Beyond Impressions

In our last blog, we considered how our day to day busy-ness can steer us away from our strategic goals by way of side roads, dead ends and U turns.

In this blog we get back on track.

Scheduling time to ‘think big’ may initially seem less productive than tending to the emergency of the moment, but it is essential information that can give clarity to all the smaller decisions you make along the way.  And let’s be real: is the company retreat really about company direction, or is it getting side tracked by company politics?

Some things to consider when designing your strategic plan:

You take a deep breath, and slowly push your seat away from the desk. Your inbox is empty, your notifications are cleared, your texts are returned and you have nothing else to do in this moment than reflect on your strategic plan and think about where you want your business to be in five years.

High-level philanthropy demands data-driven, measurable results that prove your organization is truly making a difference. Although it is easy to understand why this information is important to a donor, tracking it can be a challenge. Outcomes, predictive modeling and data in the non-profit/social services field are exceedingly hard to gather and analyze.

A traditional annual appeal may list statistics of how many participants are served, programs and services offered, and a human interest story or profile to highlight and personalize the potential impact of their gift. For many donors, this is adequate and effective.

But high level donors are asking for more.