It seems that 2011 held one challenge after another as nonprofit and government organizations worked at warp speed to survive extreme funding cuts, a dip in donor support, and a dismal economic landscape. Moving into 2012, these challenges call for new approaches in how organizations strategically plan.
Traditional government and nonprofit approaches to plan for the future fall short because of their episodic and linear nature. No sooner has a strategic plan been documented, than many of the assumptions upon which it is based are no longer valid. Strategic planning in concept and application has to be reinvented to foster a culture of planning and marketing strategically with objective data that can drive discussions.
Organizational excellence will come to those that are masters of aligning their internal business processes with their brand strategy, resulting in exceeding the needs and expectations of stakeholders, funders and customers.
Here are the three processes that should be integrated into your approach.
#1: Start with a baseline analysis of your brand.
In the world of nonprofit and government organizations, politics can often drive decisions which is why it’s imperative to gather and analyze relevant data that can give executive team leaders an objective-based understanding of a) how the community perceives the organization and its mission; b) the most urgent issues that are important to the community and key stakeholders; c) how your mission solves any part of these issues and the impacts of these solutions; and d) how the community perceives the need for your services. Examining these data sets can provide clear strategies around developing a brand platform that positions the organization so that donors, funders, volunteers, customers and the community at large understand, value, and support the mission.
#2: Use structured improvement processes to evaluate internal operations.
Private sector companies have long known the value of implementing processes pertaining to quality improvement such as Lean Six Sigma, Total Quality Management, and Change Management. Yet, government and nonprofits often make the mistake of thinking that its staff, partners, board members and volunteers will naturally maximize customer and business processes. These private sector processes can be adapted to government and nonprofit organizations to eliminate customer dissatisfaction, reduce errors, increase speed of service, and optimize process efficiency.
#3: Develop an organizational dashboard that can drive funding decisions.
Planning strategically means that executive teams and managers have the ability to capture ongoing, real-time data that measures the efficiency of internal processes, the perception of the brand externally, and the opportunities that can lead to expanded funding, partnerships and support.
FCM’s unique approach to planning strategically combines private-sector quality improvement processes with marketing and communication strategies that result in streamlined operations, community awareness, strategic partnerships and funding. For a complimentary consultation on our approach and how it would work for your organization, contact us.
