Case Study: United Way Strategic Plan
Overview
Strategic Planning is essential to create direction for an organization. DLN Consulting Inc., in collaboration with United Way of Dickinson, began this process by identifying the five standards of excellence to which the local organization is held by its parent organization United Way of America, and identifying the mission, vision, and values of United Way of Dickinson.
United Way provides solutions that assist seniors and the disabled, strengthen families, promote self-sufficiency, nurture youth, and build the community. Working together with thousands of contributors, volunteers, and community partners, United Way is able to make a lasting difference in the community by improving the quality of life for people and helping build the future of the Greater Dickinson Area.
Objectives
Over the past forty-five years, the United Way of Dickinson has brought the community together to focus on the most important needs - building partnerships, forging consensus, and leveraging resources to make a measurable difference. It is a collective power of people working together toward long-term solutions that bring about changes important to the community. These changes are essential for improving the quality of life and helping build the future of the Greater Dickinson Area.
As United Way grows and finds solutions for the community, the organization's goals and objectives change. The board members wisely understood the need for planning and expanding the organization's direction, goals, and strategies, which comprises much of what a strategic plan covers.
Activities
Through email correspondence, DLN began a discovery process that included polling the board to identify board members' opinions in several areas. The board members were able to identify the organizations values, principles, and several organizational strengths. They were also able to recognize some external and internal challenges that needed to be addressed in order to move forward. Once the organizational strengths and challenges were identified, DLN was able to help United Way put their strengths to use to meet and reduce their challenges.
DLN met with United Way to share the information gained from the preliminary polling and facilitate the strategic planning process. Through the strategic planning United Way identified three main focus areas in which to work through the end of 2011.
This five-year plan outlined the three main focus areas by: establishing each focus area, stating the goal that works to improve the focus area, identifying measurable objectives to work towards the goal, listing strategies to help meet the objectives, and specifying evaluation measures and tools to evaluate outcomes. In addition to evaluation of goals, objectives, and strategies in the plan, the United Way of Dickinson also established a plan and identified tools to evaluate the overall organization and its progress toward achieving what is laid out in the strategic plan.
At the end of the process, DLN created a detailed 20-page strategic plan for the organization. The strategic plan will serve as a living document for United Way of Dickinson to work from on a daily basis to plan and evaluation their progress.
Analysis
DLN Consulting was able to tailor a plan that allowed United Way of Dickinson to identify challenges that are outside of their control and focus their resources on challenges that are within their ability to solve. The comprehensive plan helped each member visualize United Way's standards, mission, vision, structure, and priorities. All members of United Way now have a better understanding of who they are within the organization and what they will be doing. It helped to prioritize and prepare activities and tasks to use their time wisely in achieving their goals.
United Way has since distributed its Strategic Plan among stakeholders within the organization. They now possess the confidence and capabilities to overcome challenges, while working toward goals that are important to the organization and the community.
The Strategic Planning Process developed for United Way of Dickinson
1)Pre-planning worksheet; compilation of results
2)Procedures for Session
3)Organizational Structure
4)Strengths for success and Challenges to overcome
5)United Way of America Standards of Excellence
6)United Way of Dickinson Mission, Vision, and Values
7)Development of Strategic Plan
a.Focus Areas
b.Goals/Objective/Strategies
c.Evaluation Measures and Tools
d.Organizational Evaluation Process and Tools
8)Follow-up by DLN Consulting, Inc.
