Presented at the 2017 Nonprofit conference held in Spokane Washington.

1. BUILDING NONPROFIT STRATEGIES IN A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT
Spokane, WA
Thursday October 26, 2017
Facilitation & Process, LLC
Productive design. Smart strategies. Lasting Impact
Phone: (503) 928-4082
Email: mark@facilitationprocess.com
Website http://www.facilitationprocess.com

2. http://bit.ly/straxdownload

3. Roadmap – Help us get up Doomsday Hill
 Why?
 Core Questions
 Planning Model & Pathways
 Challenges & Strategic Positions Exercise
 Getting Started after this meeting.

4. Nonprofit’s need to invest in planning
Plan Both Written & Effective
< $500K $500K-$1M $1M-$2M $2M-$5M >$5M
(n=899) (n=177) (n=142) (n=123) (n=120)
Annual budget 38% 73% 79% 78% 77%
Strategic plan 8% 33% 44% 46% 52%
Fundraising plan 9% 24% 38% 25% 21%
Annual plan 7% 16% 16% 13% 21%
Communications plan 2% 5% 13% 9% 14%
Business plan 3% 6% 6% 10% 14%
Board improvement plan 1% 4% 4% 5% 6%
Executive transition plan 1% 2% 3% 4% 14%
Emergency succession plan 1% 1% 2% 3% 9%
Theory of change 1% 3% 2% 5% 8%
NORTHWEST NONPROFIT CAPACITY REPORT

5. Barriers to strategic planning
To much focus on process

6. Without a Strategic Plan, What Guides You?
Compelling
Need
Vision
?

7. We are volunteer
driven trying to
prove an idea &
raise revenues to
keep our doors
open.
We are wrestling
with whether or not
we are a program or
an organization.
Build/Merge
We are thinking
about the strategy
question of deeper,
wider, longer. At what
Scale?
We are setting the
bar for others to
follow - establishing
standards, changing
policy, advocating for
the field.
Who are you?
EstablishedEmerging LeaderStartup
© Mark Fulop, 2017 - From forthcoming book

8. Core Questions
If you were starting a strategic planning process
today, what are the core questions your
nonprofit would need to ask yourself?
If you were really courageous then what really
hard questions would stress you if asked them?

9. Revisit Foundations
 Need, mission, vision, values
 Theory of Change & Impact (evaluation)
 Leadership, board, advisors
 Staff and Staff Development
 Revenue Model
 Transparency
 Communications & Partnerships

10. Values
© Mark Fulop, 2017 - From forthcoming book

11. Challenges Coming at the Nonprofit Sector
List 3 biggest
challenges facing
the nonprofit sector
One on each Yellow
sticky note
As a table, sort
them into common
grouping.
Label each grouping
& Prioritize

12. Big Challenges
 Forced Choice – Forced Competition
 Public Policy Disruption
 Dramatic Budget Cuts
 Changing Nature of Philanthropy
 Fragmenting of the Social Contract
 Pressure to evaluate - Pay for Performance

13. Thinking about scenarios
1. Clear (enough) single View of the Future
2. Limited set of Futures – one will occur
3. A range of possible futures
4. Limitless range of Futures
Strategy Under Uncertainty, (HBR, Nov-Dec 1997) https://hbr.org/1997/11/strategy-under-uncertainty

14. How uncertain is your future?
Shape Adapt
Now Later
Diversify Focus
Courtney, H. (2001). 20/20 foresight: Crafting strategy in an uncertain world. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.

15. Stress Test Components
 Engage in Scenario Planning
 Evaluate your revenue model weaknesses
 Revisit your institutional values
 Plan for potential program strategy shifts
 Assess your capacity to change

16. Stress Test Core Questions
What is your program & organizational impact?
How competent is your board?
How effective and strategic is your leadership?
What do your financials tell you?
Who is standing in your way?
What actions do we need to take?

17. Getting Started
Increase your information consumption
Clean up your board
Identify advisors for outside perspective
Understand public policy
Inform key stakeholders

18. What We Do
http://www.facilitationprocess.com

19. Facilitation & Process is a
consulting firm serving
clients nationally with
customized and tailored
solutions. Whether you
need us on site or remotely
through webinars and
conference calls, we are
your strategic partner.