Developing a Strategic Plan
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The document outlines the importance of developing a strategic plan for volunteer engagement programs, detailing the steps to create a vision, build a team, and communicate effectively. It emphasizes the need for collaboration, stakeholder involvement, and the identification of organizational priorities to focus resources and foster innovation. Additionally, it provides resources for further learning and templates to aid in strategic planning.
Developing a Strategic Plan
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- 2. Page Developing a strategic plan for your volunteer engagement program To hear the presentation by phone call: (516) 453-0031 Access Code: 114-570-842 Jennifer Bennett @JenBennettCVA CVA, Senior Manager, Education & Training Follow this webinar on Twitter to join the conversation! Hash tag: #VMlearn
- 3. 3 Agenda • Why do you need a strategic plan? • What can a strategic plan do • What needs to happen first? • Creating a vision • Building a team • Communicating up and out • Things to think about
- 4. 4 Why a strategic plan? What is your vision for volunteer engagement? • What does your program look like now? • What will it look like in 5 years if you maintain the status quo? • What could it look like? Have you thought about what’s possible around expansion of impact, or identify trends in recruitment, volunteers aging in place, or expanded roles?
- 5. 5 What can a strategic plan do? For you? Your program? The organization? • Focus energy and resources. • Reenergize a static program. • Allow for innovation to address current and future needs. • Identify organizational priorities and create meaningful measurement.
- 6. 6 Where to start? Identify and gather the information you’ll need to inform the discussion around strategy. • Qualitative and quantitative – reports, focus groups, surveys. • Identify or clarify the position of your current volunteer engagement program – SWOT analysis • Understand how leadership and stakeholders are involved now – actions, ideas, beliefs • Determine your timing – is there a busy season or is your program cyclical? • Should you engage someone from outside your organization?
- 7. 7 Creating a vision What could volunteer engagement look like in your organization? • Creating outcomes and the implementation will be collaborative, but there needs to be a leader. • Don’t be constrained by history, or funding – get beyond yes, but – and think big – What are the opportunities, weaknesses? • Solicit feedback. Don’t create in a vacuum. – Remember focus groups and stakeholders needs
- 8. 8 Engage others – create common goals • What are the outcomes for the organization? • Who else will be accountable or impacted by the outcomes? • Does leadership understand the need for vision and change? Know how this work impacts mission? • What work needs to be done – analysis? Evaluation? – Can it be done by you? Should it? • Implementation and support should be organization-wide – Even if this strategy isn’t incorporated into the larger organization strategy Use these common goals to share the vision with others and incorporate solutions.
- 9. 9 Building the team Who should be involved? Who needs to be involved? • The team that creates the plan should be inclusive but not overwhelming. • Include stakeholders and leaders – But outcomes must be realistic • Volunteers need to have a voice as well • Organization size and diversity of volunteer engagement can increase stakeholders – This is not the only opportunity for involvement – committees, working groups • Develop a team that can create outcomes and goals
- 10. 10 Communicating up and out It’s as important to create a plan for communication as it is to create the strategic plan. • Not everyone can (and should) be at the table – how will you share discussions or information about how decisions were made? • Focus groups allow participation prior to planning, town halls, informational meetings, updates can provide participation after. – Share work from committees, working groups, task forces • Share information back to stakeholders and participants. • Remember to share this work to your community as well.
- 11. 11 Make your Plan a Reality! The strategic plan is just the beginning • Create the working groups or committees to begin identifying the individual actions that will make the strategic plan outcomes a reality • Refer your strategic plan and goals back to your vision – It’s okay to reevaluate where you’re going as the program starts to evolved. • Don’t get discouraged – Tout your successes and evaluate and learn from your mistakes.
- 12. 12 Resources Learning Center Find upcoming webinar dates, how-to videos and more http://learn.volunteermatch.org VolunteerMatch Community Ask and answer questions after the webinar – use keywords Strategic Plan, or Volunteer Management http://community.volunteermatch.org/volunteer Related Webinar Topics: •Creating a Comprehensive and Engaging Volunteer Training Program •Where Do I Go From Here? Evolving your Volunteer Program for More Involvement •Walking the Walk: Engage Volunteers in your Volunteer Engagement Program
- 13. 13 Strategic Planning Resources Below are some examples and a couple of resources for templates. As you can see they run from very polished to very functional. We've also attached a goal planning document that we've used in workshops which might help you focus and present your plan. Colorado Parks & Wildlife Strategic Implementation Plan http://cpw.state.co.us/Documents/Volunteer/VolStratPlan.pdf American Diabetes Association Annual Report and Strategic Plan http://main.diabetes.org/dorg/PDFs/American_Diabetes_Association-2012-2015-Strategic- Plan.pdf Strategic Planning for Nonprofits https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/tools-resources/strategic-planning-nonprofits From Bridgespan, Living Into Your Strategic Plan: Tools and Templates Index http://www.bridgespan.org/Publications-and-Tools/Strategy-Development/Living-Into-Your- Strategic-Plan/FeaturedPublications2/Living-Into-Your-Strategic-Plan-Tools-and-Temp- %281%29.aspx#.UqeZMeLjVCM #VMLearn
- 14. 14 Thanks for attending! Join us online: Like us on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/VolunteerMatch Follow us on Twitter: @VolunteerMatch Visit Engaging Volunteers, our nonprofit blog: blogs.volunteermatch.org/engagingvolunteers/ For any questions contact: Jennifer Bennett (415) 321-3639 @JenBennettCVA [email protected]