Strategic Planning

Strategic planning helps leaders of nonprofit organizations learn, think, and act strategically. Analysis of internal and external environments, successes and failures, and existing priorities provides the framework for an organization’s evolution and enhanced effectiveness.

Janus Small Associates guides and empowers organizations to develop strategic plans that are practical and useful, including not only a road map for future direction but a means by which to build coalitions and activate and sustain their strategic work plan.

Janus Small shares her ideas about the best types of strategic plans:

Usually, the plans that sit on shelves were one or the other or both of the following:

  • They were not exciting.
  • They were not something that the board and staff embrace because they do not have the capacity to implement the ideas; the plans are beyond the scope or beyond the capacity of the organization.
  • I feel a very important part of strategic planning is looking at what it is going to take to make this reality – money wise, staff wise, other resources wise.

I like people to stretch, but I do not like an organization with a half million-dollar budget and a few staff members to put together a plan that requires them to be a $5 million-dollar organization with dozens of staff members.

Janus has an uncanny ability to draw out the opinions and beliefs of every person in the room. She is masterful in her attention to each participant, and in the end, everyone feels heard and understood.- Christine Mayer, president, GAR Foundation
I have had the pleasure of working with Janus and her team at JSA on many and varied projects over the years. Authenticity is the difference between a process that leads to a plan that sits on a shelf and one that actually affects positive change on an organization or community. Janus’ work is always authentic. She listens better than anyone I know. More importantly, she listens to everyone in the room; giving voice to those that are often overshadowed by louder folks in the room. The listening produces authentic information from which a plan can be established. Janus’ incredible mind and years of experience do the rest.- Howard Parr, executive director - Akron Civic Theatre