Strategic Planning Example

The Need: A statewide organization was blessed with a strong management team, a great reputation and many years of revenue growth and program innovation. However, the Executive Director thought it needed to become more aggressive in policy and advocacy. Furthermore, Board members were pushing inconsistent and competing priorities on senior staff members. Finally, a recent attempt at strategic planning had failed by relying too heavily on one-on-one interviews thus increasing conflict and division between staff and board members.

How we helped: MGA worked with a joint board-management committee to create a strategic planning process that was purposefully tailored to the organization and its current challenges. It built on existing data already collected and on policy analysis work. It laid out a clear, defined, group planning process. MGA helped our client succeed by providing appropriate opportunities for stakeholder input, utilizing a modest number of board retreats, establishing regular strategic planning committee meetings and scheduling updates at regular board meetings.

The Results: A strategic plan adopted by board consensus gave management the authority and unified board support it needed. It has allowed management the freedom to aggressively pursue fundraising and policy innovations, while providing appropriate methods of board involvement and oversight. Today, this organization is stronger, and is a lead advocate with major policy influence in Massachusetts and beyond.