Nonprofits engage their staff and other stakeholders in strategic planning in order to evaluate the current state of the organization, implement any needed changes and adequately plan for the future. This process often involves an articulation of values and an assessment of internal strengths and weaknesses and external environmental factors that may potentially impact your organization. Action plans with strategies and timelines are developed to help you accomplish the desired goals and objectives identified through this planning process.

Below you will find web links to online strategic planning resources, as well as a list of recommended books and articles.

Web Resources

• Alliance for Nonprofit Management 
  Fifteen FAQs on strategic planning
• Free Management Library
  • Strategic Planning
    An overview of strategic planning by Carter McNamara with sample plans, worksheets and resource links
  • A Framework for a Basic Nonprofit Strategic Plan Document
    A goals-based strategic plan framework written by Carter McNamara
• Nonprofit Genie on CompassPoint
  A collection of FAQs on strategic planning
• Root Cause
  Business Planning for Enduring Social Impact, an introduction to business planning, including a four-step process for creating an actionable business plan

Publications

• Bryson, John. 2004. Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organizations, 3rd Edition. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Workbooks

• Allison, Michael and Jude Kaye. 2005. Strategic Planning for Nonprofit Organizations: A Practical Guide and Workbook. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
  The 1st Edition was a 1998 Honorable Mention Recipient of the Alliance for Nonprofit Management’s Terry McAdam Book Award
• Barry, Bryan. 1997. Strategic Planning Workbook for Nonprofit Organizations. Fieldstone Alliance. 
• Bryson, John and Farnum K. Alston. 2004. Creating and Implementing Your Strategic Plan: A Workbook for Public and Nonprofit Organizations. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.