Strategic Planning Kit For Dummies®, 2nd Edition

Chapter 17

Sustainability for the Social Sectors

In This Chapter

• Shifting from a resource focus to a sustainability focus
• Involving your board in strategic planning
• Understanding government planning
• Thinking about competition in nonprofits

Strategic planning in social sectors, specifically defined as the government and nonprofit organizations, is becoming more and more common for several reasons:

• The communities in which people live and work are increasingly complex.
• Social issues are more difficult, more interrelated, and more critical to solve.
• Community leaders and executive directors are being asked to be more accountable for the performance of their organizations and communities.
• As change accelerates, managers need proven management approaches, often borrowing from the private sector, to help them be more effective with their resources.

That said, many nonprofit and government organizations have been crafting strategic plans far longer than the business community. Private organizations have adopted best practices from this field and vice versa. Many of you may not be running a nonprofit or government entity, but you may sit on several boards or committees. This chapter can help you be a better board member by understanding your role in strategic planning.

This chapter is intended to be a supplement to the rest of the book. Although the majority of ideas and concepts ...