Strategic Fund Development: Building Profitable Relationships That Last, Third Edition

Roles in the Planning Process

Three groups or individuals are critical to produce an effective planning process. These are:

1. Board of Directors: the body that decides the organization’s future and approves the strategies to reach that future.

2. Staff: leaders in the planning process and essential partners to decisions for the future.

3. Planning process manager: staff person or consultant responsible for designing and coordinating the planning process.

And there’s a fourth (but optional) group, a planning committee. Let’s start with the planning committee. Then you can decide if you even want one.

Planning Committee

The planning committee oversees the planning process on behalf of the board. Key responsibilities are:

• Engage the board in the process of planning.
• Work with the organization’s CEO and planning process manager to design the overall process, most particularly the information gathering and decision-making components.
• Identify strategic issues facing the organization.
• Identify areas of challenge and opportunity for the board.
• Identify and recruit volunteers to help with information gathering.
• Review research results.
• With the board, participate in the decision-making process.
• Help outline goals, action steps, indicators of success, and assignments of responsibility.
• Review the draft plan, adjust, and recommend to the board for action.

Put together the best planning committee by combining the right skills and behavior, experience, and diversity. Make sure all candidates ...