Nonprofit Strategic Planning
If you have ever attended a concert, play, recital or a graduation then you may be aware that there are both onstage and backstage activities. I liken development offices to this. Onstage activities include those who are out talking to the donors, prospects and other constituents while the development staff handles all the backstage activities and nonprofit strategic planning.
Some of you are saying that you do both, and I understand that. Budgets sometimes don’t allow for this support, but it is an essential ingredient to success. The backstage activities include setting and confirming appointments, prospect research, fundraising management, inputting data to the database, nonprofit strategic planning and sending thank you letters and letters of intent, to name a few. The onstage activities are meeting with the donors, making your solicitations or it could be actual onstage presentations at organizational functions. And like any performance, there needs to be rehearsals.
When I started my work as a fundraiser, the VP for Advancement had me rehearse in front of a mirror and then present to him before meeting with the donor. Our team had to do a videotaped solicitation (now you can do it with any device) which would be critiqued. This made us all better at our presentation.
Your backstage support needs to know what to do and how to do it. That will make you better at what you do. If you are both onstage and backstage then you are most likely well-prepared. The more success you have, the more likely you will be in getting some help backstage with nonprofit strategic planning, if you don’t already have it.
Are you still doing dress rehearsals or are you out there making the case for your organization? These rewards are great for those whom you serve.
“There are so many things that we are capable of,
that we could be or do.
The potentialities are so great that we never,
any of us, are more than one-fourth fulfilled.”
Written by: Paul D’Alessandro
Founder and Chairman
