This guide focuses on helping learners identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in their business model to develop a strong, mission-aligned strategic plan. 

Questions to Consider

Think your plan through.

When conducting a SWOT Analysis, you want to ensure that it’s beneficial to your organization. Here are a few things to consider:

  • Internal

    • How do you leverage your strengths?

    • How do you improve your weaknesses?

  • External

    • What opportunities are available to you/your team?

    • What potential threats should you avoid?

Conducting this analysis allows you to plan your next steps strategically.

Map your goals out.

Your SMART goals should be focused on medium-large deliverables aimed at helping you achieve your mission. Here are a few examples to consider:

  • Building Organizational Capacity

  • Increasing Generated Revenue and Return on Investment

  • Engaging Target Audience Members

Thinking through the high-level goals strategically helps individuals, teams, and organizations plan their actions to be more effective.

Organize your priorities.

By breaking your overarching goals into smaller steps, you develop a more efficient work process for your team. Here are some factors to consider:

  • Time

  • Capacity

  • Resources

  • Funding

This then guides your scalable 1, 3, 5, or 10-year strategic plan.

Measure your collected data.

Keeping track of all of your research, metrics, and feedback is a great way to assess your progress. Here are some benefits of data collection:

  • Measure Real-Time Results

  • Identify Consumer Demographics

  • Correct Flaws in Programming

  • Visualize for Interested Funders

You can also use this to better understand the impact of your work.

Sustainability Guide

While we do provide full Strategic Planning services, we also understand the value of sharing knowledge and resources with our community. We hope that this guide helps you and your team better support the populations that you serve and increase your impact within the community.

The steps listed below are based on the personal experiences of our team and are not inclusive of the diverse methods available to build sustainable business models and scale your organizational efficiency.

  • To conduct a SWOT analysis effectively, start by identifying your organization's strengths, such as unique capabilities or resources, followed by weaknesses, which are internal vulnerabilities that need addressing. Then, assess external opportunities like market trends and potential partnerships, and finally, analyze threats, which are external factors that could harm your organization. By evaluating these four key aspects, you can develop strategic insights and make informed decisions to improve your business's overall performance.

  • When drafting SMART goals, ensure they are Specific by defining precisely what you want to achieve. Make them Measurable, so you can track progress and success objectively. Ensure they are Achievable and Realistic by setting attainable targets, and lastly, set a Time-bound deadline to create a sense of urgency and accountability. SMART goals help in clarifying objectives and enhancing the likelihood of successful outcomes.

  • Developing a strategic plan involves several key steps. First, assess your organization's current situation by conducting a SWOT analysis to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Next, establish clear and achievable goals, ensuring they follow the SMART criteria (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound). Finally, create a detailed action plan that outlines the strategies, tactics, and resources needed to reach your goals, and regularly monitor and adjust your plan as circumstances evolve to ensure continued progress towards your strategic objectives.

  • To implement activities of a strategic plan effectively, begin by assigning clear responsibilities and roles to team members, ensuring everyone understands their tasks. Establish a timeline with specific deadlines and milestones to track progress. Regularly communicate and monitor the plan's execution, making adjustments as needed, and remain flexible to adapt to changing circumstances, ensuring alignment with the overall strategic objectives.

  • Conducting an organizational evaluation involves a comprehensive assessment of an organization's performance. Start by defining clear evaluation criteria and goals that align with the organization's mission and objectives. Gather data through surveys, performance metrics, and stakeholder feedback, and then analyze the results to identify strengths and weaknesses, allowing for informed decisions and strategic improvements.