The Nonprofit Strategy Revolution: Real-Time Strategic Planning in a Rapid-Response World

by David La Piana, Melissa Mendes Campos

Overview

Turner Publishing proudly presents a fully-updated edition of The Nonprofit Strategy Revolution FINALIST, Ben Franklin Awards, Independent Book Publishers Association, Business Category

The world changes continuously and rapidly. It’s foolhardy to believe that strategies should not do so as well. Nonprofit leaders already know this, but traditional strategic planning has locked them into a process that’s divorced from today’s reality. That’s why plans sit on the shelf and why smart executives are always seeking workarounds in between planning periods. The Nonprofit Strategy Revolution offers a nimble and powerful alternative. In this groundbreaking book, strategy expert David La Piana introduces “Real-Time Strategic Planning,” a fluid, organic process that engages staff and board in a program of systematic readiness and continuous responsiveness. With it, your nonprofit will be able to identify, understand, and act on challenges and opportunities as they arise. At the heart of this practical book is the Real-Time Strategic Planning Cycle. Based on four years of research and testing with a variety of nonprofits, this proven process guides you through the steps to sound strategy. You’ll find tools for clarifying your competitive advantage; generating a strategy screen—criteria for evaluating strategies to be able to respond quickly; handling big questions; developing and testing strategies; and implementing and adapting strategies.

This second edition features a timely new preface and introduction; updated exhibits and case examples showing how concepts play out in real-life; five new tools, for a total of 32 —10 of which are essential for forming strategies; Theory to Action sidebars telling you which tool to use for a given task; and a link to downloadable tools and worksheets, as well as a Facilitator’s Guide to Real-Time Strategic Planning that gives you everything you need: the day’s agenda, instructions for preparing flip charts, prework to be done, handouts, and worksheets. Use The Nonprofit Strategy Revolution and get the clarity and direction you need for maximum mission success.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781684421794
Publisher:	Turner Publishing Company
Publication date:	08/07/2018
Edition description:	2nd ed.
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	503,598
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

David La Piana, the founder of La Piana Consulting, is recognized as one of the social sector's leading thinkers and consultants. He is known for an ability to quickly get to the core of complex strategic questions and for working collaboratively with clients to devise innovative solutions that meet their needs and accelerate their growth.

David coined the term "strategic restructuring" to refer to the continuum of mergers, joint ventures, consolidations, and joint programming through which nonprofits attempt to anticipate or respond to environmental threats and opportunities. He works closely with major foundations and national nonprofits to promote new ideas and tools that can enhance nonprofits' effectiveness. His work is driven by a commitment to building a more just and equitable world.

David has taught graduate level courses at the Haas School of Business at the Universityof California, Berkeley, and at the Universityof San Francisco's Institute for Nonprofit Organization Management. A popular speaker, he is a regular contributor to the national dialogue on nonprofit and foundation effectiveness and the future of the social sector. He is widely published and frequently interviewed by the media for his opinions on trends in the sector. He also recently published his first novel: First Generation.

David's latest nonprofit book is The Nonprofit Business Plan: A Leader's Guide to Creating a Successful Business Model. Among his many previously-published books and monographs are: The Nonprofit Strategy Revolution: Real-Time Strategic Planning in a Rapid-Response World (2008);Play to Win: The Nonprofit Guide to Competitive Strategy (2005), voted in the top three Nonprofit Book of the Year Awards from the Alliance for Nonprofit Management;The Nonprofit Mergers Workbook, Part I: Considering, Negotiating, and Executing a Merger (2000, 2nd edition 2008); and Part II: Unifying the Organization After A Merger (2004);Strategic Restructuring: Mergers, Integrations, and Alliances (2003);Tool for Assessing Startup Nonprofits: Due Diligence Guide for Grantmakers (2003);Real Collaboration: A Guide for Grantmakers (2001);Beyond Collaboration: Strategic Restructuring for Nonprofit Organizations (1997)

David received his Master of Public Administration degree in nonprofit management from the Universityof San Francisco, and holds graduate and undergraduate degrees from the Universityof California at Berkeley. A former VISTA volunteer, David has held senior management positions with the YMCA, The International Institute, and East Bay Agency for Children, a multifaceted human services agency which grew ten-fold under his leadership.

Melissa Mendes Campos is a partner with La Piana Consulting and plays a key role in advancing the firm’s research, writing, and communications to fulfill its commitment to sharing knowledge across the sector.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Preface: Welcome to the Revolution xi

The Seeds of Revolution: The Strategy Formation Project xv

How to Use This Book xvi

Conclusion: Creating Winning Strategies xxii

Part 1 The Strategy Revolution

Chapter 1 Why a Strategy Revolution? 3

What is Strategy and Why Do Nonprofits Need It? 4

The Disconnect Between Strategy and Strategic Planning 7

Conclusion: Hence the Revolution 22

Chapter 2 The Strategy Pyramid 23

Aligning Organizational, Programmatic, and Operational Decisions 24

Successful Strategies Embody Implementation 27

Conclusion: A Framework to Fuel Change 29

Chapter 3 Understanding Organizational Strategy 31

Mission, Competitive Advantage, and Strategy 31

What Is Organizational Strategy? 35

What Does Organizational Strategy Look Like? 38

Conclusion: Organizational Strategy Comes First 43

Chapter 4 Organizational Identity and Strategy Formation 45

Understanding Organizational Identity 48

Three Essential Ingredients of Organizational Identity 50

What Organizational Identity Looks Like 58

Conclusion: Organization, Know Thyself 60

Chapter 5 Developing a Strategy Screen 61

Crafting a Strategy Screen 63

A Variation-The Opportunity Matrix 66

Conclusion: Habits of Mind 70

Chapter 6 Big Questions, Strategy Formation, and Implementation 71

Understanding and Facing Big Questions 71

Crafting a Big Question 74

Developing a Strategy That Fits the Screen 78

Implementing the Strategy 83

Conclusion: Real-Time Strategy 85

Chapter 7 Forming Programmatic Strategies 87

Forming Programmatic Strategies 89

Constructing a Program Logic Model 90

Programmatic Strategy in Action 93

Programmatic Strategy Essentials 95

When to Form New Programmatic Strategies 97

Conclusion: Programs As Strategic Choices 98

Chapter 8 Forming Operational Strategies 99

Real Life Operational Strategy 100

Operational Strategy Essentials 102

When to Form New Operational Strategies 104

Conclusion: Operations Are the Broad Shoulders of Strategy 105

Chapter 9 Putting It All Together 107

Using Real-Time Strategic Planning to Advance Your Mission and Vision 107

Strategy Formation as a Continuous Cycle 108

Crafting a "Traditional" Strategic Plan 110

Conclusion: Real-Time Strategy in a Rapid-Response World 112

Part 2 Essential Tools for Forming Strategy

Tool 1 Current Business Model 121

Tool 2 Financial Analysis 125

Tool 3 Competitor Analysis 131

Tool 4 Trend Analysis 139

Tool 5 Future Business Model 143

Tool 6 Identity Statement 147

Tool 7 Strategy Screen 149

Tool 8 Big Question 151

Tool 9 Next Steps Work Plan 155

Tool 10 Strategy Road Map 159

References 169

Index 175

Editorial Reviews

Providing a tested and clear framework for developing and implementing real time strategies which connect mission to goals is a leader's dream! In our rapidly changing and competitive world, this book is a "how to" for creating agile and aligned strategic action for sustained advantage. I highly recommend The Nonprofit Strategy Revolution regardless of your organization's size or stage of development." - Judy Vredenburgh, President & CEO Girls Inc.

From the Publisher