Nonprofit Strategic Planning Archives

Commuincating for Good: "As Communications professtionals, narrowing down what aspects of communication we can control frees us up to invest deeply into the areas where we can make a difference."

Our Sphere of Control: How to Communicate Through (and Around) the Roadblocks

When was the last time you found yourself dwelling on something you can’t change? For me, it’s usually about a flight. I’m not an easygoing traveler. Leading up to each trip, I engage in my “rumination routine” where I obsess over…

group of diverse people around a conference table

Industry Commentary, Nonprofit Strategic Planning

How to Approach the Strategic Planning Process Through an Equity Lens

When organizations first embark on their strategic planning processes, it’s often a daunting experience filled with more questions than answers. Without a crystal ball, looking out four or five years into the future can be overwhelming. Living…

Industry Commentary, Nonprofit Strategic Planning

Bring on Your Unsolvable Problems

by Carrie Fox What happens when you put a mechanical engineer squarely in the center of a university’s department of obstetrics and gynecology? No, this is not the start of a joke. In fact, it’s at the center of one of the most fascinating…

A group of women on a crew team rowing on the Anacostia river

Industry Commentary, Nonprofit Strategic Planning

Finding Swing: Syncing Up Your Team for Success

In rowing, we call it swing. All four, or eight, members of a crew cut through the water, their oars at the same speed, pulling with the same pressure, at the same time. It’s exacting. And difficult. But, when it happens, magic occurs.…

A sign post with signs pointing in multiple direction that all say SOLUTION

Industry Commentary, Nonprofit Strategic Planning

This Question Will Make You a Better Problem Solver

Think about the last big problem you needed to solve. If you’re like most, you likely laid out the facts in front of you, asked yourself a series of questions tied to the problem, and used your analytical skills to determine the best solution. But,…

A flow chart of boxes with a person's hand pointing at one

Industry Commentary, Nonprofit Strategic Planning

How to Become Fierce in Your Focus

by Carrie Fox “Be steady and well-ordered in your life so that you can be fierce and original in your work.” French novelist and author of Madame Bovary Gustave Flaubert wrote this line[1] in an 1825 correspondence to Gertrude…

Industry Commentary, Nonprofit Strategic Planning

From Here to There (READ THIS Before your Next Strategic Planning Session)

By Carrie Fox It’s strategic planning season. This month, tens of thousands of organizations will start their strategic planning process for the year(s) to come. And according to Inc. Magazine, more than 50% of those organizations will…

3 woman smiling in front of a Leadership Montgomery backdrop

Industry Commentary, Nonprofit Strategic Planning

Coming Together from a Place of Strength, Not Weakness

In January, Leadership Montgomery, a small but influential nonprofit leadership center in Maryland, unveiled its new strategic plan, complete with a new mission, vision, and way of talking about the organization’s community impact. This…