Strategic planning is a critical and often overlooked element of organizational management. Heritage Conservancy works to support other nonprofit organizations in the development of strategic plans in order to help build and sustain the capacity of our partners and friends. Many smaller organizations have never gone through a strategic planning process and could greatly benefit from it. For example, many watershed associations have conservation plans that guide the restoration work on the ground. However, these rarely address the long-term viability of the organization charged with implementation of that conservation plan. Strategic planning looks at internal capacity and direction and compares that with external trends in the world around them. Through a detailed facilitated process, strategic planning helps create a guidance document for an organization to achieve its goals in the best way possible.
