Does Your Nonprofit Board Have Strategic Chops?

I’ve had the privilege of serving on 15 nonprofit boards focusing on arts and culture, economic development, entrepreneurship and spirituality. Focus areas that speak to me and are easy for me to get behind. And I’ve held leadership positions from Board Chair to leading marketing and strategic planning committees. It’s the last one that has my attention these days. Strategic planning.

Nonprofit organizations play an indispensable role in addressing many of society’s most critical and urgent challenges. As residents of this planet, we bear witness to the impact that inequitable systems have on people, places and things. Populations of humans struggle in all facets of life and it is often nonprofit organizations that pick up the mantle to serve, educate, facilitate and drive the change we need.

Bob Dylan wrote and sang the iconic song “The Times They Are A-Changin”, becoming an anthem of social change and protest in the 1960s. Today, there are no better words to describe the circumstances of the nearly 2 million registered nonprofit organizations* across this country.

My nonprofit clients serve both domestic and international clients, as do the organizations on whose boards I serve. Whether delivering services to a local, state, national or international community, the ways in which we must move to ensure financial stability and sustainable impact requires strategic acumen like never before.

Sadly, it’s been my experience that strategic skills are often underrepresented on nonprofit boards and that is a mighty disabler in planning for the future in such uncertain times. In such a time as this, I believe that strategic planning should be the primary intention of every nonprofit board. It’s beyond time to roll up our sleeves, look directly into the eye of the storm, and deploy every strategic muscle we have to outwit, outshine and out-think the horrific challenges facing us.

If your board of directors has insufficient strategic planning know-how, start recruiting now! If you have no seats available, hire an external partner to guide you through a planning process that is scaled to your budget. This process will allow you to clearly understand how resourced your organization is toward overcoming real environmental and monetary threats.  

Strategic planning will open up options for short-term survival and long-term growth that are not evident to you now. Why? Because most of your attention is likely focused on “stopping the bleeding” while investing forward seems like a nice-to-have and not a necessity.

Just as you onboard board members with relationships with those who have significant financial resources, or specifically skilled people like attorneys and CPAs, extend your recruitment efforts to those with strong strategic planning instincts. These colleagues will collaborate with other board members and staff to reveal unique ways to address near-term issues and design pathways toward long-term growth and increased impact.

For the times, they are a-changin’ and we must get ready and stay ready. That’s what strategic planning will do.

I’m an organizational strategist working with leaders to transform organizations. DM me if you’re looking for help in planning forward. I’d love to talk with you.

*Candid’s U.S. Social Sector Dashboard