How to Develop a Nonprofit Strategic Plan that Drives Results

Navigating change through strategic planning

Revisiting, updating, and executing your nonprofit’s strategic plan throughout the year ensures your team, programs, and supporters are all moving in the same direction to support your mission.

These steps are especially important when staff changes occur, economic conditions are uncertain, or donor behavior shifts.

For instance, consider these trends and circumstances that might impact your organization:

• Nearly 60% of donors are enrolled in a recurring giving program, making sustained revenue planning more essential than ever. As a leader, do you focus on building or growing a sustainer program now, or in the future?
• Over 30% of donors say social media inspires them to give, raising internal questions about how your communications strategy supports fundraising. Do you rally your team around digital communications in a new way? If so, when and how?
• Many nonprofits are currently facing staff and volunteer shortages, which directly affect program capacity and strategic priorities. How can you keep morale high with existing staff while attracting and retaining new talent? Is capacity building and succession planning a part of your strategic plan?

These shifts can affect your operations and shape your fundraising capacity, donor expectations, and revenue sustainability.

From revenue diversification to communications and staffing, strategic planning gives you a way to prioritize what matters most, track progress, and align your efforts across teams and timelines.

How to create and structure a nonprofit strategic plan

Before you can execute ideas, you need a plan that’s structured, clear, usable, and visionary. A strong nonprofit strategic plan serves as a resource your entire team can follow, from the boardroom to the front lines of services, programs, and fundraising. A strategic plan aligns your mission with daily decisions and long-term goals.

A nonprofit strategic plan should include:

• Mission and vision – Your purpose and your long-term aspiration
• Core values – The principles that guide how your team operates
• Strategic priorities (3–5) – Broad focus areas that reflect where your organization needs to grow or improve
• Goals – Broad outcomes that define success within each priority
• Objectives – Measurable, time-bound targets that support each goal
• Initiatives and tactics – The programs, campaigns, or efforts (initiatives) and the supporting activities (tactics) that move objectives forward
• Timeline and owners – When key milestones will occur and who is accountable for driving each piece forward

Keep your team aligned on strategic goals and outcomes. DonorPerfect’s dashboards help nonprofits visualize progress in real time, making it easier to track milestones and keep priorities top of mind.

Example components of a strategic plan section:

• Strategic priority – Expand program access
• Goal – Increase equitable access to core programs for underserved communities
• Objective – Reach 1,000 new participants within 2 years
• Tactics  – Identify revenue-generating opportunities to sustain growth:
  • Launch 2 new program sites by Q3
  • Increase outreach by 25% to promote services 
  • Run monthly community events to promote services and spread awareness
  • Develop a partner referral program
  • Build/grow a monthly giving program
  • Hire 2 new staff members, e.g., program and development staff

Tips for creating a nonprofit strategic plan document:

• Keep it around 10 pages for usability, and link to appendices if needed
• Use bullet points, charts, and timelines to make it skimmable
• Build in space for progress tracking and quarterly check-ins
• Include an executive summary to share with donors and stakeholders

Pro tip: Keep the planning team small but cross-functional, meaning it includes representatives from different departments (like development, programs, marketing and communications, and finance). A compact and diverse group improves focus by incorporating key perspectives.

How to put your nonprofit strategic plan into motion

Now that your strategic plan is finalized, it’s time to operationalize it. This means making sure your team is aligned, your tools are ready, and your priorities are actionable.

Before diving in, take one last look at your internal capacity:

• Do we have the right people, tools, and systems in place?
• Are roles and goals clearly defined?
• What resources or timelines need to shift, if any?
• How will we track progress and make adjustments as needed?

Pro tip: Avoid duplicating or overlapping tasks by ensuring clarity and readiness across teams, saving time and building momentum from the start.

Ensure your team has the support and infrastructure to deliver

Effective execution starts with a foundation of support. Revisit the readiness topics addressed in Blog #2: How to Prepare and Lead Your Nonprofit Strategic Planning Process with your finalized plan in mind:

• Are our funding and staffing structures aligned with new priorities?
• Do we need to phase or pause any current initiatives?
• What tools will help us specifically track progress and accountability?
• Does our budget reflect what the plan requires?

You may need to reallocate resources from lower-impact activities to prioritize strategic goals.

Pro tip: Avoid duplicating or overlapping tasks by ensuring clarity and readiness across teams, saving time and building momentum from the start.

DonorPerfect gives you a clear view of donor trends, campaign results, and giving patterns, so you can align fundraising priorities with real-time data and make more informed planning

Set measurable objectives with the SMART framework

Vague goals lead to vague results. That’s why every nonprofit strategic plan should include clear goals (broad outcomes your organization is working toward) and SMART objectives—the specific, measurable targets that define what success looks like.

A strong strategic goal sets the direction, and the SMART objectives bring that direction to life by turning vision into action.

SMART objectives are:

• Specific – Clearly defined and unambiguous
• Measurable – Includes a quantifiable outcome
• Achievable – Realistic given your resources
• Relevant – Aligned to your mission and strategic priorities
• Time-bound – Includes a deadline

Sometimes the difference between goals and objectives can be confusing. Here are some examples:

• Goal – Deepen donor relationships and increase giving consistency
• Objective – Grow our monthly donor base from 150 to 250 by next fiscal year

• Goal – Strengthen donor retention
• Objective – Increase the lapsed donor retention rate by 15% within 12 months

• Goal – Increase board engagement in fundraising
• Objective – Increase board giving participation to 100% by Q3

Achievability doesn’t mean aiming low; it means setting goals your team can build confidence around, adjust as needed, and continue progressing. Pair high-impact goals with phased milestones to maintain morale and momentum.

Pro tip: When you do aim high, check your capacity. Before finalizing each goal, ask: Do we have the time, people, and funding to make this happen in the next 6–12 months? Adjust timelines or break goals into phases to maintain strong momentum.

Monitor what matters. Whether you’re scaling major gifts or optimizing recurring revenue, DonorPerfect’s performance dashboards and retention reports help mid-sized and growing nonprofits stay laser-focused on donor trends that drive strategic success. These are helpful tools to help with strategic alignment.

Once your SMART goals are in place, the next step is identifying performance metrics that will tell you whether you’re on track.

Track performance to support nonprofit strategic plan execution

Measurable objectives support your strategic plan, but without tracking mechanisms, even SMART goals can lose traction. Defining performance metrics provides your team with visibility into progress and helps you make adjustments before issues arise.

Start by identifying metrics that align with your strategic goals. 

These might include:

• Donor retention rate – The percentage of donors who gave in a previous period and give again in the current period, reflecting your organization’s ability to sustain donor relationships
• Percentage of board participation in annual giving and event participation – The proportion of board members who contribute financially and engage in fundraising events, demonstrating board commitment, and leadership support
• Number of new program participants, volunteers, or donors – A count of individuals newly engaged in your mission across key categories, helping you track outreach effectiveness and community growth
• Social media or email engagement – Metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, likes, shares, and comments that indicate how well your digital outreach is resonating with supporters
• Cost per dollar raised – The total fundraising expenses divided by dollars raised, measuring the efficiency of your development efforts

Be sure key metrics are easy to track, tied to a specific goal, and owned by a person or team.

Pro tip: Limit your metrics to the few that matter most; choose metrics that reflect mission progress, not just activity volume. Too many metrics can dilute focus and overwhelm your team. Track trends with totals; year-over-year comparison helps contextualize what progress really looks like.

Below are two fictional examples of how nonprofits can apply strategic planning in practice—aligning goals with measurable objectives, adjusting course based on data, and tracking results to support long-term success.

Example 1 – A mid-sized environmental nonprofit developed a 3-year strategic plan to deepen community engagement and grow sustainable revenue. One key objective was to increase monthly donor enrollment by 25% within 12 months. To support this, they assigned strategic leads for each initiative and implemented monthly metric reviews as part of their operational cadence. When donor behavior data revealed a misalignment between campaign timing and donor responsiveness, the team adjusted their appeal calendar and personalized messaging to emphasize long-term impact. These shifts, guided by real-time dashboards, led to a 27% increase in monthly giving within the first year and informed new planning practices for future campaigns.

Example 2 – A youth development nonprofit set a strategic goal to increase donor engagement during year-end campaigns. As part of their execution framework, they used quarterly reviews and performance dashboards to track progress against campaign benchmarks. Midway through their appeal, donor engagement lagged behind targets, prompting a team review. They adjusted their segmentation strategy and launched a donor story series aligned with their messaging objectives. These responsive updates helped them exceed their annual giving goal by 12% and laid the groundwork for a repeatable model in future campaigns.

Assign ownership to execute your nonprofit strategic plan

Once you define your objectives, assign clear roles:

• Who on your team owns each goal?
• What support do they need, and when do they need it?
• How will progress be tracked and communicated?

Ownership turns new ideas into impactful action. When team members know what they’re responsible for—and how success will be measured (e.g., metrics, meeting check-ins, or data dashboards)—they’re more likely to deliver.

DonorPerfect’s SmartActions help automate follow-up tasks, alerts, and donor-related actions—so nothing falls through the cracks during fundraising execution. Whether you’re managing campaigns or nurturing key relationships, SmartActions keep your team responsive and focused on what matters most, while aligning tasks and engagement to strategic planning tactics.

Create a communication plan to support execution

A strategic plan guides what your organization does, and it helps shape how you talk about your work, both internally and externally. A strong communication strategy ensures your staff, board, and stakeholders are aligned and engaged at every step of your nonprofit strategic planning process.

Consider developing a simple communication plan that includes:

• Who needs which updates, and when?
• How will you keep donors and supporters informed on progress and outcomes?
• What channels will you use—emails, team huddles, or board packets?

Keep messaging consistent, transparent, and tied to your mission.

Pro tip: Use consistent messaging across internal and external channels to reinforce strategic progress. Tailor updates for each audience. Highlight team contributions in staff communications and connect donor impact to specific initiatives in supporter outreach. Also, align your board briefings with the same milestones shared publicly to present a unified, mission-driven narrative.

Use DonorPerfect’s built-in email and reporting tools from Constant Contact to create automated updates that share wins with donors and keep your team informed throughout your plan’s execution.

Integrate your nonprofit’s strategic plan into daily operations

The best strategic plans don’t live in a binder—they live in team conversations, staff meetings, and annual reviews. Earlier, we discussed translating strategy into daily operations. Here’s how to make that stick across your team’s day-to-day rhythm.

Here’s how to integrate your plan:

• Schedule regular strategy review meetings (e.g., quarterly)
• Utilize dashboards to monitor progress
• Align individual performance plans with strategic goals
• Keep your board informed on key developments and adjustments 

Keep messaging consistent, transparent, and tied to your mission.

Use DonorPerfect’s scheduled reports to keep board members updated between monthly or quarterly meetings. Automated updates ensure leadership stays informed on progress, challenges, and outcomes without extra manual work.

Managing change during strategic plan execution

Strategic plans often introduce new directions, which can mean evolving workflows, rethinking priorities, or refining how teams collaborate. These shifts can feel challenging, but with the right approach, they activate mission-driven growth, clarify fundraising priorities, and strengthen team alignment.

Successful change management includes:

• Clear communication – Explain the “why” behind major shifts.
• Leadership modeling – Leaders should embody the changes they’re asking of others.
• Ongoing support – Offer coaching, tools, and training to ease transitions.
• Feedback loops – Make it safe for staff to share concerns and suggestions.

Involve your team early, communicate often, and celebrate wins along the way to maintain momentum and trust. Remember, you don’t have to do everything all at once. Start where you are, and expand your efforts as your capacity grows.

Pro tip: Change can be hard, but clarity makes it easier. Frame change as progress, not disruption, and anchor it in your mission. Help staff see how their role supports the bigger picture.

How to adapt and evolve your nonprofit strategic plan over time

Your strategic plan should be flexible, not fixed. As circumstances change, revisit your goals:

• What’s working better than expected?
• What’s falling behind?
• What new opportunities or risks have emerged?

A quarterly review process helps your team adapt while staying grounded in your strategic priorities.

Pro tip: Document all changes to your nonprofit’s strategic plan and the reasons behind them. This creates transparency and learning opportunities.

Prepare for strategic risks and build contingency plans

Strategic plans are most effective when they account for both the known and the unknown. While no plan can predict the future, you can identify common risks and build flexible responses into your strategy.

Start by mapping potential internal and external risks, such as:

• Key staff turnover
• Major shifts in funding or policy
• Economic uncertainty or inflation
• Program expansion is outpacing current capacity

Build a contingency mindset into your execution process. That might mean setting aside reserve funds, creating backup workflows, or identifying “must-haves” vs. “nice-to-haves” within your plan.

Pro tip: Consider using a risk assessment to evaluate potential challenges, categorizing them by their likelihood and potential impact to prioritize mitigation strategies.

With SMART objectives, clear accountability, and effective tracking tools, your nonprofit strategic plan becomes an actionable guide. By integrating these elements into daily workflows and remaining adaptable, your team moves beyond planning to achieve meaningful, measurable progress.

Whether you’re building your first strategic plan or refining an existing one, having the right tools and systems in place makes execution smoother, faster, and more effective.

DonorPerfect empowers nonprofits to execute their strategic plans with fundraising tools that track, report, and facilitate collaboration. And when your fundraising strategy is aligned with your strategic plan, each donor interaction becomes a step toward mission success. That’s what we’ll explore next.

With the right systems in place, your nonprofit strategic plan can move from vision to execution, turning strategy into momentum and planning into results.Want to make your plan stick? See how DonorPerfect can help you turn strategy into sustained impact. Learn more about fundraising software today.