The document discusses the importance of strategy for nonprofit organizations. It provides an overview of key elements of a good strategy, including having a clear mission, vision, and values; conducting an environmental analysis; considering different strategic options; and establishing plans, implementation, and evaluation measures. The document emphasizes defining impact and outcomes and using data to drive performance improvement. It also notes that funders look for strategies that demonstrate improved lives for beneficiaries and value for money. Finally, it discusses the role of trustees in setting vision, developing strategy, and ensuring accountability, and provides questions for organizations to reflect on how robust their strategic planning process is.

1. AM1: Setting the right
strategic direction
Srabani Sen OBE
srabani.sen@ncvo.org.uk

2. What we will cover...
• Purpose of session
• What is a strategy and why do we need one?
• What does good strategy look like?
• What do funders look for from your strategy?
• Your own strategy healthcheck
• Role of trustees

3. Purpose of workshop
Help you:
• Explore connection between fundraising
and strategy
• Assess how robust your existing strategy is
• Suggest some questions for self reflection

4. Self reflection questions
• Do you have a written down, measurable
strategy?
• Are staff and trustees familiar with it?
• Do you have a fundraising strategy that
stems from your organisational strategy?
• From the above, what’s real and what is
window dressing?

5. Meaningful strategy
30-31 March 2015
NCVO
Further details: Donna James
donna.james@ncvo.org.uk

6. “If you are going to ask yourself life
changing questions, be sure to do
something with the answers”
Bo Bennett
Businessman and writer in the US (Web)

7. Self reflection questions
• Do you learn and change based on
performance data?
• Do you change as you learn more about
the needs of your beneficiaries?
• Do you adapt to changes in the external
environment?

8. Introductions
Step 1: Name, organisation and introduce
your strategic challenge to your table
(biggest challenge facing you)
Step 2: Identify 1 key theme on your table
relating to your strategic challenges

9. What is strategy?
Road Map
Where are we
going?
How will we get
there?
What do we need on
the journey?
How will we know
we’ve arrived?

10. Strategic review process =
Question Time
Ask...
• Right questions
• Big questions
• Answer with evidence
• Apply the evidence to
formulate answer
• Test the answer

11. Right questions...e.g.
• What do our
beneficiaries need and
want?
• What do we do better
than anyone else?
• *** So what? ***
Wrong questions...e.g.
• How do we keep this
service going?
• What do funders
want?
• What is acceptable to
staff/ organisational
politics?

12. Over-riding question...
What’s in the best interests of your
beneficiaries (and how do you know...)?

13. Self reflection questions
• Are you sure you are asking yourselves the
right questions?
• Who defines those questions/ what’s
driving how you formulate questions?

14. Why good strategy matters...
To your organisation
• Clarity:
• purpose/ goals and how you deliver for beneficiaries
• measures
• how you target resources
• staff roles “where do I fit in”
• manage risk etc...
To your fundraising
• Core to your case for support
• Proves professionalism to funders
• Process provides key facts and evidence
• Manage risk

15. What good strategy looks like
1. Where are we going and why (vision/ mission/ values)
- Getting the direction right
2. What is it like around here – Environmental analysis
3. What routes might we follow – Options and choice
4. How do we plan for a successful trip - Planning
5. What needs to change to get there – Implementation
6. How will we know when we’ve got there – Evaluation/
measurement

16. Impact and outcomes
What is the overall difference your
organisation is trying to make (impact)
What specific differences will achieve the
overall difference (outcomes)
What will you do to achieve these
differences (outputs and activities)
What do you need to deliver (inputs)

17. Srabani’s patent theory of change
Impact: Feel better about myself ☺
Outcomes: Fitter, slimmer, lose weight, fit
last year’s clothes
Outputs: Fridge/cupboard contents, meal
plans
Activities: Eat healthier, take more exercise
Inputs: Commitment, gym membership fee,
shopping list

18. Self reflection questions
• Do you truly understand the implications of
working in an impact driven way?
• Are you really clear about the impact and
outcomes you are trying to achieve?
• Would beneficiaries agree with what you
have prioritised? If so, how do you know?

19. Impact and measurement
Purpose of defining measurement system
• to get better at what you do
• to tell a story to funders
• to make sure you don’t overburden
yourself

20. Impact and Evaluation
Indicators of Impact:
• What’s the change for the beneficiary as
a result of your work
• It’s an art not a science
• You choose!!!
• Make it practical
• What data can you collect
• How will you use the data (If you won’t use
it, don’t collect it)
• Make it proportionate

21. Impact and evaluation
• Other indicators add value to the story you
tell but they’re not the full picture:
• how many people you reach
• volume of activity
• satisfaction levels
• Key = think about evaluation early in
strategy development process (Iterative
process when defining SMART objectives)

22. Impact and evaluation
“ 50% of helpline callers claimed benefits
they were not previously claiming”
Versus
“1,500 rang our benefits helpline last year”

23. What funders are looking for...
Hidden
• The silver bullet answer
• Meet their objectives (stated/ unstated)
• Credibility/ funder success (NB it can be about
individuals and organisational politics...)
Not so hidden
• Improved lives for disadvantaged groups
• The right organisation to deliver
• Value for money

24. Strategy health check
Strategy element Judging criteria Rating (1=low, 3=high) Evidence for rating
Mission, vision and values Clearly expressed 3 Tested with beneficiaries
Reflects charitable objects
Staff understand how it
drives their work
Goals/ objectives Clearly expressed
Reflects mission, vision,
values
Linked to impact (not
activity)
Embedded into systems and
processes of organisation
3 Embedded into personal
goals, training programme,
appraisals
Measurement Linked to impact
Measures link to goals 1 Measure is about quantity
but goal is about quality
Data used to drive
performance improvement

25. Meaningful Strategy
The Role of Trustees (3 of 12)
essential responsibilities
• Set and maintain vision,
mission and values
• Develop strategy
• Ensure accountability

26. Reality
• Meet 4/ 6 times a year
• Individuals may or may not know the sector (skills
may lie elsewhere)
• Trustees may not understand how to develop
strategy
• Strategy is developed in partnership with
executive (executive does leg work)
• Trustees may not agree amongst selves/ be
interested in pushing a particular line regardless of
evidence

27. Reality
• Trustees and executive may have different
views
• Mixture of skills/ knowledge/ expectations
Ultimately...
Trustees make the key decisions

28. Self reflection questions
• Do you do enough to support trustees to
make strategic decisions?
• Do you REALLY know your trustees –
skills/ knowledge/ experiences/ “filters”
(prejudices)?

29. Knowing your board
What attributes does the board have that
will enable them to develop strategy?
Specific
attribute
Which trustees/
whole board?
Gaps Actions Who can help?
(internal/
external)
Skills Critical analysis John, Andrea Lead discussion
on evidence
CEO to brief
John and
Andrea
Knowledge Sector
competitors
Provide
competitor
analysis
Service
managers,
public affairs
staff
Culture Trustees too
polite/ don’t
challenge each
other
Employ
facilitator
Sector
colleagues with
facilitator
contacts

30. What we covered...
• What is a strategy and why do we need it?
• What does good strategy look like?
• What do funders look for from your strategy?
• Your own strategy healthcheck
• Role of trustees

31. Meaningful strategy
30-31 March 2015
NCVO
Further details: Donna James
donna.james@ncvo.org.uk

32. Thank you
Srabani Sen OBE
Senior Consultant, NCVO
srabani.sen@ncvo.org.uk