Strategic Planning For Dummies®

Chapter 17. Planning for the Social Sectors

In This Chapter

• Shifting from a profit focus to a resource focus

• Involving your board in strategic planning

• Understanding governmental planning

• Thinking about competition in nonprofits

Strategic planning in social sectors, specifically defined as the government and nonprofit organizations, is becoming more and more common for several reasons:

• The communities in which we live and work are increasingly complex.

• Social issues are more difficult, more interrelated, and more critical to solve.

• Community leaders and executive directors are being asked to be more accountable for the performance of their organizations and communities.

• As change accelerates, managers need proven management approaches, often borrowed from the private sector, to help them be more effective with their resources.

That said, many not‐for‐profit and governmental organizations have been crafting strategic plans far longer than the business community. Best practices from this field have been adopted by private organizations and visa versa. Many of you may not be running a nonprofit or governmental entity, but you may sit on several boards or committees. This chapter can help you be a better board member by understanding your role in strategic planning.

This chapter is intended to be a supplement to rest of the book. Although the majority of ideas and concepts presented in the previous chapters are applicable, a few modifications are necessary for effective social sector strategic ...