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It’s been a long time since I made my last blog post, which was allegedly the first in a series. Some of you have asked for the rest of the info. My apologies. I maintain another blog for a client, and that one has taken priority (the old plumber’s pipes, I guess).  I am serving on a panel tomorrow and will be discussing this topic, so I have outlined the basic points for the SCRAPE approach to long-term success. Below are the basics.  If you have any questions on any of these topics, please let me know and I will be happy to elaborate more.

Strategic Planning

• Open discussion of who your organization is (and isn’t), who you serve (and who you don’t) and what services you provide (and those you don’t).
• SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats).
• Mission (why you exist), Vision (what success looks like), Core Values.
• Identify what is required for your organization to be successful. Categorize into Critical Success Factors.
• Strategic Planning should involve your entire board as well as other representative shareholders when possible (a lead volunteer, maybe an individual who has graduated from your program). Ideally a professional facilitator should lead the discussion so everyone can participate equally (you can’t facilitate and participate at the same time).

Critical Success Factors

• Four to five areas you must NAIL in order to successfully accomplish your mission.
• CSFs typically include finances, programming, communications and one or two others (partnerships, board development, expansion…).
• Each CSF needs a non-staff champion (e.g., board member) and committee members to assist with plan development and execution.
• A detailed Action Plan should be developed for each Critical Success Factor, spanning at least 18 months. Include post-mortem reviews to determine what worked and what didn’t (e.g. after a fundraising event) and what improvements could be made the next time.
• Updates on these Action Plans form, in part, the agenda for board meetings. This ensures they remain living, breathing documents.

Research

• First step in any Critical Success Factor and subsequent Action Plan.
• Investigate Best Practices. Who else does what you do (or similar), and where are they successful (and where are they not)?
• How can you work together with other organizations to avoid reinventing the wheel?
• What is the general awareness and perception of your organization and what you do?
• What causes do your prospective donors currently support and why?

Audience

• Identify your primary (e.g. who you serve), secondary (e.g. donors) and possibly tertiary (e.g. volunteers and/or other nonprofit organizations) audiences.
• Identify what your audience’s biggest challenges are. How can you help them with solutions (not add to their problems)?
• Identify what motivates each audience.
• Identify where and how these audiences get their information (don’t make assumptions). A new story may not reach the audience you are seeking.
• Identify how each audience makes decisions (what criteria do they weigh, how much time to they take, what do they value most?).
• Identify the target audience for each initiative (events, press releases, newsletters…). Don’t try to reach all audiences with the same initiative. Prioritize and customize for the most impact.

Positioning

• Write a positioning statement that captures the essence and personality of your organization. Are you formal, casual, serious or grace-filled? Your positioning statement should say what you do, who you serve and what makes you unique. It should motivate your target.
• Stick to your messaging. Every initiative you develop should be viewed through the lens of your positioning statement. Is this consistent with who you are and what you’re about? If not, reconsider.
• Keep the same visual identity across all of your initiatives (web, newsletter, direct mail, brochures…). Same colors, same logo, same messaging. You may get tired of it, but step back and consider how many messages you are bombarded with every day. Keep at it, or you will never cut through the clutter.

Execution

• Be purposeful and deliberate. Develop a plan and stick with the plan. You can modify the plan if you need to and have good reason to, but it needs to be a strategic decision not just a convenient one.
• A strong web site is a high priority; it is the first place people go to learn more about you. Keep it current (a home page promoting an event that took place three months ago reflects poorly on everyone associated with your organization). List specific needs on your home page (a desk, a laptop, $500 to repair a vehicle…).
• Consider the bang for the buck. Don’t waste your resources on initiatives that don’t reach your target audience. Just because you are presented with an opportunity to promote your organization doesn’t mean you should take it. Consider the amount of time (yours, staff, volunteer, board) and money required to do it and weigh whether or not you will be seen by who you are targeting in a way that matters to them.
• Do it with excellence or don’t do it.
• Again, be consistent with your messaging and identity so you can increase the effectiveness of each initiative ­– past, present and future.

Related posts:

1. Sipping from a Firehose Wearing Fictional Shoes
2. The Order of Marketing
3. Touchpoints