Strategic Planning for Nonprofits: Resource Management

Strategic plans cannot be realized without an aligned approach to resource management that supports and amplifies the plan throughout the organization. Resource planning in this case includes both traditional domains, such as finance, HR, and IT, as well as nonprofit-focused areas such as fundraising and partnership development.

Finance: Ensure your budget covers all fixed costs, and then allocate the remaining budget to strategic initiatives, infrastructure development, and fundraising. Note any shortfalls here, as they will inform your Strategic Plan and your fundraising needs. In our post-COVID environment, be sure to review past key assumptions about donations, costs, and other revenue streams.

HR: Determine the optimal staffing requirements for your programs and operations, and allocate human resources accordingly. Look for areas where you can leverage volunteers and partnerships, and ensure that your key leadership team is appropriately supported by an engaged and motivated staff, be they onsite, remote, or hybrid. We all know this is the single most critical determining factor in the success of any organization.

IT: The most important point with respect to your IT systems is that your infrastructure should be optimized to support community engagement, especially in pushing content to remote supporters, and collection management where applicable. Many organizations “over-buy” IT solutions when they can do better by leveraging systems that are far more feature-heavy than they need. Focus on IT solutions that require as little maintenance by your staff as possible.

Fundraising: Your fundraising strategy should directly map to your Strategic Plan and your financial resource situation. This is where you close your gaps and fund your initiatives. Consider ways to broaden your donor base, to include Young Friends programs, grants, capital or event-driven campaigns, or support from government cultural support organizations. The more diversified your funding sources are, the better positioned you will be to realize your long term strategic goals.

Partnerships: Explore opportunities to share resources with partner organizations, including personnel, infrastructure, IT, and fundraising approaches.

Remember, resource management should be strategic and aligned with your organization's priorities. It is not the most visible part of running a nonprofit, but it is vital to put the effort into making this work as smoothly as possible. And get creative with solutions here!