What Is Your Winning Strategy?
Strategy, Not Planning “Do we have a strategic plan?” “Do we need one?” “Is this really the time for planning?” In these uncertain times, it is difficult enough to keep …
Are You Ready for a Business Plan?
Can you answer these questions? If you answered all the questions and you put them all together, do they make sense as a whole? How does your strategic plan relate …
The Nonprofit’s Business Plan and the Orchestra’s Musical Score
An organization is a system. When all parts of the system work in harmony, or synergy, with one another, you get a beautifully performing mission-driven organization. When there are organizational …
Why Do NPO’s Need Business Plans?
Do you really need a business plan? When was the last time you took a critical look at all aspects of your organization—your programs or services, your members or constituents, …
The Myth of Setting Priorities
One of the most frequent requests we get from executive directors, managers, and employees is to help them set priorities. The request, on the surface, is logical. Somehow, if we …
5 Strategies to Take Your Organization to the Next Level
Not all organizations can go-to-scale, but all organizations have inflection points when getting to the next level is appropriate—or even imperative. The term “next level” is generally associated with an …
3 Ways to Prepare Your Board for Planning
A new client asked me a great question the other day: What can my board do now to get the most out of our strategic planning process next year? Our …
Outcomes Don’t Equal Impact
Strategic planning can bring up a lot of big picture questions. What is our vision for the future? What are our strategic goals? Should we grow and expand our staff? …
Strategic Planning vs. Business Planning: What’s the Difference?
A few months ago, we sent an email to our nonprofit and agency friends and clients about business planning—a key process for organizations that want to increase their impact and …
What is Your Strategic Position?
According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, in 2009 there were more than 1 million 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in the United States. This staggering number represents a 60% increase …