How a nonprofit network develops its strategic plan is as important as what that plan ultimately says.

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As U.S. nonprofits continue to take on more responsibility for redressing social ills, a growing number of large networks have embarked on initiatives to raise their performance to a new level. The focus of these efforts varies. Some national network organizations strive to increase the number of people they serve. Others seek to improve the consistency and quality of programs and services across the network, or to expand into new regions, or to strengthen the network’s financial health.

Whatever the specifics, establishing a new strategic or business plan is almost always part of the effort—not because the objective is a new plan per se, but rather because the network’s leaders hope that it will be the catalyst for renewed commitment and greater alignment among the constituent parts.

The nonprofits that serve U.S. society range in size from one- and two-person efforts to large organizations with staff in the hundreds and budgets in the tens of millions of dollars. Within this rich variety, the organizations we are calling national networks comprise one of the defining elements. These networks, which are most often organized as associations, alliances or federations, are made up of independent nonprofits in many locations that come together around common issues or service models.

In this spirit, we have found that gaining true strategic and operating alignment is promoted by:

Planning from the outside in, start with the goals for your beneficiaries.
Involving the members of the network, not simply communicating with them.
Defining the role of the affiliates as well as the role of the national office.
Using data to gain consensus and reach decisions.
Ensuring that the board doesn’t just approve the plan but owns it.

While large networks have many common features, we believe that there are enough differences among them in purpose, structure, size and age that a single planning framework will neither fit nor resonate with all. However, we do believe there are approaches that can facilitate full alignment from the on-the-ground service providers back through the national organization to the national board.

When such alignment exists, the full potential of a network can be unleashed.

Read the source article at The Bridgespan Group

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