Strategic planning is often associated with a dusty binder that is irrelevant to most nonprofit staff members. However, the tools and approaches used in a well-facilitated strategic planning process can be easily applied to any type of planning process.

Whether you’re a one-person shop or part of a large development team, you can benefit from employing strategic planning best practices in your work. Learn how to use these tools to create an annual grants plan, grow your grant department, or draft a robust fund development plan. Not only will these approaches increase your efficiency, but they also help you capture valuable metrics to demonstrate your impact to the organization.

By the end of the session, participants will:

• Be familiar with the basic process of strategic planning and the components of the written plan;
• Understand ways to creatively leverage these tools in their daily grant work;
• Envision the steps necessary to create a more proactive (rather than reactive) grants office;
• Recognize opportunities to use these approaches when the unexpected happens (e.g. COVID-19, executive transition, program model change, funding shortfall, etc.) to reassess and/or update existing plans;
• Identify specific areas to apply this learning immediately in their current position; and
• Be equipped to play a leadership role in an organization-wide strategic planning process.

By demystifying the strategic planning process and becoming familiar with the associated tools, you will be poised to help your organization achieve its goals. 

 
Presenter:

Kristin Raack is founder and principal of AltruNext, a firm that helps nonprofits flourish. She partners with organizations to advance the greater good by improving their health, leveraging their capacity, and increasing their sustainability—all so that communities’ needs will be met. Kristin has worked in the nonprofit sector for 20 years and has broad-ranging experience: grant writing, organizational assessments, strategic planning, annual funds, major gifts, capital campaigns, and leadership coaching. Before stumbling into the nonprofit sector, Kristin earned a BA and MA in History. She is fueled by caffeine, teamwork, and idealism.

 
Skill Level:
Early-Career
Mid-Career
Master Level

Learning Path: 
Other: Organizational Development

GPC Competencies:
Strategies for effective program and project design and development
Organizational development as it pertains to grant seeking