Strategic Planning for NGOs
A practical training for teams that need a strategy they can actually use.
Why this matters now
NGO strategy fails for the same reasons everywhere — written for the donor, not for the executive; signed off by the board but not by the team; tied to a moment of capital rather than to a real theory of change. We help NGO leaders build strategies that are short, defensible, and used — and that survive the first major external shock.
What this includes
Diagnostic
PSOR or equivalent: institutional, programmatic, financial.
Theory of change
One short, defensible chain from activities to change in the world — pressure-tested before any objective is set.
Strategy
Three- to five-year plan with the resource architecture explicit and a costed implementation plan.
Operating layer
Governance, KPI dashboard, quarterly review cadence.
What you receive
Diagnostic report
Read by the board first.
Strategy document
Short, written for use, board-approved.
Implementation plan
Year one in detail, years two-three in trajectory.
Quarterly dashboard
The numbers the board actually reads.
How we work
Diagnostic
Three to five weeks.
Co-design
Six to eight weeks.
Sign-off
Two weeks.
Quarterly review
Year one.
Indicators of success
Strategy in use
The team makes resource decisions on the back of the strategy, not despite it.
Funder traction
Multi-year funding becomes available; restricted-grant share falls.
Board engagement
Board is doing strategic work, not approving operating plans.
Talent
Retention up; recruitment shorter; staff can articulate the strategy.
Common questions
Will a retreat solve this?
Almost never on its own. The retreat is one event in an eight-week process.
How do we fund this?
Most institutional funders allow strategy development under capacity-building lines. We help you structure the conversation.
Will you be defensive about previous strategies?
No. Half the work is honest about what was wrong with the last one.
Discuss the next step
Describe the task, deadline and context. We will suggest the first practical route.