Can you share your strategic plan template with us? Can you share a copy of a strategic plan you created for a client?
These are two of the top questions our team here at Funding for Good receives from nonprofit leaders preparing for a strategic planning process.
We get it! Why reinvent the wheel with an original, custom strategic plan if someone else has a ready-to-use template you can use?
But the reality is that a strategic plan template is not going to deliver the time savings or the results you’re hoping for.
In this article, we’re going to talk about why strategic plan templates or samples aren’t the answer. We’re also going to share a strategic plan outline and free resources that WILL help you kick off a successful planning process.
What Is a Strategic Plan Template?
Do you remember Mad Libs? It’s a word game where you get your friends to suggest random words to fill in blanks in a text. Usually, these words have nothing to do with the text itself, so when you read out the final version, it’s a comedy of chaos.
That’s one of the risks of using a strategic planning template. Filling out a template document or tool that suggests you “insert your mission here” and “add your top five goals here” doesn’t have anything to do with the most important part of strategic planning: the PROCESS.
A strategic plan template is simply a document. But a strategic planning PROCESS is an intentional effort to align organizational stakeholders around shared goals and strategies to achieve those goals
It’s this process that gets your stakeholders—your board, staff, volunteers, and sometimes even key donors and partners—to buy into your vision. It’s being part of the strategic planning process that inspires these stakeholders to offer their time, their energy, and their financial resources in pursuit of your shared vision.
A strategic plan template, no matter how well organized, simply cannot achieve this.
However, a strategic plan outline can be a useful tool for ensuring that your written strategic plan includes the most essential elements for success.
Key Elements of a Strategic Plan Outline (Halfway to a Template)
Every written strategic plan should, at minimum, include the following:
- Cover page (header, logo, strategic plan dates, etc.)
- Table of contents
- Overview of what the strategic planning process entailed
- Description of the organization
- Organization’s core messaging: vision, mission, and values
- Measurable goals and objectives for the duration of the strategic plan
- Blocks and barriers to achieving those goals
- Strategies to overcome barriers and achieve stated goals and objections
- Action or implementation plan to achieve stated goals and objectives
- Appendices that provide additional context if needed, such as an organizational profile, capital campaign details, stakeholder feedback, etc.
When it comes to formatting, less is best for your core strategic plan document. You can even use a simple Microsoft Word document for easy editing.
The original draft of your strategic plan is an internal document and does not need to be fancy. It only needs to be easy to read and use.
Sample Strategic Plans Formatted for Public Distribution
Once the core content of your strategic plan has been approved, you can then determine what to share with the public and how. For example, you might decide to only share your 3-5 year goals in a well-designed PDF. Or you might decide to create a page on your website to share a more interactive and dynamic version of your plan that includes stakeholder feedback, etc.
Here are three samples of strategic plans that have been formatted for public distribution:
- Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry Counties: 2020 Strategic Plan
- North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics: 2024-2030 Strategic Plan
- World YMCA Vision 2030: Empowering communities, transforming lives
As you can see, the public-facing version of each of these plans is very different—and for good reason. The organizations, their goals, and their stakeholders are all very different. This is why a strategic plan template could potentially do more harm than good in your planning process.
Why Most Strategic Planning Consultants Do Not Share Templates
Still, we completely understand why people want a strategic plan template, rather than an outline or a guide. Filling in a template seems like it should be easier than starting from scratch.
The good news is that, if you work with a strategic planning consultant, you will NOT be starting from scratch. In fact, professional strategic planning consultants spend years honing their processes, tools, and (yes) templates based on real-life client needs.
However, consultants generally do not share their own or their clients’ internal planning documents for three key reasons.
Confidentiality and strategic plan templates
Consultants customize strategic planning processes and documents to meet the unique needs of each client. The product belongs to the client, and it is unethical to share it without the client’s permission.
Most clients are unwilling to share the document created by the consultant because it is an internal document that, in most cases, has not yet been approved by the organization’s board of directors.
Once the strategic plan is formally approved, organizations often streamline the content into marketing tools for public distribution. Most organizations do not want an unedited, unapproved draft of their plan floating around in public.
One size does not fit all for strategic planning (or templates)
Consultants utilize different approaches and methodologies when leading strategic planning processes, and any templates used are highly customized for each client’s needs. Potential clients who access a template that was not crafted for their organization might make assumptions about the process and product that are inaccurate.
Strategic plan templates are often proprietary
Finally, consultants are running businesses, and “the heart does not pay the bills.” Professional strategic planning facilitators pour time and money into perfecting their facilitation skills and processes. “Giving it away for free” isn’t always a viable option.
Many consultants, like Funding for Good, do offer a variety of free and low-cost resources to assist organizations in all stages of strategy development and execution. For example, we offer replays of our popular Strategic Planning Webinar Series that helps nonprofits understand the strategic planning process, stakeholder engagement, and drafting a written plan.
How to Start Your Strategic Planning Process (Without a Template)
Here at Funding for Good, we deeply believe that strategic planning is a process, not a product (and definitely not a template!). When the strategic planning process is done well, it can transform how organizations and stakeholders work together.
If you’re interested in starting your organization’s strategic planning process, check out our strategic planning facilitation services for nonprofits and public agencies, or grab our Free Strategic Planning QuickStart Kit.
