Mission Possible in Challenging Times

2010 is going to be different from 2009. It’s a new day and old models and paradigms may not work.  What will it take for your organization to maintain, sustain and have the opportunity to prosper over the next few years? Is your current strategy and plan still relevant today? Do they respond effectively to the new economic environment? What information do Boards need to make decisions?

The Retreat Focus
Mission Possible in Challenging Times outlines a compact process to jumpstart strategic planning.  The process provides a business planning framework to evaluate where you are today and to help you navigate both the best and most challenging of times.  Retreat participants will leave with:

• A Baseline Assessment  of their organization relative to others
• Value Proposition/Case/Messages that are impact/customer focused
• A Toolbox with practical resources to guide in moving forward
• Mission Per Dollar (MPD) assessment of programs to inform decisions
• Strategic Decisions about priorities, strategies, timetables, benchmarks

The Retreat Outline
I. Pre-Retreat Questionnaire: Participants fill out a questionnaire about mission, budget, program, governance, fundraising, priorities, strengths and challenges as well as multi-year trends. (One-two hour estimated commitment.)

II. Retreat Components: Organizational data and a best practices tool frames all discussion. Case studies provide real examples of how other organizations addressed similar issues. (5-6 Hours)

• Mission Possible Matrix/Toolbox explained (Hour 1A)
  Focus: To understand elements of a successful non profit
• Mission/Value Proposition/Case (Hour 1B)
  Focus: To write a sharpened impact/investment-focused case for support and customer focused value proposition
• Governance/Management (Hour 2)
  Focus: To clarify board/staff roles, the role of Governance Committees, key question focus
• Financial/Facility/Risk Management (Hour 3)
  Focus: To introduce tools to evaluate real costs by line of business, to develop upside/downside budgets and to consider risk/succession planning strategies
• Cultivating/Communicating To Influencers (Hour 4)
  Focus: To clarify brand/positioning messages (further building on the case), and to present a tool to manage relationship cultivation
• Choosing Paths in Challenging Times (Hour 5)
  Focus: To determine priorities, strategies, benchmarks, timeline

III. Retreat Follow-Up (optional): Post retreat, participants will receive an e-mail summary of retreat decisions and outcomes plus a framework to evaluate progress on strategic priorities. Optional strategic follow-up is also available.