Archive for the ‘Strategic Planning’ Category
Using a Strategic Plan for Capacity Development
. This post is one of a continuing series on strategic planning and is based on my work facilitating strategic planning with nonprofit agencies. In strategic planning one of my initial conversations with an agency executive director will invariably include a discussion about the use of the strategic plan following its ...Read More
Facilitating a SWOT Analysis
. The role of assessing the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT ) in nonprofit strategic planning is often misunderstood and misused. At the most extreme a SWOT analysis is confused with the strategic planning process with an organization believing that a SWOT is the sum total of strategic planning. ...Read More
Facilitating Strategic Planning for Social Impact
. Over the last few months, I have posted a series of articles on strategic planning for nonprofit and social sector agencies. Not surprising, a number of potential client calls are from folks looking for facilitation and process support for strategic planning. Indeed in this anemic economy, many nonprofit agencies find ...Read More
Facilitating Beyond the Crisis in Thinking
. Typically, my posts try to capture original thoughts related to facilitation and process. This week, however, has been one of rich discovery and learning from the words of others. In this post, I am lacing together the knowledge of others in a synthesis of ideas to reinforce my practice foundation ...Read More
Facilitating Meaningful Differences between Vision and Mission
. As a facilitator I work with a range of social sector organizations on strategic and business planning processes. In my work, I often encounter ambiguity about the difference between a vision and mission statement. In some cases, I will hear an executive director or board chair say something like, “Our ...Read More
Facilitating for Simplicity and Clarity
. I have been using Twitter in my practice for about six months now. My account @facilitationpro is primarily a place where I promote and cultivate the practice of information scanning and knowledge management. To stay current in the fields of performance improvement, nonprofit management and trends in philanthropy, I scan ...Read More
Facilitating Strategic Budget Plans & Resource Development
. For many nonprofit organizations this is time of the year where the board and staff turn their attention to drafting a budget to guide business operations for the next fiscal year. For many agencies, this annual ritual simply starts with taking last year’s budget and incrementally scaling the numbers up ...Read More
Facilitating a Capacity Building Process
. The economic downturn that occurred in the last couple of years has been unquestionably harsh on most nonprofit agencies. The increases in service demand, coupled with the decreases in revenues have created organizational strains and fractures that will linger for years to come. If there is any silver lining to ...Read More
Facilitating Conversations on Collaboration
. In my last post I asserted that the nonprofit organizations of tomorrow are being born out of the economic crisis of today. In this current economic turmoil, there are many voices counseling the nonprofit world to increase “collaboration.” Unfortunately, many of these experts are using “collaboration” as euphemism for “merger ...Read More
Facilitating Nonprofit Strategy in Economic Uncertainty
. I recently read, yet one more so-called expert advice column promoting the ultimatum of “merge” or “die” as the pathway for many nonprofits. In this iteration, the ultimatum arises out of the knee jerk reaction caused by the recent economic downturn. Citing duplication of service and competition for scarce resources, ...Read More