time and an understanding of the long-range benefits of planning. Brinckerhoff recommends that all organizations follow these phases in order, even though you may find that the phases are overlapping. Remember: "Any bus will get you where you are going, if you don't know where you want to be."
Brinckerhoff's phases of planning are:
A strategic plan is an essential document that reflects where the organization presently is and where the organization plans on being in the future. Often it is helpful to ask an outside facilitator to lead a board and staff through the important stages of this planning. However, it is an essential responsibility of the Executive Director and the Chair of the Board to keep the organization constantly planning, implementing, and evaluating.
The following diagrams and pages outline the method that the Texas Homeless Network has used to do strategic planning. Every three years, the board and staff take an extended period of time (board development time) to do strategic planning. The result of working through these steps is a document that includes our broad goals, specific objectives, action steps, and due dates. While the board and staff work together to decide on broad goals and specific objectives, the staff fleshes out the goals and objectives by developing action steps and due dates. That completed document comes back to the board for discussion and final approval.
At each quarterly board meeting, the staff updates the plan with notes outlining the progress made on each objective. The board reviews the document with staff to identify the gaps and recommend changes are needed to keep the organization on track. The combination of a vital mission statement and the constant strategic planning keeps the organization moving forward and allows the board of directors and staff to envision a future of opportunities.
This is a never-ending process because as soon as a strategic plan has been adopted and implemented, then it is time to adjust, revise, adapt, and start planning all over again.
