Sara Higgins, Vice President & COO
I’m paraphrasing, here, but recall Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland?
If a board doesn’t have a vision, it really doesn’t matter. If an executive director doesn’t have a goal, it really doesn’t matter. But, generally speaking, that is not the desired set of circumstances. Much like taking a trip, organizations are more effective and efficient when a plan is in place:
· The destination is confirmed
· The purpose is clarified
· The duration is set
· The route is determined (poor Alice)
· The traveler(s) is identified
· Needed supplies are accounted for
· A budget is created
Translating that into governance and management of a nonprofit organization, without planning, how do you know WHAT to do to fulfill your purpose? How will the work carry on…with continuity?
Planning DOES matter. The process of planning helps address key questions: Do you know what your constituents NEED you to do? How will you demonstrate accountability? How will you know success?
Planning leads to the ability to:
· Identify needed results
· Deliver needed results
· Evaluate results
· Report results
Planning can even help anticipate and adapt to change; when desired outcomes are clear, it is easier to take the inevitable obstacle in stride.
So, what does planning look like? Who needs to be involved? How long should it take? When should it be applied? In the next issues of this Intentional Impact newsletter, our planning series will drill into these questions with emphasis on strategic planning and the value of the process. You need to know where you want to go, but ultimately, the journey is where you’ll find the greatest value, not the destination.
This Month’s Non-Profit Whisperer
Sara Higgins has nearly 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector – including as an executive director – with a focus on planning, building infrastructure, program and project management, community outreach, advocacy, and fundraising.