In the nonprofit sector where we’re dealing with critical community needs and rapidly shifting societal challenges, it may never feel like the “right” time to shift focus from the important work of the organization towards what might seem like a luxury of longer-term planning. But consistently failing to step out of the day-to-day comes with its own costs. Below are some red flags that it might be time to embark on strategic planning:
📅 Your previous strategic plan is out of date. When we say “out of date” we don’t mean simply that the years written at the top of the plan have passed. Rather, we mean that the plan’s content is out of date, whether that be because you’ve accomplished most of it (yay!) or conditions have changed so much that it no longer reflects the work you are doing.
In recognition of how quickly the world is changing, we advise our clients to follow shorter strategic planning cycles (3-5 years) than the more typical 5-10 year cycles of decades past.
🦋 Your organization has recently gone through some significant changes or you expect it to go through significant changes in the next few years. Significant organizational changes, like rapid growth or contraction, leadership transitions, and major shifts to the working theory of change can prompt or amplify challenges that get in the way of an organization doing its best work. A strategic planning process that authentically engages a variety of internal and external stakeholders and meaningfully examines the causes and consequences of changes can help set the organization on a course for stability and clarity.
😵 You’re hearing confusion about decisions and strategy from staff, board members, funders, or partners. It may be entirely clear to you why your organization is doing the things that it’s doing. But if you’re hearing others routinely express confusion about direction, then it might be a sign that you need to spend some time getting on the same page about where you’re headed and why. A well-designed, inclusive planning process can help with this alignment.