What Does a Facilitator Actually Do in Nonprofit Strategic Planning?

What Does a Facilitator Actually Do in Nonprofit Strategic Planning?

Picture your last board retreat. Smart, well-meaning people in a room. An agenda. Everyone fired up. And then, three hours in, you're still relitigating the same two sticking points and the day ends in frustration instead of clarity. If that sounds familiar, this episode is for you, because you probably need a facilitator. In Episode 15 of Changemaker Conversations, Alyssa Conrardy interviews Lindsay Mullen on what a strategic planning facilitator actually does, and just as importantly, what they don't do. This episode is a candid look at when bringing in an outside facilitator is worth it, when it isn't, and how to tell the difference. Here's what you'll learn in this episode: * What a facilitator actually does day-to-day during strategic planning (and what they don't do) * The four roles every planning process needs to understand up front: community, board, leadership and staff, and facilitator * The difference between facilitation-only and full-service strategic planning, and which fits which kind of organization * Why "have you worked with a nonprofit like ours?" is the wrong first question to ask a facilitator * Why DIY-ing your stakeholder engagement (with facilitator templates and guidance) builds the muscle most nonprofits are missing | MENTIONED | Prosper Strategies Facilitation Services [https://www.prosper-strategies.com/strategic-planning/facilitation] | CONNECT | ChangemakerConversations.com [https://www.changemakerconversations.com] for show notes and additional resources Prosper-Strategies.com [http://www.prosper-strategies.com] to learn more about our strategic advising practice. Hello@ChangemakerConversations.com [Hello@ChangemakerConversations.com] with topic suggestions, guest recommendations or questions.

The 8-Step Shared Power™ Strategic Planning Process: A Real-World Walk-Through

Most nonprofits approach strategic planning the same way: a small group of senior leaders and board members make the calls, and then the plan gets shared out. Shared Power™ Strategic Planning flips that completely on its head, putting the people a nonprofit serves at the center of the most important decisions. In this episode, Alyssa and Lindsay walk through exactly how it works, step by step. Using a real client example, an organization navigating a complex multi-stakeholder landscape, they break down all eight steps of the Shared Power Strategic Planning™ process: Prepare, Engage, Research, Retreat, Set OKRs, Listening Sessions, Finalize, and Implement. You'll hear how the process works whether you're DIY-ing your plan, working with a facilitator, or partnering with a full-service firm, and what happens when you skip any of the steps.   In this episode, you'll learn: ✅Why deeply involving your stakeholders in strategic planning (before, during and after) is absolutely critical, and how to do it well ✅ Why preparation is really a readiness and culture check, not a scheduling exercise ✅ How to design stakeholder engagement that works for hard-to-reach populations like people living with serious diseases or youth ✅ What three assessments anchor the research phase and how they come together ✅ How a two-day retreat takes you from hundreds of strategic questions to three or four plan pillars ✅ Why listening sessions (often skipped entirely) can change the entire direction of a plan ✅ The role of OKRs in turning aspirational pillars into measurable, staff-owned work If you've ever wondered what it actually looks like to build a strategic plan that centers the people and communities your organization serves, how much time it takes, or what will be asked of you in the process, this is your episode.  🎁 Listener offer: Get $125 off the Nonprofit Strategic Planning Toolbox at strategicplanningtoolbox.com with code CHANGEMAKERCONVERSATIONS

Democratizing Nonprofit Strategic Planning: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Nonprofit Strategic Planning Toolbox

"Are you trying to put yourselves out of business?" That was the very first question Alyssa got after Prosper Strategies launched its new Nonprofit Strategic Planning Toolbox earlier this month. In this special solo episode of Changemaker Conversations, she answers it head-on — and tackles every other question that's been coming in since launch. Why would a consulting firm with 12 years of high-touch strategic planning experience release a DIY toolbox? What's actually inside it? Who is it for? And how is it different from the free templates already floating around the nonprofit sector? If your organization needs a real, stakeholder-driven strategic plan but a near six-figure consulting engagement isn't in the budget right now, this episode lays out exactly how the Toolbox is designed to close that gap.   Here's what you'll learn in this episode: * Whether Prosper Strategies is, in fact, trying to put itself out of business (spoiler: no — but the answer is more interesting than that) * What's actually inside the Toolbox — the 70+ page Guidebook, 17 tools across 8 modules, and Strately™  AI * How the Shared Power Strategy™ approach embedded in the Toolbox is different from traditional, top-down strategic planning * Who the Toolbox is built for — and who it's not for * A walk-through of the 8-module process from "Prepare" to "Implement" * What real results look like, including a $2.5M deficit reversal, a $1M capital investment, and a 75% program participation jump * How Strately™  AI fits in as your strategic planning coach (and where to be careful using it) * How long it takes to build your plan with the Toolbox, and what to expect if you've never led a strategic planning process before | LISTENER OFFER | 🎁 Save $125 (our biggest discount yet) on the Nonprofit Strategic Planning Toolbox with the code CHANGEMAKERCONVERSATIONS — exclusive to Changemaker Conversations listeners. Apply at checkout: https://www.strategicplanningtoolbox.com [https://www.strategicplanningtoolbox.com]   | MENTIONED | * The Nonprofit Strategic Planning Toolbox  [https://strategicplanningtoolbox.com] * S [https://prosper-strategies.com/shared-power-strategy/]hared Power Strategy™ framework [https://prosper-strategies.com/shared-power-strategy/] * Nonprofit Strategy System [https://prosper-strategies.com/nonprofit-strategy-system/] * This Episode's Blog Post [https://prosper-strategies.com/changemaker-conversations-strategic-planning-toolbox/] | CONNECT | * ChangemakerConversations.com [http://changemakerconversations.com] for show notes and additional resources * Prosper-Strategies.com [http://prosper-strategies.com] to learn more about our strategic consulting practice * Hello@ChangemakerConversations.com [Hello@ChangemakerConversations.com] with topic suggestions, guest recommendations or questions * On LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/prosper-strategies/] with Alyssa Conrardy [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssaconrardy/], Lindsay Mullen [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsaymmullen/] and Prosper Strategies [https://www.linkedin.com/company/prosper-strategies/]

Fix Your Funding, Part 3: Take On Scenario Planning

Funding uncertainty is top of mind for many nonprofit leaders right now. Between shifting policies, unstable grants, and rising demand for services, organizations are being asked to do more with fewer resources. In this episode of Changemaker Conversations, Alyssa Conrardy and Lindsay Mullen wrap up their three-part Fix Your Funding series by discussing a practical tool nonprofit leaders can use to prepare for uncertainty: scenario planning. Scenario planning helps organizations think through potential financial outcomes before a crisis hits — so leaders can make thoughtful decisions instead of reacting under pressure. In this conversation, Alyssa and Lindsay walk through a simple framework for creating “bad,” “worse,” and “catastrophe” scenarios and tying them to clear decision triggers. They also discuss how scenario planning can surface hidden organizational challenges and help nonprofit leaders move forward with greater clarity and confidence. In this episode, we discuss: * What nonprofit scenario planning is and why it matters right now * How to build “bad, worse, and catastrophe” financial scenarios * How to set decision triggers tied to financial indicators * What scenario planning can reveal about programs, staffing, and expenses * How to involve your board without pulling them into operational details * Why planning ahead can make crisis leadership easier Whether you’re already facing financial uncertainty or simply want to strengthen your organization’s resilience, this episode offers practical guidance for planning ahead. | SHOW NOTES | Fix Your Funding Part 3: Take On Scenario Planning [https://prosper-strategies.com/fix-funding-part-3-scenario-planning/]   | MENTIONED | * Blog post: Nonprofit Scenario Planning Guide [https://prosper-strategies.com/nonprofit-scenario-planning-what-it-is-and-why-you-need-it/] | CONNECT | • ChangemakerConversations.com [https://www.changemakerconversations.com] for show notes and additional resources • Prosper-Strategies.com [https://www.Prosper-Strategies.com] to learn more about our strategic consulting practice • Hello@ChangemakerConversations.com [Hello@ChangemakerConversations.com] with topic suggestions, guest recommendations or questions •On LinkedIn with Alyssa Conrardy [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssaconrardy/], Lindsay Mullen [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsaymmullen/] and Prosper Strategies [https://www.linkedin.com/company/prosper-strategies/]

How Should Nonprofit Leaders Show Up in Times of Moral Crisis?

In this powerful episode of Changemaker Conversations, we confront what it means for nonprofits and their leaders to show up in times of moral crisis. Amidst violent ICE raids and the recent killings of Renée Nicole Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, nonprofit leaders within and beyond Minnesota are grappling with how they can respond when communities are grieving, afraid, and in urgent need of support. Against the backdrop of recent events in Minnesota—and with an eye toward future crises—we explore the real risks, responsibilities, and decisions nonprofit leaders face when choosing whether to stay silent or speak out, and how to align their services and actions to meet the moment. If you’re wrestling with how your organization should show up while protecting its mission and adapt its work during times of moral urgency, this episode offers clarity, practical guidance, and a values-driven framework for action. Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode: * How to decide whether—and how—to speak out during a moral crisis like the one taking place in Minnesota right now * The risks of silence and the risks of public statements * How mission and values should guide crisis decisions * How nonprofits are showing up differently now as compared to during the racial justice movement of 2020, and what we can learn from that shift * A practical framework for nonprofit crisis response and communications * Why taking action - whether by aligning service delivery and programs to emerging community needs or supporting other organizations who can - matters most | MENTIONED | Minnesota Nonprofits: Acts of Solidarity for Friends and Allies Outside of Minnesota [https://minnesotanonprofits.org/ally-solidarity] Minnesota Nonprofits Resources for Supporting Communities During ICE Operations [https://minnesotanonprofits.org/ice-resources] Nonprofit Rapid Response Communications Framework [https://prosper-strategies.com/nonprofit-rapid-response-communications/] | CONNECT | ChangemakerConversations.com [https://www.changemakerconversations.com] for show notes and resources Prosper-Strategies.com to learn more about our strategic consulting practice Hello@ChangemakerConversations.com [hello@changemakerconversations.com] with topic ideas or questions On LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/prosper-strategies/] with Alyssa Conrardy [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssaconrardy/], Lindsay Mullen [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsaymmullen/] and Prosper Strategies [https://www.linkedin.com/company/prosper-strategies/]