Strategic Planning for Boards
Guide your nonprofit’s direction without doing staff’s job for them.
For: Nonprofit board members
What you’ll learn
- Set strategic direction at the board level
- Approve and monitor strategy without micromanaging
- Tell board-level strategic work apart from staff operational work
- Ask generative questions that frame problems before solving them
- Keep the organization accountable to the plan with a simple dashboard
Screen your volunteers for $5
VolunteerBadge runs FCRA-compliant background checks for just $5 — with identity verification built in. No monthly fees, no contracts.
Create a free account →Course outline
- 1
Direction-setter, not driver
6 min
- 2
Three modes of governance
6 min
- 3
Strategic vs. operational thinking
5 min
- 4
Approve, don’t author: the planning workflow
6 min
- 5
Monitoring progress with a dashboard
6 min
- 6
Asking generative questions
5 min
- 7
Stewarding mission, vision & values
5 min
- 8
Putting it together: the board’s strategy year
4 min
Sources & further reading
- BoardSource — Nonprofit Strategic Planning (Fundamental Topics of Board Service)
- BoardSource — Using Generative Governance Principles for Better Boardroom Conversations
- National Council of Nonprofits — Strategic Planning for Nonprofits
- La Piana Consulting — The Strategy Screen & Real-Time Strategic Planning
- The Bridgespan Group — From Functional to Extraordinary: How Strong Boards Drive Success
- BoardSource — Leading with Intent: Index of Nonprofit Board Practices
This course is educational and provides general information about the Fair Credit Reporting Act and volunteer-screening best practices. It is not legal advice. Laws vary by state and change over time — consult a qualified attorney about your organization’s specific obligations.