Strategic Planning That Actually Works

Book excerpt: Strategic Planning is woefully out of fashion, with many bloggers and thought-leaders claiming it is, in fact, dead. They couldn't be more wrong! Strategic Planning is an integral part of any nonprofit's ability to conduct effective social change. It allows the organization's staff, management, volunteers and board to identify and focus on the top priorities that the stakeholders agree will matter most to accomplishing their mission. Without a strategy, and the execution that follows - nonprofits are awash in mission creep, money chasing, and burned out and demoralized staff. Ain't nobody wants that. This book will walk you through the process of Strategic Planning invented by Sarai Johnson of Lean Nonprofit. Her practice is based on recent innovations in the business sector, building on the concepts of Lean Canvas and the Business Model Canvas. Adapting this strategic, action-based tool for nonprofits provides you, the nonprofit practitioner, with step-by-step instructions for leading a group of people through the planning process. Oh, did we mention it is a ONE DAY PROCESS? Yeah, it's cool. We know.