I was pleased to hear from the Taproot Foundation this week that they are expanding their pro bono technical assistance to include support for strategic planning. What is most impressive is that they have pinpointed specific parts of the process that they feel they can do best, and will not be trying to do it all. They will focus their efforts on research at the front end of the planning process, such as competitive scans, stakeholder mapping and cost analysis, and on developing measuring and monitoring systems after the plan is developed. So, I look forward to partnering with them to allow nonprofits to complete a quality, thorough planning process at a more affordable cost. Their new program will be launched in Seattle in September 2008.
A fun article outlining their approach, MBAs Gone Wild, was recently published in the Stanford Social Innovation Review.