Strategic planning is often seen as a complex exercise and as a result plans are often not prepared and, even if they have been written, they are not used. We have all heard of the saying that “Failing to plan is planning to fail” and this definitely applies to strategic planning and every nonprofit organisation should be doing it.  Can you imagine Robin Hood bringing home the gold if he didn’t know when and where he would find the rich travellers in his forest?  Without planning ahead and organising his Merry Men, their horses and their supply of arrows, he would never reach his goal of taking from the rich to give to the poor.  It’s no different whether you’re working in a forest or in a not for profit organisation.

Strategic planning is the road map that allows your nonprofit organisation to navigate to a given destination or objectives. A strategic plan is important for the following reasons:

  • A strategic plan clearly articulates and prioritises key objectives for the organisation over the period of time covered by the strategic plan.
  • A strategic plan provides an action plan as to how you will achieve these objectives.
  • Key performance measures are used so you can identify how well you have achieved each objective.
  • A strategic plan provides a common understanding for all stakeholders of the organisation that, amongst many others, includes the committee of management, staff, members and donors.
  • Monitoring the achievement against the strategic plan can be used to assess the performance of the committee of management as well as the Chief Executive Officer.
  • If well written then a strategic plan is used to establish how the resources of the organisation will be used. Therefore, it provides a critical link to the preparation of the budget, capital expenditure, staffing levels and skills to name just a few.

The other important element with a strategic plan is that it is reviewed on a regular basis and modified as needed. For example, don’t have a 3 year strategic plan that becomes a static document that never changes. Every not for profit organisation operates in a changing environment and the need to recognise and adapt to the changes can ensure you continue to be successful. It should be reviewed on a regular basis as part of a committee of management meeting and updated to address the changes.