New (Fiscal) Year, Same Risk: Don’t Let Your Nonprofit Strategic Plan Collect Virtual Dust

For many nonprofit organizations, July 1 marks the start of a new fiscal year. It is a natural time to set fresh goals, and look ahead with renewed focus. Whether you’re just kicking off a new five-year nonprofit strategic planning process that takes you to 2030, or continuing an existing one, you’ve likely identified the “big rocks” on the 12-month horizon and recently finalized your budget (and if your “final” budget has been revised three times already… you're not alone).

In both cases, this new fiscal year can offer a sense of clarity and momentum. It brings optimism about what is possible and creates alignment around where to focus. But strategic plans often bring a sense of overwhelm too, along with difficult decisions. These might include funding gaps or uncertainty, restructuring teams, sunsetting programs, confronting resource constraints, or changing how work gets done. That early energy can fade quickly unless it is backed by clear intention and consistent action.

So how can nonprofit teams stay on track with the goals and priorities they have set before the demands of daily operations take over?

As we close out nonprofit annual planning season with our clients, here are a few practical, light-lift strategies to help make your plans stick.

1. Block Quarterly Checkpoints Now

Before calendars fill up, take time to schedule quarterly planning check-ins. Go ahead and put them on the calendar. These do not need to be full-day retreats. A 90-minute session every few months can be enough to:

• Review progress on goals set for the quarter
• Reflect on what is working and what is stuck
• Reaffirm or revise priorities for the next quarter

Setting aside time in advance creates space for strategic reflection before it becomes urgent or slips off the radar. 

Tip: There are simple nonprofit planning tools and templates available, many of them free, that make these meetings easier to plan and run. Don’t reinvent the wheel. And no, we don’t get a referral bonus if you ask us for ideas. 

If you’re still reading and haven’t scheduled a “Q1 planning check-in” for late September, go ahead and do it now. And heck, cc me on it for accountability.

2. Use the Mid-Year to Take Stock and Scenario Plan (lite)

Late December or January is a great time to step back and assess where you stand. By then, your organization has experienced half the year and can make meaningful adjustments. Use this moment to:

• Assess the need for scenario planning. Has a key funder pulled back? Has demand shifted? Have new developments changed your long-term direction?
• Reallocate resources. Are time and money still aligned with your biggest priorities?
• Recommit to the work. Are your goals still the right ones? Is your team still clear on what matters most?

This does not have to be a major event. A single afternoon with your leadership team or board can be highly productive, even if done virtually. Don’t let logistics be the barrier.

3. Tie Next Year’s Priorities to the Budgeting Cycle

Nonprofit strategic planning should guide your budget, not follow it. As you begin thinking about next year’s budget (often in early spring for July fiscal calendars) make sure strategic priorities and high-level goals are clearly defined in advance.

This alignment ensures that your spending reflects your current values and future direction, rather than simply repeating the past.

4. Make the Plan a Living Document

Strategic and nonprofit annual planning documents are often treated as final deliverables. They are reviewed and approved, but then set aside. Instead, treat your plan as something you refer to often. For example:

• Bring key goals into team meetings
• Link staff goals and performance conversations to strategic priorities
• Use the plan as a filter when making budget decisions

If you find yourself off-track, it is not a reason to abandon the plan. It is a reason to revisit and adjust it.

5. Designate a “Plan Steward”

Every plan needs someone to keep it visible. This could be an executive director, a COO, a Board member, or a program lead. Someone should be informally or formally responsible for bringing the plan into regular conversations and decision points.

It does not need to be a big effort. A simple structure that reminds the team of shared goals can go a long way.

6. Celebrate Progress Early and Often

Momentum builds on small wins. Set up a light, consistent way to track and share progress. A dashboard, a team Slack update, or a quarterly “wins” recap can help keep everyone connected to the work and to each other.

This also reinforces how strategic planning connects back to real-world outcomes.

Final Thought

If your fiscal year began in July, this is the time to anchor your goals before they fade into the background. The most effective plans are not the ones with the longest documents. They are the ones that live in the habits and systems of your team.

Momentum comes not from bold leaps, but from consistent, intentional progress. Build your nonprofit strategic planning muscle now, and your organization will feel the difference all year long.

Want help getting started?

We are happy to share sample tools, templates or sample agendas that can make your strategic check-ins easier and more productive. Just reach out.

For organizations operating on a calendar year (January to December), this is your moment to start early thinking about 2026 goals. This early window is ideal for combining nonprofit annual planning with initial budgeting discussions. Don’t wait until Q4 to build alignment

About Two Five One

Two Five One partners with nonprofit leaders to help raise more money and better manage organizations from strategy to implementation. We bring for-profit strategy experience together with deep nonprofit fundraising, planning, and resource management work. We help teams align goals, budgets, and capacity.