Watters & Associates
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Watters & Associates
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CREATING A DEVELOPMENT PLAN
As managers, most of us recognize the value of planning. We might even feel we have done our program planning because we developed a budget. But what have we done in regard to broadening our activities, expanding our boards, identifying new prospects, implementing our giving clubs or developing some basic planned giving functions? That’s when I usually hear things like “why don’t you try doing my job and finding time for luxuries such as planning?” There is a lot of truth in that particularly in small shops but I suspect that the “I think I will work on what I know how to do and I don’t know much about planning” syndrome also comes into play. We are more comfortable with familiar duties and planning sounds difficult. Planning is far too important to a successful development program to be put off. Without planning, development programs frequently plateau before they reach their potential. Development directors confuse doing fine with excellence and limit their programs to what they are already doing. A plan can keep us focused on what else and when. So what is planning? The definitions are relatively simple. It is thinking ahead, a scheme of action, deciding on acts and processes beforehand. Planning allows us to change the outcome of future events. Assuming that we agree that planning is important, what is stopping us from doing it? The real culprit may lie in not knowing how to proceed. While there are several techniques such as SWOT and Gap analysis, let me outline an approach that has worked well for my clients. We use a nine step program that recognizes that planning is ongoing and depends on the involvement of the board and staff to be successfully implemented. While staff is usually responsible for the nuts and bolts of planning, use the board or a board committee to review each step of the process. Their ideas can expand your vision and their involvement is essential for implementing the completed plan. 1- Program Audit Begin with a review of your current organization and operations. Initially, the organizational audit should include assuring that the program is in compliance with state and federal regulations. Items such as a state corporate charter, an IRS determination letter and individual licenses for staff members should be documented. It is also an appropriate time to review corporate bylaws to assure that they are being followed. Once the compliance issues are determined, focus on the board function and structure. Is the board involved in fundraising or simply a monitoring group? Is the composition of the board appropriate? How can it be strengthened? Positioning the organization properly is a basic step toward effective fundraising. Once that is done, it is time to review current operations. Mission, policies, prospect building, donor base analysis, fundraising activities and donor recognition programs are areas for evaluation. Does the mission statement show your reason for being? How are you building the prospect base? Are the fundraising activities meeting expectations? 2- Identify Deficiencies This requires an objective appraisal that may be helped by an outside opinion. Compare your programs with other similar agencies, read about successful fundraising efforts, ask a peer for assistance or utilize a consultant. Allow yourself the freedom to evaluate your program as if it were managed by someone else. Then list the most pressing deficiencies. 3- List Corrective Action Steps Once the deficiencies are identified, decide what needs to be done to correct the problem. If the board needs to be broadened, list the action steps necessary to make that happen. Step one could be appointing a nominating committee, step two might be developing a desirable board profile, step three could be generating a list of prospective members. Keep the process simple and understandable. 4- Assign Responsibility for Action Steps Despite knowing what needs to be done, very little progress will be made until the each participant understands their role. An essential part of the plan must include assigning responsibility for each action step to an individual, a committee or the entire board. 5- Schedule or Calendarize Action Steps Establishing a completion date for each step gives the responsible party a clear time frame and allows the overall process to work in a coordinated fashion. Provide some flexibility in the schedule by using months instead of days for completion targets. 6- Summarize After documentation, explanation and justification, written plan can be lengthy and intimidating. Streamline the plan by adding a summary page that shows the action steps, who is responsible and the completion time. Make an effort to confine the summary to one page. This is the tool that allows the staff and the board to monitor implementation progress. 7- Review with CEO and Board Even if the CEO and the Board have been active participants in the planning process, ask them to review and critique the final draft. By allowing them to make changes, we gain their ownership in the plan. 8- Follow the Plan Use the summary page to keep the board and administration aware of progress or delays. After all, the implementation of the plan is now a shared responsibility. 9- Update Annually Planning is a continuing process but the good news is that updating can be relatively simple. Now that the primary deficiencies have been resolved, try to fit the updated summary on half a page.
Watters and Associates is proud to have helped develop plans for dozens of non-profit agencies. We would appreciate the privilege of helping your organization. |
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