http://www.fieldstonealliance.org/

Manage opportunities and challenges quickly—and strategically

The fact is, the world changes continuously and rapidly. It’s foolhardy to believe that strategies should not do so as well. Nonprofit leaders already know this, but traditional strategic planning has locked them into a process that’s divorced from today’s reality. That’s why plans sit on the shelf and why smart executives are always seeking workarounds in between planning periods.

The Nonprofit Strategy Revolution offers a nimble and powerful alternative. In this ground-breaking book, strategy expert David La Piana introduces “Real-Time Strategic Planning,” a fluid, organic process that engages staff and board in a program of systematic readiness and continuous responsiveness. With it, your nonprofit will be able to identify, understand, and act on challenges and opportunities as they arise—not in six months when the “plan” is done.

A framework to fuel change

Strategic thinking begins with a clear understanding of strategy. To help you grasp this essential but often-confusing concept, the Strategy Pyramid offers a simple, graphical framework. You’ll learn about the three types of strategies—organizational, programmatic, and operational—and how they align to contribute to the overall aim.

Instead of a hodgepodge of unrelated goals and activities that ultimately lead to inertia or total chaos, you’ll learn to develop true strategies—coordinated actions that pull the organization in the same direction, toward the same ends. That is revolutionary.

Complete guidance for forming strategies

At the heart of this practical book is the Real-Time Strategic Planning Cycle. Based on four years of research and testing with a variety of nonprofits, this proven process guides you through the steps to sound strategy.

You’ll find tools for:

• Clarifying your competitive advantage—where your organization fits in its marketplace, who your competitors are, and what sets you apart from the pack.
• Generating a strategy screen—criteria for evaluating strategies. The next time a critical issue pops up, you’ll have strategic principles in place and be able to respond quickly.
• Handling big questions—the opportunities or threats that require development of a new strategy in order to respond.
• Developing and testing strategies—reduce the chances of picking the wrong strategy.
• Implementing and adapting strategies—learn how to continuously probe for crises and opportunities—not just once every three years.

This useful guide also includes:

• Exhibits and case examples showing how concepts play out in real-life
• A total of 27 tools—10 of which are essential for forming strategies
• Theory to Action sidebars telling you which tool to use for a given task
• A CD with all the tools and interactive worksheets you’ll need

Get Started In One Day

Kick off the process with a one-day Real-Time Strategic Planning session. In seven hours you’ll have formed the backbone needed to develop strategies going forward. The Facilitator’s Guide to Real-Time Strategic Planning (also on the CD) gives you everything you need: the day’s agenda, instructions for preparing flip charts, prework to be done, handouts, and worksheets.

Because the work is done by the staff, not a consultant, your organization will learn key skills, take ownership of the process, and increase its capacity to think and act strategically.

Use The Nonprofit Strategy Revolution and get the clarity and direction you need for maximum mission success.

Written by Scott Schaffer, Jo DeBolt, and Heather Gowdy, this article details a framework for responding to financial challenges in a systematic way.  The methodology helps nonprofit leaders identify and adopt high-impact changes to an organization's business model. Download the PDF.

http://www.josseybass.com/

Most nonprofit professionals are accustomed to using collaboration for improving both organizational effectiveness and program delivery. While collaboration is eagerly embraced, competition is often viewed as a less desirable route for meeting strategic challenges. Competition, however, is an effective and dynamic means for achieving positive results for nonprofit organizations.

Play to Win offers nonprofit leaders the help they need to develop their organization’s unique competitive advantages and to use the power of competitive strategies to build their organization’s capacity for advancing its mission. This book offers a clear description of competition and discusses its practical, ethical, and political ramifications within the nonprofit sector. It demonstrates how, by being a more effective competitor, a nonprofit can enhance its chances for both programmatic and financial success. Play to Win is filled with practical tools for assessing a nonprofit’s position in the marketplace and developing winning competitive strategies to advance its mission.

Written by David La Piana, with Michaela Hayes, Play to Win guides nonprofit leaders through the process of developing a strategic approach to inter-organizational relationships grounded in direct market feedback. He also provides step-by-step directions for helping leaders compete effectively for limited resources. The book covers the specific areas where nonprofits most often compete, including garnering all types of funding; recruiting board members, staff, and volunteers; attracting and keeping clients; and gaining positive media attention. It reveals how to assess the relative merits of collaboration and competition, and shows nonprofits how to customize an optimal mix of collaborative and competitive relationships.

Praise for Play to Win

“This excellent book addresses the key strategic question facing any nonprofit organization how (and when) to compete without compromising the core values and public expectations that distinguish nonprofits from other types of organizations. David La Piana is eminently qualified to provide students and professionals alike with new insights and helpful tools for navigating the treacherous landscape of nonprofit management.” — Kevin Kearns, author, Private Sector Strategies for Social Sector Success

“This book is three-dimensional: prophetic with its take on competition and collaboration; practical with the many tools and resources; and provocative in its ability to describe how it can help breed real collaboration.” — Tom Reis, program director, Kellogg Foundation

“David La Piana challenges us to view constructive and ethical competition as the driving force behind innovation and real social change.” — Jim Denova, senior program officer, Benedum Foundation

“An essential resource providing tools executives can use to develop and enhance strategies to move their organizations from a position of survival to a position of strength, and from a position of strength to a position of greatness.” — Jan Williams, manager, Strategic Alliance Services, Girl Scouts of the USA

“Reveals ethical strategies for vying for scarce resources, maintaining organizational integrity, and strengthening the mission work of the sector.” — Mike Hoff, director, consulting services, Center for Nonprofit Management:

“Literally, not only do David’s words jump off the page--resonating, validating, enlightening--but he provides the nonprofit leader with the tools to compete ethically and effectively in the very competitive environment facing nonprofits.” — Connie Cochran, CEO and president Easter Seals UCP, North Carolina

By Lester Olmstead-Rose

Part of La Piana Consulting's ongoing CausePlanet series for nonprofit leaders, this article describes the importance of explicit decision-making criteria for developing and honing organizaitonal strategies.