Action Planning

Journey to the Future

A Guide to Strategic and Action Planning for Affiliated Funds

“‘Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?’ ‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,’ said the Cat. ‘I don’t much care where,’ said Alice. ‘Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,’ said the Cat” --from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll Not copyrighted in the United States

You are not like Alice. You are involved with your community’s affiliated fund because you care about the direction your community is going and its ultimate destination. This guidance is designed to help you plan the journey that makes your dreams for your community come true.

This guidance focuses on the fundamental elements that will help you set a course towards those dreams – vision, mission, values and a goal for your unrestricted endowment – and outlines an action planning process for the four strategies the Nebraska Community Foundation recommends for its affiliated funds based on what has worked in the past for high-performing affiliated funds.

We’re So Busy Right Now, We Don’t Have Time to Plan

Why It’s Worth Taking the Time

Planning does take time, a scarce resource for most affiliated funds, and may involve money as well, another scare resource. Planning can seem overwhelming or even bothersome, but ultimately, the benefits are far greater than the challenges. Here are some of the benefits identified by the Alliance for Nonprofit Management:

• a framework and a clearly defined direction that guides and supports the governance and management of the organization
• a uniform vision and purpose that is shared among all constituencies
• an increased level of commitment to the organization and its goals
• the ability to set priorities and to match resources to opportunities
• the ability to deal with risks from the external environment and
• a process to help with crisis management

Source: Alliance for Nonprofit Management, http://www.allianceonline.org/FAQ/strategic_planning

A clearly articulated plan for your affiliated fund can also serve as a volunteer recruitment and education tool. If you’re driving down the road and stop to offer a friend a ride, their first question should be, “Where are you going?” Having a plan in place is a good way to tell that friend, volunteer, prospective Fund Advisory Committee member or donor where your organization is headed and how they can come along on the journey.

Embarking on a planning effort does not require that you stop everything you are doing to complete a plan. It’s likely your innate understanding of your community and its needs means that the activities currently underway will fit into a larger plan. It is important, however, to look at your ongoing activities carefully and make sure you are maximizing your resources and efforts on the road to your dreams.

Login to learn more about the action planning process and to download a copy of Journey to the Future: A Guide to Strategic and Action Planning for Affiliated Funds.