Why Strategic Plans Gather Dust is a practical and realistic approach to strategic planning that will help your organization achieve growth and success. Be sure to contact Peter at Rennick, Hoppe & Associates if you require professional assistance with your next strategic plan.

1. WHY STRATEGIC
PLANS GATHER DUST
A practical and simplified approach
to planning for organizational and
fund development success.
Presented at the 2011 Association of
Peter Hoppe Fundraising Professionals Congress
Toronto

2. OUR EXPERIENCE IN
STRATEGIC PLANNING
 Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors
 Coalition of Family Physicians
 Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities
 Junior Achievement of Central Ontario
 Pathways for Children and Families in York Region
 Station Gallery
 YWCA Canada
 HIV/AIDS Legal Clinic of Ontario (HALCO)
 Canadian Childcare Federation
 Luke’s Place Strategic Planning is
 Boys and Girls Club of Peel one of seven core
services we provide.

3. WHY DO WE ADVOCATE
STRATEGIC PLANNING
 It allows us to learn where our clients have been
 It allows us to better understand where our clients want to go
 It either supports or contradicts fund development goals and desires
Strategic Planning
provides valuable
information about an
organization and the
cause they serve.

4. WHY YOU SHOULD ADVOCATE
STRATEGIC PLANNING
 An opportunity to learn about your organization
 An opportunity to learn about the cause you serve
 Builds organizational consensus and harmony
 Helps you to allocate resources effectively and efficiently
 Allows you to plan for success and prevent failure
The process of
Strategic Planning
is as important as
the outcome.

5. THE DEFINITIVE STRATEGIC PLAN MODEL
 There is none
 Strategic plans come in many shapes and sizes
 Even approaches to strategic planning vary
Build a Strategic Planning
model that works for you
and your organization.

7. WHY DO STRATEGIC PLANS GATHER DUST?
 Too time consuming and complex
 Too all encompassing and over-reaching
 Too many recommendations and goals to track
 They don’t have benchmarks to measure progress
 Not viewed as an ongoing process
 Not dynamic or flexible enough to accommodate change
 Lack of commitment to the process
 No strategy to measure progress

8. STRATEGIC PLANS THAT STAY ALIVE
 Focused on priorities
 Three to five key recommendations
 Simple to read and comprehend
 Easy to adapt
 Easy to track & measure
 A commitment to the process after the plan has been finished
Your strategic plan does not
have to do everything for
everyone. Focus your plan
on organizational and fund
development priorities.

9. The more goals and
recommendations you try to
incorporate in your plan the more
likely your plan will gather dust.

10. STRATEGIC PLANNING OPTIONS
 Plans to advance your organization and mission
 Plans to promote your cause – public awareness
 Plans to improve revenue generation
 Plans that blend all of the above
Effective Strategic
Planning combines
organizational goals with
organizational capacity.

11. STRATEGIC PLANNING GUIDELINES
 Simple & Practical
 Realistic & Achievable
 Measurable & Trackable
 Dynamic & Flexible An effective strategic plan
is a living document of
the most important goals
you want to achieve in
the next 3 to 4 years.

13. STRATEGIC PLAN TIME FRAMES
 Two Years: Too brief to incorporate major changes or goals
 Three Years: Optimal balance between keeping pace with
change and repeating the planning process
 Five years: Difficult to project five years in advance
Choose a shorter time
frame if your organization
is impacted by constant or
rapid change.

14. WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN THE
STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS
 Volunteer Leadership
 Staff leadership
 Program & Services Leadership
 Fund Development & Marketing Leadership
 Financial Leadership
A task force of 5 to 6
motivated and
knowledgeable
individuals.

15. AN IDEAL STRATEGIC PLANNING TEAM
 Board of Directors President or Vice-President
 Organization President, CEO or Executive Director
 Director of Fund Development & Marketing
 Director of Programs and Services
 Director of Finance
Yes, strategic planning is
that important!

16. MISSION ,VISION & CHANGE
 Your organization’s greatest challenge is change
 Change impacts your:
 Cause
 Mission Strategic planning is a
 Vision great opportunity to
review the relevance of
 Markets
your Mission and Vision
 Programs & Services Statement.
 Future

18. STEP 1: ADDRESS THE CHANGE
THE DISCOVERY SESSION
 A half-day, full day or weekend session to discuss
1. The status of your last strategic plan
2. The primary changes that have occurred in your environment
3. The relevance of your Mission and Vision Statement
4. Three or four key priorities for your organization
Don’t try to accomplish
everything here. It’s an
opportunity to discover.

19. STEP 1: ADDRESS THE CHANGE
THE DISCOVERY SESSION
The discovery session is your opportunity to include everyone who is
important to the organization.
 Stakeholders
 Beneficiaries
 Volunteers Everyone should have an
 Staff opportunity to help
 Funders shape the future of your
 Leaders organization.
 Community

20. STEP 2: EVALUATION & ANALYSIS
Fund Development Strategic Plan Organizational Strategic Plan
 Key Fund Development Programs  Key Programs & Services
 Key Communications & Messaging  Key Organization & Structure
 SWOT: Focus on Priorities  SWOT: Focus on Priorities
Your SWOT analysis
should only focus on 2 or
3 Strengths,Weaknesses,
Opportunities and
Threats.

21. A WORD ABOUT SWOT
 Strengths: Characteristics that contribute to success or provide a
competitive advantage.
 Weaknesses: Characteristics that inhibit success or place you at a
disadvantage.
 Opportunities: External changes or new elements that may help
your organization succeed.
 Threats: External changes or new environmental elements that may
have a negative impact on your organization.

22. STEP 2: EVALUATION & ANALYSIS
 Competitive Analysis:
 A look at what 2 or 3 similar organizations are doing
 Mission & Vision
 Programs & Services
 Fund Development and Marketing
Understanding your
competition allows you to
evaluate your
organization’s unique
nature and contribution.

23. LET’S REVIEW
 You’ve reviewed your last strategic plan
 Discussed changes in your environment
 Addressed the relevance of your mission
 Agreed on organizational and/or fund development priorities
 Evaluated your key fundraising and communication programs
 Evaluated your key services and programs
 Completed your SWOT analysis
 Reviewed organizations similar to yours
 What’s next?

24. STEP 3: PRELIMINARY RECOMMENDATIONS
 A set of preliminary ideas and suggestions that address the changes and
priorities you’ve discovered in light of the evaluation and analysis you
conducted.
 Best accomplished through a core team of two or three individuals
 Nothing carved in stone – points for further discussion
 Keep it focused – 6 to 8 ideas/suggestions/recommendations

25. STEP 4: RECONVENE THE TEAM!
 Review discovery session discussion and priorities
 Review evaluation and analysis SWOT
 Discuss Preliminary Recommendations
 Choose three to five final prioritized recommendations
 Develop shape, structure and substance for each recommendation
 Goals and objectives
 Human and financial resources
 Timelines
 Measures of success

26. THE PLAN OF ACTION
 A series of action steps required each quarter to execute your
recommendation and achieve your goals/objectives.
 Establish benchmarks for each quarter that can be measured.
Recommendation January - March 2012
Develop corporate Research and identify 30
partnership opportunities potential corporate
and secure 5 new partners that have the
partners that can capacity to contribute or
generate $100,000 in generate $25,000.
new revenue.

27. THE PLAN OF ACTION
 Think of your Strategic Plan as your architectural
drawings and your Plan of Action as your blueprints.
Recommendation January - March 2012
Stream line programs to Prepare evaluation matrix
eliminate duplication of for each program and
services and reduce ensure staff/board
annual expenditures by approval of measurement
15%. criteria.

28. YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN
1. Introduction & background
 Status of your last strategic plan
 Primary changes that have occurred in your environment
 Relevance of your Mission and Vision Statement
 Key priorities for your organization
2. Evaluation & Analysis
 Key Fund Development Programs
 Key Programs and Services
 SWOT
 Competitive Analysis

29. YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN
3. Recommendations
 Goals and objectives
 Human and financial resources
 Timelines
 Measures of success
4. Plan of Action
 Quarterly action steps
 Quarterly benchmarks

30. NOW COMES THE IMPORTANT PART!
KEEP THAT PLAN OFF THE SHELF
1. Quarterly Plan of Action = Quarterly Review
2. Reconvene the team 4 times a year
3. Review progress and benchmarks
4. Adjust Plan of Action
5. Amend recommendations
6. Produce a quarterly report – 2-3 pages
7. Attach report to your strategic plan

31. Modifications
Plan of
Action
Strategic Plan

32. Quarterly New
Reports Strategic Plan
Quarterly
Modifications Plan of
Action
Quarterly
Review

33. KEEP YOUR PLAN ALIVE
1. Focus on your priorities
2. Keep it simple
3. Involve key stakeholders
4. Fewer recommendations & goals = greater probability of success
5. A quarterly plan of action
6. Review progress and benchmarks every quarter
7. Report on plan adjustments and recommendation amendments
8. Stay committed to the process

34. Thank you!
Rennickhoppe.com
Peter Hoppe
phoppe@rharms.com
416 281-7816 Ext. 1