The Nonprofit Strategy Revolution

by LA Piana, David

• ISBN13: 9780940069657
• ISBN10: 0940069652
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-03-15
• Publisher: Ingram Publisher Services, Inc.

Summary

This book presents a revolutionary way for nonprofit organizations to do strategic planning. The fact is, the world changes continuously and rapidly. It is foolhardy to believe that strategies should not do so as well. Organizations already know this, but their traditions have locked them into a strategic planning process that is divorced from today's reality. That's why the plans sit on the shelf, why the plans so often seem to be an incongruous hodgepodge of impossible dreams and lengthy to-do lists for everyone from the board chair to the bookkeeper, why seasoned nonprofit staff roll their eyes when the next round of strategic planning begins, and why smart executives are always seeking work-arounds in between planning periods. The most important part of the revolution is tossing out the tradition and replacing it with a set of easy-to-use tools that keep the organization constantly engaged in the needs of its environment.

Author Biography

David La Piana is founder and president of La Piana Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in solutions to the strategic issues faced by nonprofit organizations and their funders. A popular speaker, David is the author of many books for nonprofit leaders, including The Nonprofit Mergers Workbooks (Parts I and II) and Play to Win: The Nonprofit Guide to Competitive Strategy.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. ix
Preface: Welcome to the Revolution	p. xi
The Seeds of Revolution: The Strategy Formation Project	p. xv
How to Use This Book	p. xvi
Conclusion: Creating Winning Strategies	p. xxii
The Strategy Revolution
Why a Strategy Revolution?	p. 3
What is Strategy and Why Do Nonprofits Need It?	p. 4
The Disconnect Between Strategy and Strategic Planning	p. 7
Conclusion: Hence the Revolution	p. 22
The Strategy Pyramid	p. 23
Aligning Organizational, Programmatic, and Operational Decisions	p. 24
Successful Strategies Embody Implementation	p. 27
Conclusion: A Framework to Fuel Change	p. 29
Understanding Organizational Strategy	p. 31
Mission, Competitive Advantage, and Strategy	p. 31
What Is Organizational Strategy?	p. 35
What Does Organizational Strategy Look Like?	p. 38
Conclusion: Organizational Strategy Comes First	p. 43
Organizational Identity and Strategy Formation	p. 45
Understanding Organizational Identity	p. 48
Three Essential Ingredients of Organizational Identity	p. 50
What Organizational Identity Looks Like	p. 58
Conclusion: Organization, Know Thyself	p. 60
Developing a Strategy Screen	p. 61
Crafting a Strategy Screen	p. 63
A Variation-The Opportunity Matrix	p. 66
Conclusion: Habits of Mind	p. 70
Big Questions, Strategy Formation, and Implementation	p. 71
Understanding and Facing Big Questions	p. 71
Crafting a Big Question	p. 74
Developing a Strategy That Fits the Screen	p. 78
Implementing the Strategy	p. 83
Conclusion: Real-Time Strategy	p. 85
Forming Programmatic Strategies	p. 87
Forming Programmatic Strategies	p. 89
Constructing a Program Logic Model	p. 90
Programmatic Strategy in Action	p. 93
Programmatic Strategy Essentials	p. 95
When to Form New Programmatic Strategies	p. 97
Conclusion: Programs As Strategic Choices	p. 98
Forming Operational Strategies	p. 99
Real Life Operational Strategy	p. 100
Operational Strategy Essentials	p. 102
When to Form New Operational Strategies	p. 104
Conclusion: Operations Are the Broad Shoulders of Strategy	p. 105
Putting It All Together	p. 107
Using Real-Time Strategic Planning to Advance Your Mission and Vision	p. 107
Strategy Formation as a Continuous Cycle	p. 108
Crafting a "Traditional" Strategic Plan	p. 110
Conclusion: Real-Time Strategy in a Rapid-Response World	p. 112
Essential Tools for Forming Strategy
Current Business Model	p. 121
Financial Analysis	p. 125
Competitor Analysis	p. 131
Trend Analysis	p. 139
Future Business Model	p. 143
Identity Statement	p. 147
Strategy Screen	p. 149
Big Question	p. 151
Next Steps Work Plan	p. 155
Strategy Road Map	p. 159
References	p. 169
Index	p. 175
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