The Strategic Planning Triangle is a fundamental model for the theory of change, widely used to prepare future plans for nonprofit organizations in the charitable field. It serves as a simple tool that helps the team to identify and clarify the relationship between the services provided by the organization and the achievements realized. Based on this, you can create a triangle that helps prepare a plan for the new project and clarify the goals of the existing project to inform donors about the various aspirations of the organization.

Below is a presentation of the seven stages to create the Strategic Planning Triangle:

  1. Prepare your organization's triangle model:

A triangle should be drawn and divided into three parts, either electronically or on a piece of handwritten paper, and the triangle includes: the overall goal, specific goals, and objectives.

2. Define your overall goal:

The nonprofit organization should strive for a long-term transformational change by defining the overall goal, which helps the organization focus on making the change rather than on the charity work it provides. Additionally, the overall goal should be related to the organization's mission.

Your overall goal should:

  • Identify the target groups that the organization aims to benefit in the long term.
  • Define the scope of the target groups: does the organization aim to bring about change at the level of a city or a specific region, nationwide, or internationally?
  • Specify the change that the organization seeks to achieve for the benefit of the target group.

Your overall goal should not:

  • Simply describe the work that the organization does. In this context, the organization should describe achievements by using phrases such as 'increase', 'improve', 'more', 'better', or 'reduce', and phrases like 'maintain' or 'prevent' can be used if the situation would worsen without the organization's help.
  • Use embellished language or phrases like 'empower' or 'achieve', instead, it should highlight how the organization is helping people or how important their ability is to achieve certain goals.

Examples of overall goals include:

  • Improving the living standards of the elderly.
  • Maintaining biodiversity.
  • Reducing child poverty.

3. Define your specific goals:

Your specific goals aim to achieve near- and medium-term changes, thus they need to be achieved to support progress toward the organization’s overall goal. Furthermore, the organization should consider the obstacles hindering its path to achieving the overall goal, which will help in defining the specific goals.

Your specific goals should:

  • Clarify the organization’s achievements by using phrases like 'to increase', 'to improve', or 'to reduce'.
  • Specify the beneficiaries.
  • Be clear and concise.

Your specific goals should not:

  • Describe the work the organization will do.
  • Be numerous.
  1. Define your objectives:

The organization’s objectives are the activities it carries out to achieve its specific goals. Based on this, the types of activities that help achieve its aims should be defined.

Your objectives should:

  • Describe the work the organization does by using phrases that express program implementation, not achievement. For example, phrases like 'to provide', 'to operate', 'to deliver', or 'to organize'.
  • Be related to one of your specific goals. It is also useful to draw lines on the Strategic Planning Triangle to show the relationship between the goals and the specific goals.

Your objectives should not:

  • Be numerous and should not exceed six objectives at most, to keep the Planning Triangle easy to read and understand.
  1. Ensure that the Strategic Planning Triangle has clear and realistic dimensions:

The Strategic Planning Triangle should be clear in terms of the organization’s achievements in the short, medium, and long term.

Ensure that the triangle:

  • Is logical: there should be logical connections between the three sections of the nonprofit organization's planning triangle.
  • Is realistic and achievable: by asking questions such as: 'Does achieving the specific objectives contribute to achieving your overall goal?', 'Will achieving your objectives lead to achieving your specific goals?'
  • Is clear: ensure it is free from technical terms and acronyms.

6. Review your nonprofit organization’s triangle with others:

After creating your organization’s triangle, review it to identify points for modification and improvement. You should also try to do this with different parties to obtain various perspectives and strengthen the organization’s mission. In this regard, you can involve colleagues, directors, trustees, beneficiaries, or partners.

  1. Utilize the planning triangle:

During this stage, the Strategic Planning Triangle should be put into action, and it should be noted that it helps the organization plan its projects and enrich its strategy.

Source:Know How Non Profit