Strategic planning
ORGANIZATIONAL AUDIT
For new clients, we start with a full Organizational Audit to gather information and evaluate all that the organization does, its history, and finances.
We conduct interviews with the organization’s staff, Board of Directors, and key stakeholders identified by the organization and/or upon our recommendation to gain an understanding of the where the organization wants to go over the next 3-5 years, what issues or challenges the organization should address, what issues or topics has the organization and stakeholders divided, and/or united? What unresolved or unplanned future direction questions exist?
SURVEY
From here, we create a short and anonymous Survey for the Board and potentially stakeholders, in Preparation for the Retreat. For existing Grant clients, we will start here, and therefore, our fee is lower.
We work directly with the CEO, Executive Director, other key staff, stakeholders, and Board members to create a Board Survey to identify:
RETREAT
The Retreat is typically 6 Hours, with a working lunch. The Retreat Agenda is informed and guided by the Board Survey and meeting time with the CEO, ED, and Key Board Members, stakeholders, and the (Program-Based) Operating Budget.
Draft Retreat Agenda
DRAFT 3-5 YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN
Mighty Oaks will take the results of the Pre-Retreat Work (meeting and Survey results) and Retreat Work (notes from Retreat that roughs out the Strategic Plan live during the Retreat) and draft a 3-5 Year Strategic Plan for the Organization.
An initial draft is delivered to the Board and ED within 2-3 weeks after the Retreat for review, feedback, and edits.
We recommend conducting quarterly review sessions of the Strategic Plan, and we are available to facilitate these reviews. We recommend that organizations annually start back at the Survey phase of the process, hold a Retreat, and revise the Strategic Plan with this annual process facilitated and guided by a consultant.
For new clients, we start with a full Organizational Audit to gather information and evaluate all that the organization does, its history, and finances.
We conduct interviews with the organization’s staff, Board of Directors, and key stakeholders identified by the organization and/or upon our recommendation to gain an understanding of the where the organization wants to go over the next 3-5 years, what issues or challenges the organization should address, what issues or topics has the organization and stakeholders divided, and/or united? What unresolved or unplanned future direction questions exist?
SURVEY
From here, we create a short and anonymous Survey for the Board and potentially stakeholders, in Preparation for the Retreat. For existing Grant clients, we will start here, and therefore, our fee is lower.
We work directly with the CEO, Executive Director, other key staff, stakeholders, and Board members to create a Board Survey to identify:
- Board’s view on current mission and goals
- Board’s view on the future direction
- Programmatically
- Financially – Budget & Fundraising
- Staffing
- Board’s view on their Responsibilities & Duties
- Board’s view on current and future priorities to address
- Organizationally – Administration & Governance
- Programmatically
- Financially
- Results are prepared and presented at the Board Retreat
RETREAT
The Retreat is typically 6 Hours, with a working lunch. The Retreat Agenda is informed and guided by the Board Survey and meeting time with the CEO, ED, and Key Board Members, stakeholders, and the (Program-Based) Operating Budget.
Draft Retreat Agenda
- Introduction & Ice Breaker
- Where is the Organization Now (Strengths & Weaknesses)
- What are the Priorities for the next 3-5 Years (Opportunities & Threats)
- Activity to Show Agreement and/or Disparity on Priorities/Direction
- Activity to Create Visual Representation of Priorities, if needed
- Where is the Organization Going – Plotting the Course
- Activity to Rank Priorities, e.g., staffing up, financial growth & sustainability, programmatic growth/development
- Activity to Plot Goals over Time (3-5 Years)
- Financial Intersect – How do we pay for the future (next 3-5 Years)?
- Utilizing Program-Based Operating Budget for Current Year as starting Point.
- Identify gaps and/or missing information
- Project operating budget through next 3-5 Years
- Create Fundraising Plan through this process–Funnel Concept (1% of those you reach through marketing will become donors)
- Recommend creating a Comprehensive Fundraising Plan that stands alone but dovetails with the Strategic Plan
- Donations – Individuals & Major Donors
- Grants
- Fee-for-Service
- Sponsorships
- Events
- Merchandise
- Recommend creating a complementary Communications Plan that will support the Fundraising Plan
- Newsletter
- Donor Stewardship - Awards
- Press Releases
- Social Media
- Website
- Printed Materials – Brochure & Case for Support
- Recommend creating a Comprehensive Fundraising Plan that stands alone but dovetails with the Strategic Plan
- Board Responsibilities – Job Description
- Fundraising/Fiduciary Duty
- Board Meetings & Committees
- Ambassadors/Representing Organization
DRAFT 3-5 YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN
Mighty Oaks will take the results of the Pre-Retreat Work (meeting and Survey results) and Retreat Work (notes from Retreat that roughs out the Strategic Plan live during the Retreat) and draft a 3-5 Year Strategic Plan for the Organization.
An initial draft is delivered to the Board and ED within 2-3 weeks after the Retreat for review, feedback, and edits.
- Up to 3 revisions – fee includes: 1 round of revisions, with no additional cost for up to 2 additional rounds of revisions
- Deliver final Strategic Plan to the Board for their use and reference at each Board meeting
- The Strategic Plan is intended to be a living document to be used to track outcomes against goals and objectives—much like a Budget vs. Actuals Report
- This Strategic Plan is an easy and functional tool to utilize regularly and at Board meetings. This is not a conceptual, general direction, dust-gathering document.
- This Strategic Plan will guide organizational decisions and curtail mission creep and includes a Decision Tree Tool.
- This Strategic Plan practices the SMART Goals Methodology
- Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely—which is why this Strategic Plan is to be used on a regular basis.
- This Strategic Plan will clearly connect to your Fundraising Plan and Communications Plan, as well as your Operating Budget
We recommend conducting quarterly review sessions of the Strategic Plan, and we are available to facilitate these reviews. We recommend that organizations annually start back at the Survey phase of the process, hold a Retreat, and revise the Strategic Plan with this annual process facilitated and guided by a consultant.