Nolo Strategic

Phone: 800-631-5158

Once you've committed to an idea for a nonprofit, it's time to sit down and create a strategic plan -- the working document that will chart your nonprofit's course through the coming years. A strategic plan identifies your nonprofit's goals for a certain time period (generally one to three years) and outlines how you will achieve those goals. Though your nonprofit will undoubtedly engage in future planning for specific activities, think of the strategic plan as the "master plan" for your organization. Translating your hopes and dreams into concrete plans is an essential undertaking for lots of reasons. First and foremost, making specific plans will help you get beyond your idealistic visions and help you focus on exactly what your group hopes to accomplish -- and what you can realistically expect to get done, based on your available resources. Drafting a plan transforms abstract ideas into specific "to do" items -- a critical step in setting your nonprofit's wheels into motion. Having a clear strategic plan in place will also serve you well when you seek to raise money and/or build community support.