Mission Impact

ROBERT M. SHEEHAN JR. is the Academic Director of the Executive MBA program at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park, where he is also a Lecturer in the Department of Management and Organization. He is also Principal of Sheehan Consulting, which provides consulting services in strategy development and implementation, leadership and teamwork development, board development, and succession planning for businesses, nonprofits, and government entities. Rob has more than thirty years of executive management experience, including eighteen years as the CEO of two different national nonprofits. His PhD research focused on nonprofit organizational excellence and he is a published researcher on nonprofit performance. He is an active member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, having served as President of both the Central Ohio and East Central Illinois chapters. He attained the association's CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive) designation in 1986.

• Introduction xiiiAcknowledgments xxiAbout the Author xxvChapter 1 What Is Nonprofit Strategy? 1What Is Strategy? 1Strategy Guides Performance 7Nonprofit Strategy 13Hypothetical Example Organizations 15Chapter 2 Designing the Strategy Development Process 19Are You Ready? 19Stakeholder Identification and Involvement 26Length and Scope 30The Strategy Development Group 32Application to Hypothetical Organizations 35Chapter 3 Your Mission Impact 49The Mission Accomplishment Approach 49The Mission Statement 51Mission Accomplishment Measures 54Your Mission Gap 64Application to Hypothetical Organizations 66Chapter 4 Vision for Your Organization 77What Is Vision? 77Aspirational Visions 78Role of Aspirational Visions 86Real-World Applications of Aspirational Visions 92Application to Hypothetical Organizations 97Chapter 5 Strategic Stretch Goals 103What We Know about Goals 103Outcome-Based SMART Goals 105Almost Impossible 107Real-World Applications of Stretch Goals 118Application to Hypothetical Organizations 124Chapter 6 Organization Assessment 131Planning Your Assessment 131External Assessments 134Internal Assessments 134The Venture Philanthropy Partners Capacity Framework 141The SDG SWOT Analysis 144Application to Hypothetical Organizations 146Chapter 7 Strategy Development 159Nonprofit Strategy Revisited 159Creating Your Organization’s Strategy 160The Strategy Narrative 166Application to Hypothetical Organizations 173Chapter 8 Strategy Implementation and Management 187Strategy First 187Aligning the Organization 189Annual Operating Plans 195Additional Management Concepts and Tools 200Leveraging Your Commitment and Hard Work 219Epilogue: The Seven Deadly Sins of Nonprofit Strategy 221Appendix A Venture Philanthropy Partners Capacity Assessment Grid 223Appendix B Summary of Hypothetical Organization Strategy Development Outcomes 257References 275AFP Code of Ethics for Professional Philanthropic Fundraisers 281Donor Bill of Rights 283Index 285