Strategic Planning Readiness: A Pre-Planning Briefing for Executive Directors

Planning season is coming. Are you ready to lead it with clarity and confidence?

Before jumping straight into vision casting and goal-setting, Executive Directors benefit from pausing to assess readiness. That was the focus of our recent webinar, Strategic Planning Readiness: A Pre-Planning Briefing for EDs, hosted by Kyle Paterson with guest facilitator Lori Stanley of Nonprofit Consulting.

Why Readiness Matters

Nonprofit leaders often feel pressure to move quickly into planning cycles. But as Lori highlighted, strong organizations build from a place of strength, not survival. Strategic planning is not just about creating a document; it’s about setting up a process that engages the right voices, clarifies direction, and results in a plan that sticks.

Readiness is the difference between scrambling to survive competing demands and leading from a grounded, intentional place.

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Mission, Vision… or Identity?

One of the key discussions centered around mission and vision statements. Lori explained the shift toward identity statements; clear, succinct declarations that answer:

• What do we do?
• For whom?
• Where do we do it?
• How do we fund it?

This clarity cuts through ambiguity and helps organizations define both what’s in and out of scope. Rather than getting lost in wordsmithing, identity statements anchor purpose and direction in practical, actionable terms.

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Engaging Diverse Stakeholders

Strategic planning is as much about process as outcome. Kyle raised the question: How do you ensure diverse perspectives shape the mission and strategy?

Lori’s advice:

• Identify who has influence and investment in the organization.
• Decide how you’ll involve them (surveys, workshops, focused conversations).
• Use examples of other mission/vision statements to spark dialogue.
• Step back from perfect wording and instead ask: How do you see us and the work we’re doing?

By engaging early, leaders build buy-in—because, as Lori put it, “People support what it is they help build.”

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Practical Guidance from the Session

Here are some of the takeaways participants highlighted:

• Plan for reality, not perfection. Aiming for 100% alignment creates gridlock; leave breathing room.
• Decide who decides. Clear roles prevent confusion and build trust in the process.
• Engage the right voices early. Input at the beginning makes adoption stronger in the end.
• Invest before you’re overwhelmed. Strategic planning is most effective when approached from readiness, not crisis.

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Final Thoughts

As the session wrapped up, Lori reminded leaders that nonprofit work will always involve competing priorities. Readiness is about stepping back, creating clarity, and ensuring the process itself builds confidence and ownership.

Kyle closed with this reflection: sometimes an internal facilitator makes sense, but often the most value comes from a neutral third party; someone aware of their own biases; who can guide the process and help the plan stick long-term.

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Ready to Strengthen Your Planning Process?

At Part-Time CFO Services, we are The Finance Leaders for Canada’s private businesses and nonprofits. Beyond keeping your financial house in order, we help leadership teams enter strategic planning with clarity, alignment, and confidence.

If your organization is approaching a planning cycle, let’s talk. We can help you frame the right financial and strategic questions so your plan isn’t just a document; it’s a tool for lasting success.

Contact us to start the conversation