1. Strategic Planning 101
Discover the Blueprint for Your Organization
T.Patrick Brennan, CNPE
Fundraising Architect

2. New Years Resolutions:
• Loose Weight & Get Fit
• Quit Smoking
• Get Out of Debt & Save Money
• Spend More Time with Family
• Learn Something New

3. Strategic Planning
• “Strategic planning is worthless – unless there is first
a strategic vision.”
John Naisbitt
• “Creativity is thinking up new things. Innovation is
doing new things.”
Theodore Levitt
• “Individual commitment to a great effort – that is
what makes a team work, a company work, a
civilization work.”
Vince Lombardi
• “If you don’t know where you are going, then any
road will do!”
Cheshire Cat, Alice in Wonderland
T.Patrick Brennan Fundraising Architect 3

4. What is Strategic Planning?
• The process of defining a strategy
for an organization with the greatest
possible knowledge of its
environment and context.
• A written list of the action needed to
carry out the plan.
• A method for monitoring the results
achieved through the plan.
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5. Benefits of Strategic Planning
• Brings clarity and agreement on
mission & vision
• Helps an organization prepare for
the future
• Helps organization anticipate and
manage change
• Improves the decision making
processes
• Promotes effective stewardship
(and yes there’s more!)
T.Patrick Brennan Fundraising Architect 5

6. Benefits (continued)
• Aligns the board and staff
• Proves an opportunity to
reconnect to the cause
• Educate participants about
institutional history
• Identify existing strengths
• Reinforces the need to commit
to continuous improvement
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7. What Strategic Planning is
NOT
• Written in stone
• A departmental program or
operational plan
• Something to be updated
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8. Steps of Strategic Planning
1. Getting Ready
2. Understanding the Context
(SWOT)
3. Agreeing on Purpose and
Direction (Vision & Mission)
4. Moving from Vision to Action
(Drafting the Plan)
5. Monitoring Progress
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9. Getting Ready:
• Is our organization ready for
strategic planning?
• What is our history of planning?
• How will we facilitate the
processes?
• Who will we include in the
planning processes?
• What kind of human or financial
resources do we need?
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10. Understanding the Context
• External Factors
– Opportunities and Threats (SWOT)
– Expectations of Stakeholders
– Competitors for Audience
• Internal Factors
– Review of History and Milestones
• Review
– What we do well
– What should be abandoned
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11. SWOT analysis
– What does the company do well
(Strength)
– What can the company improve
on (Weakness)
– What situation can the company
take advantage of (Opportunities)
– What situation should the
company avoid (Threats)
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12. Agreeing on Purpose & Direction
• Why does the organization
exist?
• What will be the ultimate
results of its work?
• What are the values that the
organization members share?
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13. • Defining the Mission and Vision
Statements
• Vision
– What are the values or benefits that inform
your work?
– What would you ultimately hope to accomplish
as a result of your efforts.
• Mission Statement:
– How do you plan to work toward this broader
vision?
– For whose specific benefit does the
organization exist?
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14. Moving from Vision to Action
Setting Strategic Objectives, Goals
and Action Steps…Report!
•Goal: We achieve more stainable and
diversified funding
•Objective: Establish sustained giving
through cause marketing in two years
•Action: Research other programs of
sustained giving, and select the model
most suitable to our organization.
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15. Key Elements of a Strategic
Plan
• Mission Statement
• Vision Statement
• Values
• Strategic Goals (Five)
• Objectives
• Action Steps
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16. • Action Steps
– Champion
– What is expected as a result
– Who should be involved
– Resources (direct and indirect)
– Deadline
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17. Monitoring/Revising
Progress
• Strategic Goals be used to
define committee structure.
• Goals, Objectives and Action
Steps need to be incorporated
into budgets, work plans and
programs.
• Report out progress in quarterly
staff and board meetings.
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18. The NCDS
Involvement Curve Ownership
Commitment
Engagement
Awareness Interest
INVOLVEMENT
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LOW HIGH
Since 1977, the authority in community and economic development fundraising

19. • Sponsored by:
•
•
Questions
Cobb Community Foundation
Cobb Chamber of Commerce
• or Discussion
Chick-Fil-A of Acworth and Andy
Duncan
• Strategic Funding Solutions
Patrick@ SFSDirect.us
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