Is Your Strategic Plan a Little Dusty?

Have you ever wondered how a non-profit’s strategic plan ties into its operations plan? Where does the information come from? How does it all tie together? Would it surprise you to learn that a non-profit’s strategic plan and operations plan are pieces in the circle of data flowing through the organization.

Strategic Goals

The strategic plan is a visionary document designed to lay out all the hopes and dreams of a non-profit. Those hopes and dreams are captured in Strategic Goals that the non-profit will work to achieve.

The strategic plan is a visionary document designed to lay out all the hopes and dreams of a non-profit.

We all know it isn’t enough to just have goals. I mean, how many of us make big blanket-statement new year’s resolutions that never happen. Goals need to be broken down into more pieces to be successful.

Outcomes and Measurements

The first piece is the Outcomes, or the changes a non-profit expects to happen as they work towards the Goals. The second piece, Measurements, are the milestone markers a non-profit needs to see to know they are on the right path towards achieving their Goals.

Operations Plan, Programs and Services

After the Strategic Plan is written, the next piece is to create an Operations Plan. Programs and Services will be brainstormed and chosen for one operating year. But remember, as much fun as it is to brainstorm activities the non-profit will offer, this piece isn’t simply a list of everyone’s favourite programs. Programs and Services are selected to specifically meet the Goals and Outcomes of the Strategic Plan.

Here’s a pop quiz. Pick one or two of your non-profit’s Programs and Services. Can you list the Goals and Outcomes that those Programs and Services meet? 

Feedback

After Programs and Services are selected, it isn’t enough to let them happen and celebrate afterwards. To know if Program and Services are making the desired impact, Feedback needs to be collected from Participants.

There’re lots of great questions a non-profit can ask when collecting Feedback, but the most important questions are those designed by pulling from the Strategic Measurements. Remember those, they are the milestone markers a non-profit needs to see to know they are on the right path towards achieving their Goals. Feedback from Participants can provide that insight.

Data for the Year

The final piece happens at the end of the operating year, when all the feedback is compiled, and a report is created to interpret how well the non-profit met its planned Strategic Goals and Outcomes. Report data for the year can then be used to examine if the non-profit is working towards the Goals and Outcomes its clients and stakeholders really want, or if a course correction is needed – which happens in the next Strategic Plan. ...and the circle of data begins again.

I hope you’ve found these ideas helpful. If you have a question, please leave a comment, or send me a message. I’d love to help you out. Talk to you soon. 😊

-Christie

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