Bring clarity and direction to your strategic planning process

Strategic planning helps nonprofits define where they’re going and how to get there. It brings clarity to your mission, aligns your board and staff, guides decision-making and ensures you're using your time and resources effectively to achieve meaningful impact.

The rule of thumb used to be 3-to-five years, but anymore, it depends. Worldwide pandemics, major funding shifts, natural disasters and other environmental shifts in recent years have required nonprofits to be on there toes when it comes to planning. Most nonprofits should definitely revisit their strategic plan every 2-to-3 years. However, it’s smart to assess progress annually and make updates as needed based on changes in funding, leadership or community needs. 

A successful planning process includes executive leadership, board members and key staff. Some organizations also involve community members, funders or clients to ensure diverse perspectives are considered. The goal is to get a variety of perspectives and information. 

A strategic plan sets long-term direction and high-level goals. An operational plan outlines the day-to-day tasks, timelines and responsibilities needed to run the organization. 

Note: Some strategic plan action items may be added to the operations plan and some strategic action items may become operations items upon initial completion. 

A strong strategic plan is one your team actually uses, not one that sits on a shelf. It includes realistic goals, clear responsibilities, measurable outcomes and actionable steps that align with your resources.

It depends on your organization’s size and needs, but most of our strategic planning engagements take 6-12 months from kickoff to final plan delivery.

That may seem like a long time, but it's not the process itself that takes so long. The longer time frame is often due to a variety of factors including:

• Difficulty scheduling in-person sessions due to holidays, vacations, etc.
• Extended time needed for action planning
• Up-front surveying prior to in-person sessions

Faster delivery times are possible, but require solid advanced planning

Costs can vary depending on the scope and complexity of your planning needs. At Dot Org Solutions, our base strategic planning services start at $7,500 and go up from there. Comprehensive engagements including surveying, multiple in-person sessions, advance research and complex action planning can be significantly higher, starting at $30,000.