Nonprofits need a well-defined roadmap to guide their actions and resources and ensure their effectiveness and longevity. This roadmap is known as a nonprofit strategic plan. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore what nonprofit strategic planning is, when and how often it should be done, how to create one, who should be involved, and how volunteer management software can aid in the process.

What is Nonprofit Strategic Planning?

Nonprofit strategic planning is a systematic process that helps organizations define their mission, vision, goals, and strategies for achieving long-term objectives. It enables nonprofits to align their resources, engage stakeholders, and maximize their impact.

When to Do It and How Often to Review/Refresh the Plan

Strategic planning is not a one-time event; it's an ongoing process. Here's a breakdown of when to do it and how often to review and refresh your nonprofit's strategic plan:

• Initial Planning: Begin the strategic planning process when you establish your nonprofit or when you're experiencing significant growth, change, or challenges. It's also a good idea to embark on strategic planning if you haven't done so in the last three to five years.
• Regular Review: Your strategic plan should be reviewed at least annually to ensure it remains relevant and aligned with your organization's mission and the external environment. However, consider more frequent reviews (quarterly or semi-annually) if your nonprofit operates in a rapidly changing landscape.
• Major Milestones: Significant milestones, such as achieving major goals, receiving a substantial grant, or experiencing a leadership change, should trigger a review and potential refresh of your strategic plan.

How to Do It: The Steps to Get Started and Put the Plan in Place

To create a strategic plan for your nonprofit, you need to plan toward your organization’s needs. There are, however, twelve best practices you can follow when going through nonprofit strategic planning:

• Prepare: Assemble a planning team that includes board members, staff, volunteers, and external stakeholders. Define the scope of your strategic planning effort and clarify roles and responsibilities.
• Environmental Scan: Analyze your nonprofit's internal and external environment. Identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT analysis). Understand the social, political, economic, and technological trends affecting your cause.
• Mission and Vision: Revisit or refine your nonprofit's mission statement (the reason for your existence) and vision statement (the future you aspire to create). These statements serve as the foundation for your strategic plan.
• Goal Setting: Define clear, measurable, and time-bound goals that align with your mission and vision. These goals should be specific to your organization's unique context and aspirations.
• Strategic Objectives: Develop strategies and tactics to achieve your goals. These may include programmatic initiatives, fundraising strategies, advocacy efforts, and more. Ensure that each objective is SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound).
• Resource Allocation: Create a budget that aligns with your strategic objectives. Determine how resources, including finances, staff, and volunteers, will be allocated to support your plan.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Involve key stakeholders in the planning process. Engage donors, volunteers, clients, and community partners to gather insights, build consensus, and foster collaboration.
• Monitoring and Evaluation: Establish metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to track progress. Regularly monitor and evaluate your nonprofit's activities against these benchmarks to make data-driven adjustments.
• Flexibility and Adaptation: Recognize that plans may need to change due to unforeseen circumstances or opportunities. Build flexibility into your plan to adapt as needed.
• Communication and Transparency: Share your strategic plan with stakeholders to build trust and accountability. Regularly communicate progress and updates to keep everyone informed and engaged.
• Implementation: Put your strategic plan into action. Staff, volunteers, and board members should work collaboratively to achieve the objectives outlined in the plan.
• Review and Refresh: As mentioned earlier, regularly review and refresh your plan to ensure it remains aligned with your mission, vision, and the evolving landscape.

Who Should Be Involved

Nonprofit strategic planning should be a collaborative effort that involves various stakeholders. Here's who should be involved:

• Board of Directors: The board plays a crucial role in setting the strategic direction of the organization. They provide governance, oversight, and guidance throughout the planning process.
• Executive Director/CEO: The organization's leader should actively participate in and champion the strategic planning effort. They are responsible for executing the plan.
• Staff: Staff members, particularly those in leadership roles, should provide valuable insights into the organization's operations and capabilities.
• Volunteers: Engage volunteers who have a deep understanding of your nonprofit's work. Their on-the-ground perspectives can be invaluable.
• Donors and Funders: Involve major donors and funders in the planning process to ensure alignment with their priorities and to secure their continued support.
• Clients and Beneficiaries: When applicable, seek input from the individuals or communities your nonprofit serves. Their needs and perspectives should inform your strategic priorities.
• Community Partners: Collaborate with other nonprofits, governmental agencies, and community organizations to foster synergy and avoid duplication of efforts.
• Experts and Consultants: Consider bringing in experts or consultants with experience in nonprofit strategic planning if your organization lacks internal expertise.

How Volunteer Management Software Can Aid in the Process

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Effective volunteer management is often a critical component of a nonprofit's strategic plan. Volunteer management software can significantly aid in this process by streamlining volunteer recruitment, engagement, and retention.

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Volunteer management software provides structure for a nonprofit’s volunteer recruitment plan. It can help you identify and reach out to potential volunteers more efficiently. It can track volunteer skills and interests to match them with appropriate opportunities within your organization.

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The software can also simplify the scheduling of volunteers for specific events or projects, ensuring that you have the right people in the right place at the right time. It also facilitates clear and timely communication with volunteers. It can automate email reminders, updates, and notifications, keeping volunteers informed and engaged.

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With volunteer management software, you can easily track volunteer hours, tasks completed, and the impact of their contributions. This data is essential for evaluating the effectiveness of your strategic plan. Alongside that data, the software can collect feedback from volunteers, allowing you to assess their satisfaction and make improvements where needed.

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By providing a seamless and positive volunteer experience, the software can increase volunteer retention rates. This is particularly important for nonprofits that rely heavily on volunteers.

Implementing a Nonprofit Strategic Plan

Nonprofit strategic planning is an essential part of ensuring organizations make progress toward fulfilling their mission. It ensures that nonprofits allocate their resources effectively, engage stakeholders, and adapt to a changing environment. Follow these steps and use these best practices to ensure your nonprofit has a strong vision for its future, and a plan to reach it.

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If you want more tips and information on nonprofit and volunteer management, be sure to check out the rest of our blog.

As CEO of Civic Champs, I lead our team of passionate change leaders to create technology solutions to create a seamless and rewarding volunteering experience for both volunteers and service organizations.