5 Steps to Planning for 2023
2023 Nonprofit Planning Template below
I did not feel like going running.
I had not slept well the night before. I was finishing a couple of projects. I was feeling drained after a challenging meeting. Plus, I needed to cook dinner soon and would be sitting with my kids later to talk them through their homework assignments.
What I really wanted to do was curl into a little ball and take a nap.
But I did not do that.
Instead, I dug down, found some strength through the exhaustion, changed into my running clothes, slipped on my running shoes, and ran into the cool night air. It was already later than expected and was already dark enough that I needed my headlamp. But I ran a mile – and could check it off and keep my winter running streak going.
Every year for the past three years, I have done the Winter Running Challenge – running at least a mile daily every day between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.
It is not easy. There have been days in which the rain is pouring down. There have been freezing cold days. There have been days that I would prefer to sit on the couch.
But I do it – I get out there and run.
I have a strong “Why?” for doing this running streak. I like running and I always feel stronger and more centered after running. So even though it is sometimes hard to start, I feel good once I get started.
There’s something else: without the structure of the streak, I can forget to get outside during the winter. That sunlight helps me to feel mentally healthy.
Today, as we publish this post, it is Day 21. I am more than halfway!
Setting a goal and making a plan helps me to focus on the details of that plan. Each day I look at my calendar and think about when I can fit in my run. I have a plan – what daily actions do I need to take to put that plan into action?
People ask us – why does planning and setting goals matter? In simple terms, you will get a lot further with a plan than without one.
Notice that I did not say that you will accomplish your goal. The fact is that you may not. Circumstances may emerge that change your goals or plans (Hello, pandemic!). But if you do not accomplish your original goal, you can consider how you want to shift it.
When you know where you want to go, you’re more likely to arrive there.
In that spirit, we are sharing a planning process to reflect on 2022 and plan for 2023.
We have included a planning template so you can lead this process with your team - a slide deck is here (select File then Make a copy) or you can download a PDF version here.
We’ve written before that the benefits of planning include energy, alignment, and focus.
This process is an abbreviated version of the strategic planning processes that The Ross Collective leads for nonprofit organizations. Depending on the time that you have for such a meeting, this can be a robust discussion, or your group can hit the highlights. Regardless, taking even a short amount of time to reflect is important to put the group in the right mindset to reflect then look forward.
A couple of things to keep in mind:
When to do this: we realize that most teams are finishing up 2022 and preparing to end the year. For most organizational teams, this is a great activity for early 2023.
In the spirit of participatory planning, teams should plan goals that they can execute. Boards should create board goals while staff teams should create staff goals; board and staff can come together to build goals for the whole organization.
Step 1: Get the right people at the table
As we have written before, planning must include a focus on equity.
Equity means that the people who are closest to the problem are weighing in on the solutions and systems are shifted so that those who have been outside of power move towards holding power.
Another way to say this is “Nothing about us, without us”, a rallying cry for disability activists.
To consider as you “set the table”:
Who needs to participate in planning so that the people have the lived experience to reflect on the challenges that your organization addresses are weighing in on the solutions?
Step 2: Take stock of 2022
It is so important to deepen staff and board’s ability to function as a team that learns from successes and challenges. This conversation helps to create a shared understanding of what worked and what did not work.
How? Take some time to reflect on the past year.
Here are questions to explore with the planning group:
What is one key fact about our work over the past year? (Each person should share.)
What were key accomplishments?
What were key challenges?
Given what we have heard, what are the implications for our work going forward?
What are next steps we can take?
Before you go to Step 3, take some time for celebration and affirmation. You may want to make a gratitude list to seal in good feelings about all that was accomplished.
Step 3: Build your goals
What are three to five meaningful areas for us to focus on in the year ahead? (NOTE: five is a lot.)
Here are some sample goals:
Over the next 12 months, we will recruit three new board members to join our board who share the lived experience of the community we serve.
Over the next 12 months, we will increase our donations from individuals by 20%.
Over the next 12 months, we will expand program X to serve 20% more clients.
Step 4: Create an Action Plan
Once you have created your goals, you want to make them actionable.
Here are some questions to work through with the group:
In December 2023, what would success look like? (Example: At the end of the year, three new board members who have similar lived experience to our clients will join our board.)
What are benchmarks to accomplish each quarter?
Who are the “team leaders” who will keep track of progress?
Step 5: Set a time to revisit and adjust this plan
Before you leave the planning meeting, set a time on the calendar to check in. This might be in a week away or in a month.
Like me and my running shoes on that chilly, dark evening, you might not feel like holding a planning meeting. However, know that this is valuable time used to bring up the things that were the most important to you and your organization in 2022. You can use that to build on while you and your organization create goals for 2023. When we run meetings, the results are all quite similar to the reason why I keep going back to the Winter Running Challenge every year: even though it is sometimes hard to start, it feels good when you have done it!