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Stop reacting.
Leading a nonprofit without a thoughtful strategy is exhausting.
You're trying to be everything to everyone.
Staff and volunteers are stretched too thin, burnout is real and morale is suffering.
You're always caught up in whatever is urgent.
You don’t have the time or space to pause, think or get in front of your priorities.
The organization is stuck spinning its wheels.
Without a clear direction, the organization is losing momentum.
Start leading.
Build a stronger organization and drive real change.
Our approach helps nonprofit leaders clear away assumptions, resolve big strategic questions, and create a flexible action plan for the organization.
A comprehensive approach to strategic planning designed intentionally for small nonprofits.
Typical strategic planning processes are rooted in assumptions that make sense for large, corporate organizations. Small nonprofits need to develop strategy in a way that works for your unique context: a smaller team, a flatter organization, and limited up-front resources.
A collaborative process to identify and resolve the big strategic questions facing your organization.
When the board avoids making big strategic decisions, the organization gets stuck. Our process helps break down complex issues into manageable discussions to guide your board through uncertainty, so you can stop living in deferral and start moving forward.
An implementation plan and monitoring framework to bridge the gap between strategy and action.
Too often, strategic plans are just a document and not a way of working. We build out an implementation plan with a full monitoring framework that spells out how and when your organization will track and assess your progress so you can build momentum behind your strategy.
How it works
Our approach to strategic planning
We gather insight from board and staff, partners and supporters; and clients and members on the risks, opportunities, challenges and uncertainties facing the organization.
With a full analysis of the intel we gather in step one, we identify three big strategic questions facing the organization.
We facilitate a collaborative process for each of the three strategic questions, where we scope out all possible directions for the organization, carefully consider and weigh the options, and make one clear decision about the path forward.
The decisions made about each of the strategic questions form the foundation of the organization’s strategic plan, which is approved by the board.
We build out a full implementation plan to guide action on the organization’s new strategy, and we develop a monitoring framework that outlines how and when the organization will track progress on the strategy.
Our process is
Equity focused
We design our process using an anti-racist and anti-oppressive framework to promote more equitable participation and address hidden power dynamics.
Remote-First
Our engaging and collaborative process is designed to be remote-first, making it easier for your board's schedules to align and allowing us to work across timezones.
Actionable
We go way beyond the typical strategic planning process, to develop an implementation plan and monitoring framework that bridges the gap between thinking and doing.
see if we're a fit
Schedule a 30 minute call to meet our team and get answers to all your questions.
Meet Nicole
Lead Consultant, Strategy & Impact
Nicole believes that small nonprofits need a new model for success. Her work brings clarity and structure to complex situations, with pragmatic and effective solutions that work for small organizations. Known for challenging the assumptions and norms that limit impact and lead to burnout in the nonprofit sector, Nicole has earned a reputation as an innovative and insightful leader in the Canadian nonprofit sector.
FAQ
Costs for strategic planning can vary, often reaching up to $30,000.00 or more. We have designed our process to be accessible and affordable for small nonprofits. Typically, the investment for our strategic planning process begins at $17,000 CAD + HST, but we are able to tailor our approach to suit your budget. Please contact us for a quote that fits your organization’s needs.
Our strategic planning process is designed to be carried out over a period of three months. This timeline allows for deep collaboration without overwhelming your volunteer’s schedules, and creates enough space for meaningful conversations that can lead to clear decisions.
Remote strategic planning processes can be very effective, and even advantageous. We use engaging, intuitive software to facilitate collaborative, in-depth group processes. By working remotely, we are able to reduce costs associated with travel and venues, accommodate the schedules of your staff and volunteers and work with organizations in any location and time-zone.
While some organizations value the team-building aspects of in-person sessions, we recommend planning team-building and social activities separately from strategic planning.
There are four criteria that we use to gauge an organization’s readiness for strategic planning. Download our free pdf guide to review these criteria and facilitate a discussion with your board.
Your organization values equity, diversity and inclusion, and it’s important that both the process and outcome of your strategic plan reflect these values. We are experienced in applying anti-oppression and anti-racism frameworks to our work, and our processes are always designed and facilitated in a way that promote intersectional approaches to building equity and inclusion.
During our strategic planning process, we collect information and insight into what ‘success’ looks like for your organization. Once your strategic plan has been approved by the board, we collaborate with the ED to establish an implementation plan and monitoring framework, which includes clear milestones and key metrics to work toward. You’ll know exactly what to ‘measure’, why it’s important, and when to track each metric.
Is your nonprofit ready for strategic planning?
4 Critical Questions for Nonprofit Leaders to Consider Before Starting a New Strategic Plan
Strategic planning requires a significant investment of time and resources. It’s important to consider the organization’s readiness before you begin the process.
Download our free guide and share it with your Executive Director, Board of Directors or Governance Committee. Use these reflection questions to spark discussion at your next meeting.
