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At its core, thoughtful, regular strategic planning is essential to nonprofit organizations. Successful mission delivery and fulfillment, organizational growth and expansion, and a solid financial footing all depend on your organization’s commitment to establishing a shared vision for the future and identifying the specific strategies and action steps needed to realize that vision.

Together, our global family, experienced something we never could have imagined during the COVID-19 pandemic. And, with the Delta variant of the virus raging across our country and world, it’s hard to predict when the pandemic will be behind us. 

We know most nonprofit organizations experienced some disruption caused by the pandemic, and in these times, the work of the social sector is even more critically important. Organizations serving the greater good must continue to clarify the purpose and aim of their work as well as planning for their futures.

Nonprofit Board retreats can be a productive tool to get key volunteers and staff on the same page. It’s an opportunity to devote a significant amount of time solely to an important topic or agenda item, without interrupting the normal business of a standing board meeting.

We recommend setting aside time for you and your organization’s leadership to focus on important issues. Board retreats can also be an effective tool for building camaraderie and collaboration among board members. According to the BoardSource Leading with Intent: 2017 National Index of Nonprofit Board Practices, 42 percent of nonprofit boards hold annual retreats for their board members. The report indicates that providing this type of social time can be impactful when it comes to increasing the level of satisfaction board members feel with their board service. CEO’s of boards which held annual retreats were more likely to report their board worked as a collaborative team and that their board members were eager to serve the maximum number of terms on the board.  

As for planning a retreat and the topics that need to be covered, there are several considerations that should influence your thinking:  

I’ve spent a good deal of my career thinking about events and how to best use them in successful development programs. I’ve worked for organizations where key special events serve as the base of their philanthropic outreach.