Being Strategic Without a Strategic Plan

How Small Nonprofits Can Stay Focused Without the Big Binder

If you’ve ever worked or volunteered with a nonprofit, you’ve probably heard this question: “Where’s your strategic plan?”  Funders, volunteers, and Boards often expect one.  The idea of a polished five-year plan sounds great in theory, but for many small organizations, it’s simply not realistic. Staff are stretched thin, volunteers are juggling commitments, and nobody has the time (or budget) to run a six-month planning process.  The truth is that traditional strategic plans often sit on a shelf, gathering dust.

The good news is that a lengthy strategic plan is not the only path to being strategic. Small nonprofits can maintain focus, set meaningful priorities, and remain accountable through a lighter, more flexible approach that emphasizes clarity, action, and adaptability.

Start With Purpose and Priorities

Strategy begins with clarity of purpose.  Instead of locking in a five-year roadmap, try asking a few simple questions with your team, board, or volunteers:

• What do we do best?

• Who do we serve?

• What’s most urgent right now?

From there, narrow it down to three to five priorities.  That’s enough to create focus without overwhelming your capacity.

Get Quick Input From Stakeholders

You don’t need expensive research or lengthy surveys to gather insights.  Sometimes the best information comes from a handful of conversations.  Ask 5 – 10 stakeholders one or two open-ended questions such as “What should we focus on this year to make the biggest difference?”  The answers will often uncover valuable perspectives quickly and cost-effectively.

Translate Priorities Into Simple Objectives

Once you’ve identified your priorities, turn them into clear, actionable objectives.  Keep them specific, practical, and measurable. For example:  “Develop a mentorship program for at-risk youth that improves school engagement and confidence.”

Assign Responsibility

Every objective needs a champion, someone who will keep it on the radar.  That doesn’t mean they do all the work, but they track progress and help move things forward.  Shared accountability prevents objectives from being forgotten when things get busy.

Keep It Simple With a One-Page Plan

Forget binders and PowerPoints.  Instead, put your objectives on a single page.  For each one, list:

1. Two or three first steps

2. Who is responsible

3. When it should be done

When your plan fits on one page, people actually use it.

Define Success in Clear Terms

Before launching an initiative, ask: “What does success look like?” If the goal is to increase community engagement, success might mean training 20 new volunteers by year-end. If the goal is to improve awareness, success might mean achieving a 25% increase in newsletter open rates. The key is to select measures that are specific, realistic, and aligned with your organization’s capacity.

Use Both Outputs and Outcomes

To measure progress effectively, consider both outputs and outcomes:

• Outputs: What you did (e.g., held five workshops, recruited 10 volunteers).

• Outcomes: What changed as a result (e.g., 80% of participants report increased knowledge; volunteers are staying longer).

While outputs are easier to track, including even one or two outcome measures provides a much clearer picture of impact.

4. Keep Data Collection Light

Avoid overcomplicating evaluation. A few straightforward tools are usually sufficient:

• Short surveys (1–3 questions)

• Attendance counts

• Quick stakeholder check-ins

• Website or social media analytics

• Simple before-and-after comparisons

The goal is not to measure everything, but to collect just enough data to understand whether you are moving toward your desired outcomes.

Track Progress in Ten Minutes

Accountability doesn’t need to be complicated.  At board or staff meetings, spend ten minutes reviewing progress with a traffic light system:

• Green =  On track

• Yellow =  Some challenges

• Red =  Stuck

This quick check-in keeps everyone aligned without drowning in reports.

Refresh Each Year

Instead of a five-year overhaul, refresh your plan annually.  Celebrate what’s been accomplished (both outputs and outcomes), drop what no longer fits, and add one or two new objectives.  This keeps the strategy fresh and relevant to changing needs.

Why This Works

For small nonprofits, this lighter approach has big benefits:

• Clear direction without the weight of a formal plan

• Simple objectives that everyone understands

• Shared accountability through champions

• Flexibility to adapt as circumstances change

• A process that staff, volunteers, and boards can actually manage

Being strategic doesn’t have to mean creating a glossy binder full of jargon. It’s about staying focused on what matters most, making sure responsibilities are clear, and checking in regularly. For small nonprofits, a one-page plan and a ten-minute check-in can be just as powerful, maybe even more so than a traditional five-year strategic plan.

Contact prō ˈbônō Advisory Group to learn more about being strategic without a strategic plan.

prō ˈbônō Advisory Group is a results-based enterprise providing low and no-cost

strategic support and advisory services to charitable and non-profit organizations.