Field Guide to Nonprofit Strategic Planning and Facilitation

UNIQUE! This book is unique among books about nonprofit strategic planning! Many books are all about what information should be in a strategic plan document. This book is about that information, too -- but also about much more! This book is also about how to successfully facilitate the critically important planning process to produce the information in the document -- the planning process is at least as important as the document itself. FUNDERS often require strategic plans from nonprofits seeking funding. Yet, far too many plans sit collecting dust on shelves because the plans were not useful to the nonprofits or the funders. GUARANTEE that your plans will be useful by using this book! Step-by-step guidelines are presented in the order in which the facilitator and nonprofit planners need them. The book provides several different approaches to planning and helps planners select which approach best suits the nature and needs of their nonprofit. RESULTS from using this book, include to: 1) understand the unique nature and needs of nonprofits when conducting strategic planning; 2) ensure the nonprofit is really ready for strategic planning; 3) explain the planning process so that all planners understand and take strong ownership in the process; 4) customize a planning process that is highly relevant, realistic and flexible; 5) ensure the organization is always working on the most important strategic challenges, now and into the future; 6) facilitate strategic planning that suits the diverse natures of planners and also produces relevant plans for them, whether planners prefer a linear/rational or organic/holistic approach to planning; and 7) successfully meet each of the unique challenges that can occur when facilitating planning for the typical nonprofit. (SPECIFICATIONS: Revised December 2007, 284 pages, paperback. Includes numerous, easy-to-use, hardcopy worksheets that can be downloaded and shared with planners, too.)