Nonprofit Strategic Planning Facilitation
Facilitated Strategic Planning for Nonprofit Organizations
IdeaGuides leads your board, staff and leadership team through a structured session that ends with agreed goals, tactics and next steps.
- A written plan with mission, values, goals and tactics
- Every voice is heard, so people leave aligned
- Held on-site, at your retreat, or fully remote
Facilitating since 1999. Over 150 clients and more than 250 projects completed.
Prefer to talk? Call 1.415.479.2028
Request a quote for your planning session
Tell us about your organization and what you want the session to achieve.
Why nonprofits bring in an outside facilitator
You take part, not run the room
Your executive director and board chair join the conversation instead of steering it. We handle the process.
A plan you can act on
We guide you from reflecting on the past to setting goals and tactics, so the plan does not sit on a shelf.
Real alignment, not polite silence
Sessions are highly interactive. Every person contributes, so decisions come with genuine buy-in.
Experience with mission-driven groups
Our facilitator Michael Wong specializes in non-profits. We also work with government agencies and schools.
Built around your group
Sessions run from 1 to 3 days for groups of 5 to 500 people, on-site, off-site or remote.
Facilitators who wrote the books
Our team includes authors of books on strategic planning, meetings, innovation and team building.
What a facilitated nonprofit planning session looks like
We guide your group through a structured, creative process that produces a clear and actionable strategic plan. You look back at what has worked, name your mission and values, study where you stand today, picture the future you want, then set goals and the tactics to reach them.
Every session is shaped around your organization. We can add team alignment, role clarification or conflict resolution work when a board and staff need to clear the air first. Large groups can use Open Space Technology, World Café or Appreciative Inquiry so hundreds of stakeholders still get heard.
- Strategic planning sessions run 1 to 3 days
- Executive retreats and board advances run 1 to 4 days
- Delivered on-site, off-site or remotely
- Works for groups from 5 to 500 people
- Covers mission, values, current state, vision, goals and tactics
- Options for role clarity, conflict resolution and team alignment
- Large-group methods: Open Space, World Café, Appreciative Inquiry
- Sessions are designed after interviews and surveys with your people
Trusted by nonprofits, agencies and schools
“This planning session absolutely met my expectations. Bruce was kind and courteous. He was very effective at keeping the participants engaged and on task. The board came away from the session with good direction and attainable goals.”
“Our staff had the opportunity to work with Bruce in a one day retreat, focusing on communication and collaboration between the various staff deparments. Bruce really helped us define our strengths and weaknesses and set our goals for improvement for the school year and beyond. At our monthly meetings, the agendas are driven by the goals we set with Bruce and more productive than before. We communicate more efficiently and an openness has arisen, where communication feels more "safe" and constructive. Overall, our team has found a new cohesiveness and therefore, we have made better decisions and put new practices in place that benefit not only our departments, but the school as a whole. Moreover, Bruce was a great guide to our work, while allowing our needs to be heard and drive the agenda for the day. Everyone is still taking about how much fun they had. I highly recommend Idea Guides for your next team building retreat.”
“I have been to countless workshops on team building. However, yours was without a question one of the best I have ever participated in. Your exercises were user-friendly, fun to do, and most importantly, truly served their educational purposes...Furthermore, I felt that your group facilitation skills were among the best I had ever witnessed. Even with a tough audience, you made everyone feel comfortable and energized. For me, your session made my 6-hour plane trip (in each direction!) worth it.”
What happens after you request a quote
We learn about your organization
We talk through your mission, who needs to be in the room, and what you want to decide.
We design the session
You get a proposed agenda, format and pricing built around your group, your dates and your location.
We facilitate and you leave with a plan
A facilitator runs the session so your team can take part, and your group leaves with clear goals and next steps.
Frequently asked questions
How much does nonprofit strategic planning cost?
Pricing depends on the length of the session, the size of your group, and whether it is held at your site, off-site or remotely. Tell us what you have in mind and we will quote it.
How long does a strategic planning session take?
Strategic planning sessions run from 1 to 3 days. If you want a broader retreat with team building or problem solving added, those run 1 to 4 days.
Can you facilitate the board and staff in the same room?
Yes. We facilitate leadership teams, boards, staff and cross-functional groups, from 5 to 500 people, and we design the process so every voice is heard.
Do you travel to our location?
We are based in the San Francisco Bay Area and work nationwide across the United States, including Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Chicago, Austin, Dallas, Houston and Las Vegas. We also run sessions remotely.
Do you have experience with nonprofits?
Yes. Michael Wong on our team specializes in non-profits, and our clients include non-profits, government agencies such as the City of Oakland, and educational institutions.
What do we walk away with?
A clear, actionable strategic plan: your mission and values, an honest look at where you are, the future you are aiming for, plus goals and the tactics to get there.
Ready to plan your nonprofit's next chapter?
Send us a few details about your board, staff and timing. We will come back with a session design and pricing.
- A written plan with mission, values, goals and tactics
- Every voice is heard, so people leave aligned
- Held on-site, at your retreat, or fully remote
Prefer to talk? Call 1.415.479.2028