Strategic Planning for Nonprofits
Turn your mission into a clear, fundable plan your whole team can rally around.
For: Executive directors and nonprofit managers
What you’ll learn
- Translate your mission into measurable goals and SMART objectives
- Run a SWOT analysis and build a theory of change for your programs
- Prioritize initiatives with limited time, talent, and dollars
- Build a roadmap — and a monitoring rhythm — that funders and boards trust
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
Why a strategic plan is worth the trouble
5 min
- 2
Read the terrain: SWOT analysis
6 min
- 3
Theory of change & the logic model
7 min
- 4
From mission to goals to SMART objectives
6 min
- 5
The planning process & who is in the room
6 min
- 6
Turning the plan into action
5 min
- 7
Monitoring, KPIs & keeping the plan alive
5 min
Sources & further reading
- National Council of Nonprofits — Strategic Planning for Nonprofits
- BoardSource — Nonprofit Strategic Planning (the board–staff partnership)
- The Bridgespan Group — Living Into Your Strategic Plan: A Guide to Implementation That Gets Results
- La Piana Consulting — The Nonprofit Strategy Revolution: Real-Time Strategic Planning
- La Piana Consulting — Theory of Change or a Logic Model?
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.