Free · Certificate included

Strategic Planning for Boards

Guide your nonprofit’s direction without doing staff’s job for them.

38 min Intermediate 8 modules Pass 80%

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
One of your board’s primary responsibilities is to set the direction for the organization — and strategic planning is the road map for that direction and the tool…
6 min Quiz Interactive
2
Three modes of governance
The book Governance as Leadership (Chait, Ryan Taylor) gave the sector a durable model that BoardSource uses widely: boards do their work in three modes —…
6 min Quiz Interactive
3
Strategic vs. operational thinking
The single most useful habit a board member can build is telling strategic questions apart from operational ones — in real time, in the room.
5 min Quiz Interactive
4
Approve, don’t author: the planning workflow
Most planning friction comes from confusing two verbs: author and approve.
6 min Quiz Interactive
5
Monitoring progress with a dashboard
Approving a plan is the beginning, not the end.
6 min Quiz Interactive
6
Asking generative questions
Generative work lives or dies on the quality of the board’s questions.
5 min Quiz Interactive
7
Stewarding mission, vision & values
Every strategy is in service of something larger: the mission (why you exist), the vision (the future you’re working toward), and the values (how you’ll behave on…
5 min Quiz Interactive
8
Putting it together: the board’s strategy year
Strategy isn’t a binder you write once and shelve.
4 min Interactive

Sources & further reading

VolunteerBadge Academy courses are provided free for general educational and informational purposes only. Every course is researched from reputable, authoritative sources (cited on the course), but VolunteerBadge and ScreenForge Labs, LLC make no representations or warranties of any kind — express or implied — as to the accuracy, completeness, currentness, reliability, or suitability of the content for any purpose. Content may contain errors or omissions and may become outdated, and laws, regulations, standards, and best practices vary by jurisdiction and change over time. This material is not legal, medical, mental-health, clinical, financial, safety-certification, or other professional advice, and completing a course or earning a certificate creates no professional relationship, license, accreditation, or endorsement and is not a substitute for training, certification, supervision, or policies required by law, your organization, your insurer, or a licensing body. Always follow your organization's own policies and applicable law, use your own judgment, and consult a qualified professional (such as an attorney, licensed clinician, or medical provider) about your specific situation. In an emergency, call 911 (or, for a mental-health crisis, 988). To the fullest extent permitted by law, VolunteerBadge and ScreenForge Labs, LLC disclaim all liability for any loss or harm arising from reliance on this content or participation in any course.