Strategic plan for nonprofit template (free guide)

Every nonprofit needs a strategic plan to stay focused on its mission and achieve lasting impact. If you're not sure where to start, this guide is for you. Learn what a nonprofit strategic plan should include, how to create one step by step, and download our free template to get started.

What is a nonprofit strategic plan?

A nonprofit strategic plan explains your organization’s mission, long-term goals, and the steps you’ll take to reach them over the next three to five years. It links your daily work to your bigger goals and helps guide decisions about resources, programs, and priorities.

The process is similar to other sectors, but nonprofit plans need to balance mission-focused goals with financial stability and accountability to stakeholders.

Before you create your action plan, walk through these four steps of strategic planning:

• Step 1: Assess your current situation

• Step 2: Develop your strategy

• Step 3: Build your strategic plan

• Step 4: Create SMART goals

Once complete, set key performance indicators (KPIs) and schedule milestones to track your progress.

Whether you’re making a strategic plan for the first time or updating an old one, it’s important to include the right people. Build a team with senior leaders, board members, and key staff who can help your nonprofit succeed in the long run.

We’ll guide your team through each step and share a template to help you along the way. Let’s get started.

What to include in a nonprofit strategic plan

A complete nonprofit strategic plan should include these key parts:

These parts help link your nonprofit’s everyday work to its bigger goals for the future.

Who should be involved in strategic planning

Strategic planning is most effective when you include the right people from the beginning. A diverse team brings new ideas and helps everyone feel involved. Your planning committee should include:

• Executive leadership: Your executive director or CEO provides organizational vision and ensures alignment with your mission.

• Board members: Board participation brings governance oversight and strategic thinking to the process.

• Department heads: Leaders from programs, development, finance, and operations offer practical insights.

• Staff representatives: Frontline team members understand day-to-day challenges and can identify opportunities.

• External stakeholders: Donors, community partners, or beneficiaries can share valuable outside perspectives.

Aim for a committee of five to ten people. Fewer voices can limit ideas, but too many can make decisions harder to reach.

Assign clear roles, including a facilitator to guide discussions and a note-taker to capture meeting minutes and document decisions. Use a stakeholder engagement plan to involve stakeholders throughout the process and make implementation smoother.

Step 1: Assess your situation

Before you can figure out where you want to go, use a gap analysis to assess where you are right now. Gather all the information you can about your nonprofit, so your strategic planning team has a clear understanding of who you are and where you are.

Demographics: Start with easy-to-answer questions to align your strategic planning team.

• How big is your organization?

• Where are you located?

• What is your annual net asset?

• How many people do you employ?

• What is your target demographic?

Success and goals: Begin by recognizing what you’ve already achieved. This helps you see your strengths and puts your team in a positive, productive mood.

• What were your biggest accomplishments so far?

• Do you have any goals set for the future?

• How well thought-out are these goals, and do they meet SMART goal criteria?

Capital: Money might not be your main focus, but it’s still needed to make an impact. Think about where your revenue comes from now.

• Does the government fund you?

• How successful has fundraising been in the past?

• Who are your donors or sponsors?

• What other revenue streams do you have?

• Are there any revenue sources you haven't considered yet?

• What does your grant management process typically look like?

Stakeholders: A stakeholder analysis is key in strategic planning, and a stakeholder register helps document who can affect your organization's success and what their roles are.

• Internal stakeholders: Team members directly affected by the strategic plan, likely already part of your planning team.

• External stakeholders: Agencies, clients, donors, or partners who contribute financially or otherwise to your organization.

• Who are our top stakeholders (internal and external)?

• Why do they believe in our nonprofit?

• What do we need from them (e.g., labor, capital, marketing, etc.)?

• Why do we believe and trust in these stakeholders?

Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats: Conduct a SWOT analysis to find out your internal strengths and weaknesses and how external factors can influence your success.

• What makes us stand out from other nonprofits in the industry?

• What past events have affected our success and why?

• Are there any weaknesses that have prevented us from reaching our full potential in the past?

After you finish your SWOT analysis, you can move on to the next step: developing your nonprofit’s strategy.

Step 2: Develop your strategy

In this phase, you'll take the information you've gathered in step one and define who you want to be as an organization. You'll define your values, mission, and vision statements.

Mission and vision statement

Begin with your mission and vision statements. If you already have them, review and update them to align with your new strategy. A vision board template can help you brainstorm and visualize your nonprofit's long-term aspirations.

It's not always easy to come up with vision and mission statements. Here are three examples of how nonprofit organizations define their vision and mission:

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's mission is to "Create a world where every person has the opportunity to live a healthy, productive life." Their vision is to help everyone lead a healthy, productive life.

The American Red Cross

The mission statement of the American Red Cross is to prevent and alleviate Human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.​"

Their vision: "The American Red Cross, through its strong network of volunteers, donors, and partners, is always there in times of need. We aspire to turn compassion into action."

The Research Foundation for The State University of New York

The Research Foundation of SUNY's mission is to provide "Talent, services, and technology that empower SUNY to research, innovate, and transfer discoveries that transform the world's knowledge economy."

Their vision is to "Make it the best place for faculty, students, and staff to research, innovate, and solve the world's most pressing problems."

Company values

Next, define your nonprofit's core values. Aim for 5-10 values that describe your organization and align with your mission and vision.

Here are some examples of values that could describe your nonprofit:

• Reliability

• Innovation

• Integrity

• Teamwork

• Service

• Diversity

• Trustworthiness

• Loyalty

• Honesty

• Communication

• Fairness

• Safety

• Respect

• Inclusion

• Agility

• Transparency

Figuring out where you stand and who you are sets the foundation for your strategic plan. Now you’re ready to build it.

Step 3: Build your strategic plan

The heart of your strategic plan comprises your strategic priorities and future goals. They will inspire your implementation plan and define how successful your new strategy will be.

Choose at least three main priorities based on your SWOT analysis. For example, if you found that your revenue sources are limited, you might set “diversifying revenue streams” as a priority.

Your strategic priorities don’t need to be fully detailed yet. You’ll develop them further in the next step.

Step 4: Create SMART goals

Setting SMART objectives is important because it helps you put your new strategy into action.

Your SMART goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound. For example, if you want to diversify your revenue, your SMART goal might be:

"Over the next three years, we plan to add at least seven new revenue streams to our repertoire by applying to one new government fund per quarter, hosting monthly fundraisers on social media (Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter), and bi-annual in-person charity events."

Tips for effective nonprofit strategic planning

It’s one thing to create a strategic plan, but making one that leads to real change is another. Here are some tips to make your planning process work better:

• Start with research: gather data on your community's needs, the competitive landscape, and sector trends before setting priorities.

• Keep it focused: A plan with three to five main priorities is easier to act on than one with too many.

• Make it measurable: Every goal should have clear metrics and KPIs to track progress and celebrate wins.

• Build in flexibility: Plan regular check-ins to see if you need to make changes.

• Communicate widely: Share your plan with staff, board members, donors, and volunteers.

• Assign accountability: Make sure each goal and project has someone responsible for moving it forward.

• Connect strategy to operations: Link your strategic priorities to your operational plan, budgets, and performance goals.

The best nonprofit strategic plans aren’t just documents that get forgotten. They are living guides that help you make decisions and grow with your organization.

Nonprofit strategic plan template and example

Use our template to create a strategic plan that gets results for your nonprofit. Involve stakeholders, your board, and key staff—their input will help shape your organization’s future.

Here is what your nonprofit strategic plan can look like once you start working on it:

Download the template below and adjust it to fit your organization’s needs.

Put your plan into action

After you've built your strategic plan, there's just one step left: put it into action. Implementing your strategic plan is both rewarding and challenging. All the hard work you put into building a strategy is about to come to fruition.

Asana’s goal-setting software can help you turn your strategic plan into real steps. You can track progress, assign responsibilities, and link your goals to daily tasks—all in one place.

Ready to bring your nonprofit's strategic plan to life? Get started with Asana today and give your team the tools to turn strategy into impact.

Frequently asked questions about nonprofit strategic planning