Start, Stop, Continue :
A Planning Model to Get You through Rough Waters
David E. Walsh, Senior Planning Associate
September 2009

Based on the latest news reports, some of the nation´s leading economists believe the recession is over, good news as we look back at a challenging and difficult 2009. However, don´t get out the party hats just yet, the same economists are calling for a shallow recovery. Roughly translated, it will take a while to get back into an economic expansion mode, and we will most likely not see free flowing public and contributed dollars for a long time. With battered state budgets, depleted portfolios and lukewarm consumer confidence, 2010 will still prove to be a difficult year for nonprofits.

But now, more then ever, it´s critical that organizations prepare for the future, even an uncertain one, through careful and deliberate planning. By developing focused plans with clear priorities now, you can insure your organization not only survives, but also thrives, when the economy finally rebounds. Nonprofits should borrow a page from their for-profit counterparts and take a hard look at where their organizations are right now and where they´d like to be. Now is the perfect time to have honest, candid discussions about programs, people and resources.

To do this type of planning it may be beneficial to use a Stop, Start, Continue model to help your organization better focus its direction, energies and resources. Using this planning approach, the board, senior leadership and staff evaluates existing programs, services, offerings and initiatives and decides whether or not programs should be STOPPED, initiatives should CONTINUE or new offerings should be STARTED.

Programs that should be STOPPED are ones that drift from or go beyond your mission, or are now a financial drain. Pulling out or pulling back may be the toughest part, but now is the time do so. The message here is a renewed focus on the core.

CONTINUE programs that are core to your mission, can be financially supported and are self-sustaining. Test your programs against a set of criteria to include: fit with mission; impact; community benefit; return on investment; market demand; availability of funding; and availability of talent/or a unique advantage in the marketplace.

START new programs, which could take advantage of the current marketplace. This may appear counterintuitive, but market changes can provide new opportunities. Carefully look at trends to see where there are market holes. Look to programs that are adjacent to your core and may help you leverage your existing resources. Is there now potential for a merger, alliance, or acquisition that was unrealistic or unattainable in the past? Are there new opportunities tied to stimulus dollars or recipients of those dollars? Follow up this exercise with business planning to assess the financial risks, including identifying the return on investment.

At the end of this exercise, having asked the hard questions now, and making some difficult choices, you can position your organization to be well prepared for the future.

Schultz & Williams is a national consulting firm based in Philadelphia; providing management, fundraising and marketing consulting for nonprofit organizations, along with full-service direct marketing, database and creative/production services.