Giving Compass' Take:

• Lindsey Waldron shares how one organization used quick-thinking scenario planning to persevere through coronavirus.

• Not all organizations have the same kind of resources to effectively use scenario planning. How can we support nonprofits and other institutions looking to have an impact during coronavirus?

• Read about how you can support struggling nonprofits during the public health crisis.

On the second Friday of March, a cultural institution with a long history in the heart of Boston closed its doors to the public as the pandemic worsened and the city and state began to impose restrictions. It quickly launched virtual programs the following Monday to engage with its devoted patrons.

Like nonprofits across the nation and the globe, the organization took dramatic steps to continue its important work as COVID-19 swept in. It was forced to reduce staff, but it gained flexibility from philanthropic funders to use their support for virtual programming and other survival mode activities that would keep the organization alive and in the public eye.

Those were reactive decisions made in the moment to respond to a crisis. But since it was clear that the uncertainty would last for quite a while, how could it plan for the future? Leadership turned to a disciplined scenario planning process (a process described in our article “Making Sense of Uncertainty: Nonprofit Scenario Planning in the COVID-19 Pandemic”). Scenario planning helps organization leaders navigate uncertainty, while providing structure for making key strategic decisions.

Scenario planning helped leadership move from being reactive to being more strategic about the actions needed to navigate through challenging times. It helped staff think through the visitor experience from a positive mindset, rather than being fearful of the future. “Despite all the risks, there is so much opportunity. How could it look different?” said the chief of staff in April. “We’re making decisions so much more quickly than we have in the past, which is a gift for us right now.”

Read the full article about scenario planning by Lindsey Waldron at Independent Sector.