One of my favorite Dave Matthews Band songs is “Where Are You Going?”.  Dave Matthews wrote it as more of a love ballad, but I like to think of this song as the Strategic Planning anthem.  Okay, maybe that sounds a little too “nerdy” - but, the title asks an important question that every good professional should be able to answer.

Does your organization have a strategic plan?  Do you have an idea of where you want your organization to go in the next three to five years?  This is imperative to ensure success - you can’t guess where you’re going, you have to plan to get there.

A robust strategic planning process should include all the stakeholders; the board, the executive director, and senior leadership of the organization.  This process is meant to be a “meeting of the minds”.  It is an opportunity for board members who inspire to work with staff that manage programs and operations.

Strategic Planning is an important process that should not be taken lightly.

We encourage non-profit leaders to be able to answer, “So, where is your organization going?”  Do you know? Would you and your board chair answer in the same way?

Strategic planning is a process - embrace it!

About the author

Michael J. Buckley, CFRE is a career fundraising professional and Founder and Managing Partner of The Killoe Group. His firm assists nonprofit organizations increase revenue, exposure and capacity through smart, data driven, successive decisions and effective planning. Mike’s experience and passion for the profession of fundraising have made him a sought-after speaker, consultant and presenter. The Killoe Group’s broad experiences include annual campaign audits and management, capital campaign leadership, feasibility studies, interim program leadership, board governance, strategic planning and capacity building.