Business intelligence is necessary when developing a nonprofit business model. A strategic plan will outline the plan by which your organization will execute the vision. Many faith-based and ministry leaders rely solely on the “leading of God” without creating a plan that will aid them in fulfilling their mission. While the leading of God is vital to every area of our lives, God’s prompting does not negate our responsibility in establishing structure to our organization. The plan of execution is equally important as the vision itself. One of God’s first actions was to create order out of chaos. God created the heavens and the earth from the darkness and void that existed in the beginning. Scripture tells us, “But be sure that everything is done properly and in order” 1 Corinthians 14:40 NLT. By creating a strategic plan, you are converting the ideas, gifts and concepts that God gave you into order.
Strategic planning is actually an act of stewardship. It is surrendering your vision to a structure that will yield a maximum return for your organization. Strategic planning will enable you to focus your resources and ensure all participants are working toward the same goal. It will also provide measurements to assess and adjust the organization’s response to a changing environment. Strategic planning is critical to the success or failure of your nonprofit or church. There is still room for God’s leading during the process; strategic planning simply provides the discipline needed to achieve the desired results.
If your small business, nonprofit or ministry need help developing a business plan, call Alliance for Greater Works at 817 835-0271.