Strategic Planning: Organizations That Don’t Take Inventory Go Broke

Most organizations don’t fail because their mission isn’t needed.
They fail because they stop taking inventory.

Strategic planning, at its core, is not about glossy documents or five-year visions. It’s about regularly stepping back to assess what you have, what you’re carrying, what’s working, and what’s quietly draining the organization.

When organizations don’t do this, problems compound.

Programs continue because “we’ve always done it this way.”
Funding is chased without asking whether it truly fits.
Staff stretch themselves thinner every year.
Leadership stays reactive instead of intentional.

Eventually, the numbers catch up. Or the people burn out. Or both.

Regular strategic planning is organizational inventory. It asks hard but necessary questions:

• What programs are actually delivering impact?

• What does it really cost to operate today—not three years ago?

• Where are we subsidizing work with burnout instead of revenue?

• What risks are we carrying that no one wants to name?

• What opportunities are we missing because we’re too busy reacting?

Organizations that skip this work often believe they’re saving money. In reality, they’re deferring costs—until those costs show up as funding gaps, staff turnover, compliance issues, or crisis-driven decisions.

Strategic planning doesn’t prevent change. It prepares organizations to navigate it.

The most effective organizations we work with treat planning as a regular practice, not a one-time event. They revisit priorities, reassess capacity, and adjust course before problems become emergencies. This allows them to grow intentionally, fundraise with clarity, and make decisions grounded in reality rather than urgency.

Planning is also an act of respect—for staff, funders, and the communities being served. It acknowledges that resources are finite and that good intentions alone are not a strategy.

Organizations that take regular inventory stay nimble.
Organizations that don’t eventually hit a wall.

Strategic planning isn’t about predicting the future. It’s about understanding your present well enough to survive it—and build something sustainable beyond it.

By Matthew Vorderstrasse