National Center for Responsive Philanthropy
An advocate for nonprofits for more than three decades, NCRP promotes philanthropy that serves the public good, is responsive to people and communities with the least wealth and opportunity, and is held accountable to the highest standards of integrity and openness.
Why Develop a Strategic Plan?
Strategic planning continues to encourage debate and conversation in the nonprofit sector about whether the process is still relevant in today's environment or if there are alternatives that might offer more timely ways to increase impact.
TCC Group worked with Aaron Dorfman, Executive Director of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP), to assist in the development of a five-year strategic plan for the organization. At the time, NCRP was "an organization in transition – and that's a dangerous place to be for a nonprofit," says Dorfman. "We needed to clarify our vision and plans quickly so we could rebuild the staff and donors and get back to the important work of achieving our mission."
Dorfman and his TCC Group consulting team began by devising a planning process that included a situational analysis to gather objective information on NCRP and its external environment. TCC Group carried out a thorough review of internal and external documents; conducted interviews with board, staff, and external stakeholders; and used a logic model to visually depict NCRP's resources, strategies, and outcomes. As Dorfman recalls, "I really couldn't have done it alone. It was essential to have a partner for this process who was a little bit removed from the day-to-day operations of this organization."
The next step was for the NCRP Board to review the situational findings and make decisions for NCRP's future at a two-day retreat. Based on their decisions, TCC Group facilitated several workgroups to develop the five-year strategic plan. "TCC Group was a fantastic thought partner for our strategic planning process," Dorfman notes. "They helped me clarify my own thinking, and that of our board, regarding our goals, objectives, and strategies."
Dorfman cites that the reason he chose TCC Group was twofold: "after reviewing TCC's proposal and talking with the team, I had a high degree of confidence that they could get us to a good result at the end, and TCC had the capacity to move as rapidly as I needed to move. I knew I would hit my deadlines with TCC." Now, several years into their strategic plan, NCRP is on track and "doing what [they] said [they'd] do."
The plan's goals included strengthening democracy by engaging those in need and to promote philanthropy that "serves the public good." With TCC Group's guidance, which Dorfman calls "extremely thoughtful, and culturally competent," NCRP is well on their way to achieving these goals.
