I bring a well-structured and well-tested framework with various tools helping to carry out internal and external analysis, to map, explore, as well as to plan together and later to monitor the plans.
Strategic planning is at the heart of everything. It is the art of balancing a reality check with your boldest dreams. A well-crafted strategy is the ultimate way to stay in sync with our external realities and internal state. Without strategy, even the most creative interventions remain ad hoc and fragmented, missing the chance for wider impact. Moreover, without the clarity a strategic plan provides, teams often drift into a ”free-floating mode”, where everyone has a different idea of where the organization is heading and how it should get there.
How we can work on it together
I facilitate entire strategic planning processes from start to finish. This includes assessments, analyses, mappings, exploring, and goal setting. A good amount of teamwork and some writing. And what if your organization already has a strategic plan and you want to enhance it? That’s possible too. We can build on existing plans and related documents. For the most part, the process will look similar.
I have yet to meet a nonprofit that doesn’t list resources as one of its biggest challenges. Financial resources are scarce, especially in today’s fast-changing and unpredictable environment. At the same time, cutting through the constant noise of communication is harder than ever. That’s why extending and cultivating an active community of supporters is critical for every organization.
How we can work on it together
I support organizations and their fundraising teams in creating resource development strategies that are fully aligned with their core strategy and goals. I help rethink traditional fundraising methods and explore new approaches to further broaden your donor base. In addition, I assist in strengthening fundraising capacity to make sure these efforts are attainable.
Volunteering has been undergoing major shifts over the past decade, and with younger generations becoming more engaged in the lives of nonprofit organizations, this trend will continue. The commitment of volunteers and board members can be a tremendous asset, but only if organizations overcome some common mental barriers regarding these roles.
How we can work on it together
Ideally, we will design a new engagement strategy whether for volunteers, board members, or both. We’ll begin by analyzing your current situation and then gradually move toward setting goals. Along the way, we’ll spend time redefining what volunteers and volunteer work mean to your organization, since in my experience so much depends on expectation management.
Strategic management is the art of keeping your plans in sync with the here and now. It requires a constant back-and-forth between professional work and the organizational functions that support it. On top of this, monitoring both the internal and external environment adds another layer of complexity. It’s no wonder many CEOs and managers feel overloaded by this balancing act.
How we can work on it together
I support CEOs, managers, and their teams in creating processes rooted in the organization’s core strategy. As part of monitoring the strategic plan, I can also facilitate team meetings and periodic strategic check-ins, whether focused on specific functions or on the core strategy.
Project management is probably the most discussed skill set in an organizational context. Yet, in my experience, it is often overlooked or unnecessarily overcomplicated. Since most grant-making organizations structure their financial support around projects, they are everywhere. Still, all the extra work that comes with managing them can easily turn into an unnecessary burden.
How we can work on it together
I’m not promising to eliminate every headache around project management, but I can help prepare your team with planning and monitoring tools that make processes and collaboration smoother. Ideally, this also frees up extra time for the important work on the ground.
Bence Tordai I bence[@]isterra.org