Planning is one of the most powerful tools a nonprofit has. But too often, leaders jump in without the right process , or avoid planning altogether until crisis hits. Whether you’re building a strategic plan, exploring future scenarios, or trying to get your board aligned and engaged, avoiding a few common pitfalls can make all the difference.
Here are three planning mistakes I see all the time in my consulting work and how your nonprofit can avoid them.
1. Planning Without a Purpose
Too many organizations treat planning as a checkbox activity. They create a list of unaligned goals, say they’ve done the work, and let the plan sit on a shelf. But if you’re not clear on why you’re planning, you’re likely wasting time and energy.
You can avoid this by…
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Defining the purpose of your planning process before it begins.
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Asking, “What decision(s) will this plan support?”
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Making sure your team understands how the plan will be implemented.
Note: Planning should always lead to action. If it doesn’t, something’s missing.
2. Skipping Stakeholder Voices
Too often, planning happens in a silo. Your staff, board, volunteers, and yes, your clients, all have valuable insights to share. Ignoring them means your plan may miss the mark and lack deep community feedback that impedes your ability to have impact.
You can avoid this by…
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Building in time for meaningful listening.
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Hosting short interviews, surveys, or facilitated conversations.
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Including stakeholder voices in both diagnosis and design.
Note: Planning is a great opportunity to strengthen relationships and trust. It helps your stakeholders understand that you care about what they have to say.
3. Treating Plans as Static
We don’t live in a static world and your plan shouldn’t pretend otherwise. Many small nonprofits create beautiful strategic plans… that sit on a shelf once things change. Our world is ever-changing. We need to be ready to adapt.
You can avoid this by…
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Using scenario planning to anticipate change (stay tuned for my toolkit coming soon)
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Reviewing your plan quarterly and updating it as needed.
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Treating your plan like a living tool, not a final product.
Note: Flexibility isn’t failure, it’s wisdom.
Great planning isn’t about predicting the future and coming up with the perfect, most beautifully polished plan. It’s about preparing your organization to lead with intention, even when things change. Avoid these common nonprofit planning mistakes, and you’ll be on your way to impact.