Strategic Planning For Chapters
Strategic planning is not just for large non-profits or companies. It is a crucial process for maximizing your effectiveness as an organization, preparing for the future, and recruiting the next generation of leaders to your board. Many TU chapters engage in some level of annual planning to identify projects, funding needs, and engagement opportunities. Check out the following resources to help your planning process and feel free to reach out to CTU staff Dan Omasta (domasta@tu.org) if you need further support.
Chapter SWOT Exercise
A great first step for any chapter to take in the planning process is a SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats). Before a planning meeting, have your board and chapter leaders fill out this survey that highlights the critical things your organization does/doesn’t do well. From there, you can craft annual goals to maximize your skills in certain areas and work on tackling the challenges to future success. Be honest about your answers and plan to discuss the results as a group. Make sure that your goals for the year extend beyond conservation projects/programs and include dedicated efforts to deal with the identified weaknesses or perceived opportunities/threats.
Chapter Goals
The next step in the planning process is to identify SMART Goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Timely). Identify both short-term and long-term goals among the board and select the ones that are most agreed upon to work on in the coming year. Don’t forget that tackling perceived challenges can also be included in those goals (i.e. finding a communications chair, increasing engagement, etc.). Make sure that your goals and actions for the year are within the capacity of your team to manage and build on the results of the SWOT exercise!
Succession Planning
Succession planning is a critical step in the planning process. Your chapter can have a robust board or group of dedicated volunteers now, but what happens when they leave? Life happens, people move on, and it is critical that you protect the legacy of your chapter and all that you have accomplished with a specific and regularly-updated strategic succession plan. As a chapter board, you need to feel comfortable talking openly about who is replacing the current president when his/her term expires - or acknowledge gaps in certain positions that need to be filled. As a group, take time to generate a list of needed positions, skills, and candidates. Begin to develop board leaders from your volunteer or member base and make sure that everyone is on the same page about leadership roles/needs.
Professional Facilitation
Whether your chapter is new to the strategic planning process or has a regularly-updated plan, consider hiring a professional planning facilitator. These people are trained to maximize planning effectiveness and ensure that critical issues are not overlooked. The Colorado TU Council is currently developing a matching fund program to help pay for the costs of professional facilitation. For more information, please contact Dan Omasta (domasta@tu.org).
