In our 20 years of experience working with hundreds of nonprofit organizations and schools, we often see disconnected and unaligned strategic plans and brands within our client partners. This typically results from one leadership structure being assigned the domain of strategic planning (board and executive leadership) and another to lead branding (marketing and communications).
These siloed projects result in missed opportunities, weakening your organization’s ability to achieve your best.
A brand strategy is a powerful framework to unite everyone around your big idea and align how you’re perceived with who you actually are — but that brand will stagnate without a bold vision for the future, spurring your community onward.
An inspiring strategic plan is your bold vision for the future and inspires your stakeholders through institutional commitments that dramatically move you forward — but that vision can only take root with a brand strategy that communicates who you are and what you do with a unified voice.
You need both. And they need to work together.
When linked, the elements of your strategic plan and brand strategy become a powerful decision-making tool and culture driver for leadership, board, and staff. Working in unison, this playbook provides you the guidance and confidence to:
- Easily assess new opportunities
- Effectively communicate both internally and externally
- Clarify your hiring and onboarding processes
- Manage through crisis
If you’re able to take on strategic planning and branding simultaneously, that’s great! And if your current strategic plan and brand strategy were not developed together, it’s not too late to create more alignment. No matter where you start, you must think about—and plan for—the points of intersection between the two. Our free guide, Integrate Your Brand and Strategic Plan, details the four key connection points to help you do exactly that:
And whatever your situation, Mission Minded would love to help you build a strategic plan or brand strategy that aligns with your current initiatives or lead a combined engagement that doubles your impact. We can help you pair strategic planning and brand strategy into one project, creating efficiencies for both and ensuring that your brand will hold up to your vision of the future. Check out Sterne School’s experience for one example of this powerful combination.
