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Getting Focused

Welcome to 501 Focused . As the name implies, this blog is focused on addressing the needs of nonprofits [501(c)(3)] and associations [501(c)(6)] . Over the next several months, we’ll cover strategic planning and many of the aspects of what makes that -- and the organizations who engage in it -- successful. In the spirit of being “501 Focused,” this blog plans to highlight a nonprofit or association with each posting. See the “Focus On” section at the bottom of the post for our featured organizations. To kick things off, I’d like to share some personal insight I recently had involving both work and family -- two aspects of our lives that often intersect, whether we want them to or not. I just returned from a board meeting for an association of surgeons, where I facilitated a session to help them plan some projects for the next few years. Two days later I got a call telling me my mother had fallen and was at a local hospital. While it might seem strange to connect the two, I a
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Be Prepared

  “ Be Prepared. . .the meaning of the motto is that a scout must prepare himself by previous thinking out and practicing how to act on any accident or emergency so that he is never taken by surprise. ” - Sir Robert Baden-Powell Scouting is in my blood; my grandfather was an early leader in Boy Scouts and I spent many years as a Girl Scout. My husband and son are currently involved in Boy Scouts, too, so I understand the motto “Be Prepared.” You can handle most things that come along if you have a plan, training, and the right resources. This applies to lots of things in life, but is especially true of strategic planning. The preparation aspect of the process is crucial to a succesful outcome. Unfortunately, it’s one of the the most overlooked and undervalued. In the last post, we talked about how Vision and Mission form the core of strong strategic planning. Whether you are starting up a new organization or refreshing an already existing one, these two statements/ideas will dri
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20/20 Vision

“ Vision without action is a dream. Action without vision is simply passing the time. Action with Vision is making a positive difference. ” - Joel Barker This past year or so has been tough for a lot of people - and for a lot of organizations. Many are struggling to find a job, to find health insurance coverage, to find donors and members. . . Inspiration to seek a better way can be hard when you’re just trying to get through each day, but dreaming of what the future can hold is sometimes the driving force for change. In the last post we covered Mission Statements - the foundation of your existence and operations . Once you’ve defined who you are, it’s time to move to who you want to be. That’s where a Vision Statement comes in. Your dreams are found in the Vision Statement; how does the future “you” look? The Mission and Vision Statements should tie together so that you don’t veer too far off from one trying to attain the other. Consider this as the destination you want to reach,
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What’s the Label Say?

" I don't care what you label me as long as you call me president. " - Howard Dean Business owner, nonprofit consultant, writer. . .these are some labels that could be used to define me. They don’t tell the whole story, though. Even if I add “mother, wife, volunteer. . .” or throw in “artist, singer, gardener. . .” it still doesn’t convey who I truly am. Labels are limiting, but that’s what we’re asked to create when we articulate a mission statement for an organization. The foundation of your existence and operations, a mission statement identifies who you are, who you serve, and what you provide, in one to three precisely-worded sentences . It should be something easy to remember and convey, and all of your goals and tasks should relate back to it. I always start a strategic planning process by examining the group’s mission statement. Sometimes it stands the test of time, sometimes it just needs to be tweaked a little bit, and sometimes we have to chuck it and st
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On the Right Path

“ If you don’t know where you are going, you will wind up somewhere else. ” - Yogi Berra I’m a map lover. I can get “lost” looking at maps for hours at a time. And if you ask me to be the navigator on a road trip, my heart starts to flutter. GPS has not made it into my household yet, and may not anytime soon, as that would take away my need to look at maps in a more organic way. It’s not always just about the best, most efficient method of getting someplace. It’s sometimes about the side roads that can get you where you want to go and what you might discover along the way. I always find something new when I look at a map, but I also try to scope out the best route for the trip based on my car, the traffic, weather conditions, if I’m travelling alone or with others, and how much time I really have to get there. I think of strategic planning in a similar way. It helps provide a road map of where you need to go and the best ways to get there. Like map-reading -- at least for me -- t
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Courage!

“I haven't any courage at all. I even scare myself.” - The Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz This post is all about Courage. In my last post, I said we’d talk more about Getting Focused, and I believe courage is a big part of that -- especially when it comes to strategic planning. Wikipedia’s definition of courage is “the ability to confront fear, pain, risk/danger, uncertainty, or intimidation.” Those of us who work in the nonprofit arena see a lot of examples of courage -- from the individuals with the courage to leave abusive situations and seek help from a shelter to those who travel long distances to render aid when disasters strike. Strategic planning also takes a bit of courage, maybe not on that scale, but courage nonetheless. For a group to take on strategic planning, it must be willing to look outside the norms of operation, to confront failures (and possibly risk new ones), to let go of successes if they take the organization off course from its mission, and to fo
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