Principles
and
Practices
for Florida
Nonprofit
Excellence
Planning:
Organizational planning sets the overall direction, activities and strategies
a nonprofit employs to fulfill its mission. Nonprofits have a duty to engage in sound
planning, define a clear vision for the future, and specify strategies, goals and
objectives for plan implementation. Planning should incorporate input from
constituents and should be intentional and ongoing to successfully position the
organization to achieve its goals.
Mission:
1) A nonprofit should have a written mission statement which is sufficiently specific to effectively
guide the overall aims and activities of the organization.
2) The mission statement should be linked to the values of the organization and its
vision for the future.
3) As part of ongoing planning, and with input provided by the organization’s constituents, the
mission statement should be evaluated regularly by the board with regard to its relationship to
the organization’s current activities.
Community Input:
1) In planning for their activities, nonprofit organizations should be responsive to community
needs and should solicit input from a variety of sources such as board, staff and community
members and other constituents.
2) Nonprofits should consult with their counterparts to determine the need for services and the
best use of community resources.
Strategic Plan:
1) The board of directors should establish a rigorous process of setting clearly defined goals and
objectives to accomplish the organization’s mission. This plan should be reviewed annually and a
new plan should be developed and adopted at least every five years.
2) Goals and objectives should be reasonably attainable given staffing, resources, constituents
and the number of people being served.
3) A nonprofit organization should periodically conduct an environmental scan that includes an
evaluation of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats as part of strategic planning.
Operational Plan:
1) A nonprofit organization should annually create a written operational plan which specifies
implementation of its activities.
2) The operational plan should include goals and objectives that are set by the organization in
order to positively benefit individuals and society.
3) The operational plan should clearly define specific program, financial, personnel and
evaluation activities; delineate timelines; and assign specific responsibility for implementation.
4) The operational plan should be a useful management tool for evaluating activities and
outcomes and should be tied to an approved budget.
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The Florida Association of Nonprofit Organizations 7480 Fairway Drive, #205, Miami Lakes, Florida, 33014 305. 557. 1764
© 2013
