Blog

Developing a Five-Year Plan for Your Nonprofit: 3 Tips

Does thinking about what the next five years hold for your nonprofit make you feel overwhelmed or anxious? If so, that’s probably a sign to build a strategic plan for your organization.

Developing or updating a strategic plan every five years will give your organization a solid blueprint for success, allowing you to work more efficiently toward mission-related goals. Although it’s impossible to account for every threat or opportunity that may arise, a strategic plan will enable you to respond more effectively when unexpected situations occur.

Here are three tips for building a comprehensive five-year plan for your nonprofit. 

Analyze your strengths and weaknesses.

Start the strategic planning process by completing a SWOT analysis for your nonprofit. Use this template to identify your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats: 

Completing a thorough SWOT analysis will help you understand which elements of your strategy to retain or adjust moving forward. 

Set SMART fundraising goals.

Use your SWOT analysis to set goals for areas you’d like to improve over the next five years. 

For example, let’s say you identify major donor cultivation as a top priority for your organization and an opportunity for improvement. Here’s an example of a SMART goal for this objective: 

Specific: We want to increase major donor participation. 
Measurable: We will aim to recruit six new major donors every year for the next five years. 
Attainable: We recruited four new major donors last year, so it is feasible to increase this number by two with better donor engagement and solicitation strategies. 
Relevant: This effort will support our goal of expanding our community gardening program to two new communities.
Time-bound: We’ll complete this effort by 2029 to recruit 30 new major donors in total. 

Connect your goals to your mission; how does achieving each objective support your ability to better serve your community? Making your goals as relevant to your nonprofit’s purpose as possible will help generate greater community enthusiasm and support for your efforts. 

Choose fundraising strategies. 

After setting your goals, identify the specific fundraising strategies, campaigns, and events you’ll use to reach them. 

Bloomerang’s nonprofit strategic planning guide offers this resource for aligning your goals with specific tasks required to achieve them: 

Alt text: A template nonprofits can use to create a strategic plan. Specific features of the template are explained in the bulleted list below. 

Identify the following for every goal:

The specific objectives you’re aiming to achieve
Who is responsible for pushing the objectives forward
What that person will do to support your goals
The timeline for completing each task 

Depending on the goal, you could incorporate any of the following activities into your strategic plan: 

Events, such as silent auctions or a fundraising 5K, which can help you build awareness and raise funds for your mission
Monthly giving/membership program, which can generate reliable, ongoing revenue
Major donor cultivation, which allows you to acquire large gifts that greatly expand your ability to accomplish your mission
Peer-to-peer campaigns, which enable current supporters to reach an audience of new donors by creating and promoting personalized fundraising pages
Planned giving options, which allow donors to leave a legacy and provide your organization with a major gift that expands your programs or services
Former donor re-engagement, which lets you rebuild relationships with supporters who already have a connection to your mission

Ensure you have the right software solutions to plan and complete tasks efficiently. For example, event management software helps plan engaging events for donors and other community members, while peer-to-peer fundraising solutions equip supporters with the tools and resources they need to fundraise for your cause. 

Examples to review for inspiration

Review strategic plan examples from other nonprofits to help guide your planning process. We recommend the following:

Boys & Girls Clubs of America (Metro Atlanta) Strategic Plan: 2021 – 2025 Executive Summary 
What we like about this plan:
Includes differentiators that make the organization stand apart from others
Spotlights specific financial information and precise projections

SAMHSA’s 2023-2026 Strategic Plan
What we like about this plan:
Outlines priorities and associated objectives
Leverages data to give context for the organization’s strategies

Strategic Plan | Alzheimer’s Association FY2023-FY2025
What we like about this plan:
Includes clear goals and strategic objectives
Connects the strategic plan to the organization’s mission, vision, and values

Draw inspiration from these plans to build your approach, along with the tips listed above. With a clear plan outlining specific strategies to guide your team, you’ll reduce stress and lead your nonprofit to success and sustained growth.