The New Year Time to Update Your Development Strategic Plan
Dear friends,
A new year, new start, and a rapidly changing world! Wow, I hope you got some well-deserved rest over the holidays. We need to recharge our batteries once in a while. While many times the holidays can be stressful, they can also be a great distraction from the pressures of budgets, giving goals, operational issues, and other very important parts of our ministry.
As you start the new year I have a challenge for you - UPDATE YOUR DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLAN. The next couple weeks will be the only time you have to update your goals, calendars, projected income, and implementation plans. After that you will once again be so busy you will be into the summer before you can find another time to look at your plan.
Why is does your Development Strategic Plan need updating?
- It allows you to measure your progress Year To Date.
- It allows you to adjust your goals based on your fiscal year.
- It brings the entire team together for training, discussion, and alignment.
- It gives you data to report to your Executive Director.
- It gives you an opportunity to see if you have missed a strategy or relationships group/need to change a strategy/drop a strategy if it has not worked.
- It allows you to train any new staff in how your plan is created.
- It allows you to focus on your new goals.
- It presents a starting point from which you can launch a new season of relationships.
- It presents an opportunity to get everyone on the same page of talking points, key ministry objectives, and ministry conditions (good or bad).
- It allows you to praise God for his provision.
I am sure some of you can expand on these and add more of your own. Some think this update is a waste of time. You might hear - "get out there and raise some funds!" Remember the old wise saying: fail to plan, plan to fail. There are numerous scriptures related to wise planning, seeking counsel of many, and laying out your course before going on a journey.
This could be a one-day retreat, or a series of meetings if that works better for your team. The key is, do it sooner than later. If you get into February without taking the time to update your plan, it will be much harder to convince everyone to take the time. Set the date on the calendar TODAY.
John