A strategic plan is the road map that defines where an organization is going - its mission - and how it will get there using measurable goals, strategies, objectives, and a 12-month work plan.

So important is planning that Ventureneer's webinar that teaches nonprofit leaders the process needed for a mission enhancing strategic plan is back by popular demand. Strategic Planning: Building Your Roadmap to the Future is a free webinar. It will take place Tuesday, Oct 12th at 12n-1pm ET

Stakeholders, such as employees, board members, and funders, want to see that map before signing on for the journey.

• funders want to review the strategic plan to see how funds will be used;


• board members want to see the plan before they agree to serve;


• staff want to know the focus of their work and the deliverables that the organization expects of them.

"The strategic planning process is a way to focus on what a nonprofit is trying to do and what it needs," says Geri Stengel, founder of Ventureneer. "Tapping the ideas and knowledge of all stakeholders is incredibly valuable and informative."

Good strategic planning is a process that gives all those vested in the organization an opportunity to provide input and comment. It includes:

• reviewing trends and opportunities,


• gathering information on best practices,


• identifying your organization's strengths and weaknesses.

The free online seminar will again be taught by Kathy Keeley, Principle, The Keeley Group, who has been a social entrepreneur and executive for more than 20 years. She has been a nonprofit consultant for the last 10 years, providing strategic planning, consulting, facilitation, and coaching services to nonprofit organizations and small businesses.

Writing a strategic plan usually involves a board retreat as well as staff input. It certainly requires the leadership of someone familiar with the process and with the organization. The planning process for every organization is unique; it must be fit the organizational culture and board expectations.

Nonprofit executives, key management staff, program directors and staff, and board members can use the information in this nonprofit online seminar to lead their organization through the strategic plan process.

For more information or to register, go to Ventureneer.

About Geri Stengel
Geri is founder of Ventureneer, an online education and peer support service. She honed her online expertise at companies like Dow Jones and Physicians' Online. Geri co-founded the Women's Leadership Exchange and is president of Stengel Solutions, a consulting service for social-impact organizations. She has taught university-level classes in entrepreneurship and has been nationally recognized for her achievements in small business development and nonprofit guidance.

About Ventureneer
Ventureneer connects values-driven small business owners, social entrepreneurs, and nonprofit leaders with the knowledge they need to make the world a better place and to thrive as businesses. At Ventureneer, entrepreneurial and nonprofit training and advice are practical, accessible, and affordable. Ventureneer has a new approach to learning, one built on Web 2.0 technology, that blends traditional, formal instruction with informal, peer learning. You can learn new skills, collaborate with peers, develop solutions to your real-world problems, get one-on-one help from experts, and access the information you need to make better decisions for your organizations.

Ventureneer

Ventureneer

Ventureneer provides a new approach to learning that blends traditional formal instruction with informal learning derived from problem solving with peers using Web 2.0 technology. Members use Ventureneer to solve problems, request resources or information, seek guidance from others and, most important, how to have the greatest impact. The first phase of Ventureneer a blog called Vistas has launched.

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