Strategic Planning - Part 3: Data-Driven Alignment

08/25/22 • 32 min

THRIVERS: Impact-Driven Leadership for the Next Normal

Raise your hand if data scares you. It is okay to admit it. It’s true for many of us.

But data is a vital part of organizational health and strategic planning.

In this episode, Tucker Wannamaker, CEO of THRIVE IMPACT, and Sarah Fanslau, Chief of Impact, discuss the role of data, qualitative and quantitative, in uncovering community needs, identifying areas of opportunity, and charting a future direction.

They talk about and define outputs, outcomes, and impact, and discuss the power of two questions that should be central to EVERY nonprofit’s conversation around impact–what change it is making, and what does it take?

This episode will help you identify the next steps to take on your data journey, regardless of where you are starting.

LINKS

How to Talk About Nonprofit Impact from Inputs to Outcomes on The Balance Small Business

Qualitative vs. quantitative data: what's the difference? On the FullStory Blog

Impact-to-Effort Matrix

Looking for ways to increase your impact in your communities and causes?
We've created a modular series of workshops focused on creating impact from the inside out. Explore details and schedule a discovery session at thriveimpact.org/insideout

Raise your hand if data scares you. It is okay to admit it. It’s true for many of us.

But data is a vital part of organizational health and strategic planning.

This episode will help you identify the next steps to take on your data journey, regardless of where you are starting.

LINKS

How to Talk About Nonprofit Impact from Inputs to Outcomes on The Balance Small Business

Qualitative vs. quantitative data: what's the difference? On the FullStory Blog

Impact-to-Effort Matrix

Previous Episode

Strategic Planning - Part 2: Being Strengths-Based & Inclusive

Have you ever heard the old cliché of the strategic plan that sits on the shelf gathering dust? Haven’t we all? But it's a cliche for a reason–because it has been true for so long.

But a better question is: Why is it true?

In this episode, Tucker Wannamaker, CEO of THRIVE IMPACT, and Sarah Fanslau, Chief of Impact, discuss how newer approaches to strategic planning can help improve culture, increase impact, and ensure that the old cliché doesn’t apply to your nonprofit.

We talk about and define these approaches, including Appreciative Inquiry and co-creation, and share how, when combined, they can help organizations actually shift how they address and deal with change over time.

This episode will help you take strategic planning out of the board room and bring it into the break room–where it has belonged all along.

LINKS

THRIVE IMPACT

The Case for Appreciative Inquiry

What is Appreciative Inquiry? on PositivePsychology.com

Building the Co-creative Enterprise on Harvard Business Review

The Drucker Institute

Dr. David Cooperrider

Next Episode

Strategic Planning - Part 4: Learning Organizations

In the final episode of our 4-part series on strategic planning, we dive into the value of being a learning organization. We cover everything from defining what that means to the massive impact it can have in your organization to simple practices you can implement today.

Your organization’s ability to learn and adapt touches every part of your organization and is what keeps you relevant through inevitable changes in culture, economics, and more.

How do we create an environment that fosters learning? How do we recognize opportunities to learn? What does it look like to embrace new learning as individuals and as an organization?

Let’s dive in.