Create a Strategic Plan for Your Nonprofit
by
Peri H. Pakroo, J.D.
Learn the basic steps that any nonprofit can take to prepare a solid and functional strategic plan.
Once you've committed to an idea for a nonprofit, it's time to sit down and create a strategic plan -- the working document that will chart your nonprofit's course through the coming years. A strategic plan identifies your nonprofit's goals for a certain time period (generally one to three years) and outlines how you will achieve those goals. Though your nonprofit will undoubtedly engage in future planning for specific activities, think of the strategic plan as the "master plan" for your organization.
Translating your hopes and dreams into concrete plans is an essential undertaking for lots of reasons. First and foremost, making specific plans will help you get beyond your idealistic visions and help you focus on exactly what your group hopes to accomplish -- and what you can realistically expect to get done, based on your available resources. Drafting a plan transforms abstract ideas into specific "to do" items -- a critical step in setting your nonprofit's wheels into motion. Having a clear strategic plan in place will also serve you well when you seek to raise money and/or build community support.
Components of a Strategic Plan
At a minimum, a strategic plan should generally include the following sections:
- a mission statement
- an outline of goals, objectives, and activities
- an assessment of current resources, and
- a strategic analysis.
Each section is typically a few paragraphs to a few pages long.
Develop Your Mission Statement
Every nonprofit needs a mission statement: a clear description of the reason the nonprofit exists. Your mission statement should be the first section of your strategic plan and will set the stage for all that follows. Because all nonprofits are mission-driven, you must take care to define your mission clearly. While you shouldn't agonize over your statement, it's important to put some careful thought into articulating the mission that will guide your organization for years to come.
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