Using nonprofit resources to maximize success

If you’re in the process of developing a nonprofit, resource and article databases can provide invaluable tips to greatly enhance the success of the organization. One nonprofit resource that is especially helpful is a guide for developing a strategic plan.

A strategic plan communicates an organization's mission and vision of the future, and its goals and methods for pursuing those goals. A strategic plan often follows the subsequent format:

• Executive Summary/ Introduction from the President: The executive summary should introduce the strategic plan, reference the nonprofit’s mission and vision, and highlight goals. Mainly, it should review what is most important about the organization.


• Mission and/or Vision Statement: In less than one page, these statements should address the organization’s overall goal.


• Organizational History: Review the organization’s story including key events and successes, and highlight major accomplishments over the past year.


• Goals and Objectives: This section should state the “plan of action” for the next few years and how the organization hopes to accomplish them. This section of a strategic plan is helpful for planning and evaluation.


• Goals and Objectives for Management: In order to separate program and management functions, this section addresses goals that apply solely to the organization and development of the nonprofit.