Strategic Planning – Board Input Survey

If any of you brave hearts are about to embark upon your next cycle of strategic planning, I share with you, below, a Board Input Survey we co-created with the help of our strategic planning consultant, Michela Perrone of MMP Associates. The survey worked extremely well and helped us all get clear, real, and focused on exactly what we need to do over the next 3 years.

Several features of the survey, and the process itself, contributed to some very honest feedback. It helped distill the ensuing discussion down to the very essence of our purpose and mission.

The Likert scale is unique and captures movement across all attributes of the organization. The open ended quesitons encouraged thoughtful feedback. The completed surveys were submitted directly to the consultant, Dr. Perrone, who prepared a general summary in her own words of the results, without individual attribution. And the outcome was a concise strategic plan across four distinct “Critical Areas of Engagement” that captured the very essense of our work.

Click “Read more” for the entire text of the Board Input Survey.
Board Input on the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia’s 2010-2013 Strategic Plan

Please use this 0-5 rating scale to evaluate the following attributes of the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia.

0 = Don’t know
1 = Nonexistent
2 = Deteriorating
3 = Static / Steady
4 = Improving
5 = Optimum

I. GENERAL ATTRIBUTES:

Board Development ______
Board Diversity ______
Board Functioning ______
Branding ______
Communications ______
Community Impact ______
Loudoun Outreach_____
Organizational Financial Stability _____
Philanthropic Leadership Development_____
Staff Development ______
Staff Diversity ______
Staff Functioning _____
Volunteer Engagement ______

II. FUNDRAISING and DEVELOPMENT ATTRIBUTES:

Unrestricted fund development, including Campaign ______
Donor advised fund development ______
Gala revenue growth (year over year)_____

III. PROGRAM ATTRIBUTES:

Unrestricted grant focus (key funding priorities) ______
Needs Assessments ______
Gala Program ______
Planned Giving Council Activities ______

1. What should the Community Foundation stop doing?

2. What should the Community Foundation start doing?

3. What should the Community Foundation do more of?

4. What should the Community Foundation do less of?

5. What is your future vision for the Community Foundation. In other words, what does success look like for the Community Foundation three years from now?

6. If you were running the Community Foundation, what would you do in the next 12 months to improve community impact?

7. Is there anything else you would like the Board to consider in the strategic planning process?