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identify needsStrategic Planning (Grantmaking)
Strategic Planning (Grantmaking)+context
Strategic planning as it pertains to funders in the nonprofit sector.
+resources and best practices
Strategic Planning (Grantmaking)+definitions
Strategic planning is an organization's process of defining its strategy, or direction, and making decisions on allocating its resources to pursue this strategy, including its capital and people. Various business analysis techniques can be used in strategic planning, including SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats ) and PEST analysis (Political, Economic, Social, and Technological analysis) or STEER analysis (Socio-cultural, Technological, Economic, Ecological, and Regulatory factors) and EPISTEL (Environment, Political, Informatic, Social, Technological, Economic and Legal)
Strategic planning is the formal consideration of an organization's future course. All strategic planning deals with at least one of three key questions:
- "What do we do?"
- "For whom do we do it?"
- "How do we excel?"
In business strategic planning, the third question is better phrased "How can we beat or avoid competition?". (Bradford and Duncan, page 1).
In many organizations, this is viewed as a process for determining where an organization is going over the next year or more -typically 3 to 5 years, although some extend their vision to 20 years
In order to determine where it is going, the organization needs to know exactly where it stands, then determine where it wants to go and how it will get there. The resulting document is called the "strategic plan".
It is also true that strategic planning may be a tool for effectively plotting the direction of a company; however, strategic planning itself cannot foretell exactly how the market will evolve and what issues will surface in the coming days in order to plan your organizational strategy. Therefore, strategic innovation and tinkering with the 'strategic plan' have to be a cornerstone strategy for an organization to survive the turbulent business climate.
Strategic Planning (Grantmaking)+best practices
Strategy Formation: Beyond Strategic Planning
La Piana Associates, Inc.
Strategy Formation
Beyond Strategic Planning Strategy Formation: Beyond Strategic Planning is a four-year research and development initiative, which was undertaken by La Piana Associates in November 2003. The initiative was undertaken to address the need for effective methods of forming strategies in the nonprofit sector.
http://www.lapiana.org/downloads/strategy_formation.pdf
Ten Keys to Successful Strategic Planning for Nonprofit and Foundation Leaders
TCC Group
Richard A. Mittenhal
A briefing paper that includes articles such as "Plans into Action: Prerequisites of Success", "Components of an Effective Strategic Plan", and "Why Vision Matters". Login required to view the whole paper.
Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers
Driving Strategic Planning: A Nonprofit Executive’s Guide
BoardSource
A comprehensive guide to strategic planning. Available for purchase.
www.boardsource.org/Bookstore.asp
Step-by-Step: Strategic Planning
BoardSource
This kit provides tools to lead you successfully through each step of the strategic planning process with board and staff. Available for purchase.
www.boardsource.org/Bookstore.asp
Strategic Planning: Design for the Future
BoardSource
This newsletter reprint provides board members with tools to produce a successful strategic plan. Available for purchase.
www.boardsource.org/Bookstore.asp
Strategic Planning Q&A
BoardSource
Strategic planning expert Michela Perrone answers common questions about the strategic planning process.
www.boardsource.org/LandingPage.asp?ID=153
Presenting: Strategic Planning — Choosing the Right Method for Your Nonprofit Organization
BoardSource
The resource offers various tools to help an organization determine if it is ready for a strategic planning process, and to select the right planning method for the organization. Available for purchase.
www.boardsource.org/Bookstore.asp
Voyage of Discovery: A Planning Workbook for Philanthropic Families
National Center for Family Philanthropy
This workbook is designed to help families and family foundations examine why and how to initiate a planning process. Available for purchase.
www.ncfp.org/publications-main-journals&workbooks.html
Megan Wentworth
Strategic Planning (Grantmaking)+issues
2010 Census & Foundations
Getting an accurate census count is important for a couple of reasons:
- $300 billion in federal dollars, as well as billions of additional state dollars, are apportioned to local communities for health, education, transportation and other programs, based on census data.
- The reapportionment of legislative seats at the federal, state, and local levels are determined based on census data.
- Census data can be used for planning purposes, to understand population distribution and needs.
Population Resource Center
- Background - http://www.prcdc.org/2010/
- Current Status - http://www.prcdc.org/2010/Status_of_the_2010_Census/
Making the 2010 Census Count: A Quick Guide for Foundations
Local and community foundations can play a vital role in promoting a full and accurate census count in the communities they serve.
(word document):
Strategies Beyond Grantmaking:
Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers
Philanthropy in Action: Achieving Impact Without Giving Cash
Council on Foundations
This article highlights some of the key resources other than money that grantmakers can offer to help nonprofits.
www.foundationnews.org/CME/article.cfm?ID=2990
Giving More Than Grants
Association of Small Foundations
This essay describes how the Three Guineas Fund provides assistance to its grantees beyond grant dollars by also offering local knowledge, board and staff expertise, and connections to other funders.
www.smallfoundations.org/why_give_/giving_more_than_grants
Extending Reach Through Funding Partnerships
Association of Small Foundations
This essay describes how two small foundations discovered that collaborating helped them better serve their grantees and their missions.
www.smallfoundations.org/why_give_/partnerships
Philanthropies Working Together: Myths and Realities (PDF)
The Foundation Center
This paper provides an overview of foundation collaboration, and examines the gap between the rhetoric and real incentives of collaboration in the philanthropy field.
www.fdncenter.org/for_grantmakers/practice_matters/practicematters_09_paper.pdf
When Community Foundations and Private & Corporate Funders Collaborate
Council on Foundations
This book provides tools and ideas on how community foundations, private foundations and corporate funders can collaborate. Available for purchase.
www.cof.org/publications
Capacity Building Strategies (PDF)
Council on Foundations
This “Family Matters” newsletter reprint includes articles on how a foundation can help build nonprofit capacity beyond giving grants, including through convening, training and connecting to other funders.
www.cof.org/files/Documents/Newsletters/FamilyMatters/fmspring02.pdf
Megan Wentworth
