Scaling Altruism

CHAPTER 3Plan

Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the ax.

—Abraham Lincoln

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

• Identify and apply the 15 essential elements of a robust business plan; and
• Articulate your own organization's expression of each element in a manner that builds consensus and teamwork among board and staff members.

Without a robust business plan that clearly articulates board‐ and staff‐wide consensus on all matters of organizational importance, an organization is actually a disorganization, with individuals left to follow their own guesses and instincts about what to do. Very few of the many hundreds of nonprofit plans we have reviewed contain all the elements necessary. When these gaps are filled, organizations are ready to accelerate their growth and impact.

The fact that most nonprofit plans are missing essential information is neither the fault of the practitioners nor a disparagement of their skills or intellect. Writing a concise plan that covers all issues of organizational importance is hard. An even bigger obstacle is the lack of awareness and understanding among nonprofit leaders of what, exactly, should be in a business plan and how they are properly written and developed. Poor training, cultural barriers, organizational myths, and other constraining forces contribute ...