The Nonprofit Strategy Revolution: Real-Time Strategic Planning in a Rapid-Response World

Turner Publishing proudly presents a fully-updated edition of The Nonprofit Strategy Revolution FINALIST, Ben Franklin Awards, Independent Book Publishers Association, Business Category

The world changes continuously and rapidly. It’s foolhardy to believe that strategies should not do so as well. Nonprofit leaders already know this, but traditional strategic planning has locked them into a process that’s divorced from today’s reality. That’s why plans sit on the shelf and why smart executives are always seeking workarounds in between planning periods. The Nonprofit Strategy Revolution offers a nimble and powerful alternative. In this groundbreaking book, strategy expert David La Piana introduces “Real-Time Strategic Planning,” a fluid, organic process that engages staff and board in a program of systematic readiness and continuous responsiveness. With it, your nonprofit will be able to identify, understand, and act on challenges and opportunities as they arise. At the heart of this practical book is the Real-Time Strategic Planning Cycle. Based on four years of research and testing with a variety of nonprofits, this proven process guides you through the steps to sound strategy. You’ll find tools for clarifying your competitive advantage; generating a strategy screen―criteria for evaluating strategies to be able to respond quickly; handling big questions; developing and testing strategies; and implementing and adapting strategies.

This second edition features a timely new preface and introduction; updated exhibits and case examples showing how concepts play out in real-life; five new tools, for a total of 32 ―10 of which are essential for forming strategies; Theory to Action sidebars telling you which tool to use for a given task; and a link to downloadable tools and worksheets, as well as a Facilitator’s Guide to Real-Time Strategic Planning that gives you everything you need: the day’s agenda, instructions for preparing flip charts, prework to be done, handouts, and worksheets. Use The Nonprofit Strategy Revolution and get the clarity and direction you need for maximum mission success.

David La Piana, the founder of La Piana Consulting, is recognized as one of the social sector's leading thinkers and consultants. He is known for an ability to quickly get to the core of complex strategic questions and for working collaboratively with clients to devise innovative solutions that meet their needs and accelerate their growth.

David coined the term "strategic restructuring" to refer to the continuum of mergers, joint ventures, consolidations, and joint programming through which nonprofits attempt to anticipate or respond to environmental threats and opportunities. He works closely with major foundations and national nonprofits to promote new ideas and tools that can enhance nonprofits' effectiveness. His work is driven by a commitment to building a more just and equitable world.

David has taught graduate level courses at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, and at the University of San Francisco's Institute for Nonprofit Organization Management. A popular speaker, he is a regular contributor to the national dialogue on nonprofit and foundation effectiveness and the future of the social sector. He is widely published and frequently interviewed by the media for his opinions on trends in the sector. He also recently published his first novel: First Generation.

David's latest nonprofit book is The Nonprofit Business Plan: A Leader's Guide to Creating a Successful Business Model. Among his many previously-published books and monographs are: The Nonprofit Strategy Revolution: Real-Time Strategic Planning in a Rapid-Response World (2008);Play to Win: The Nonprofit Guide to Competitive Strategy (2005), voted in the top three Nonprofit Book of the Year Awards from the Alliance for Nonprofit Management;The Nonprofit Mergers Workbook, Part I: Considering, Negotiating, and Executing a Merger (2000, 2nd edition 2008); and Part II: Unifying the Organization After A Merger (2004);Strategic Restructuring: Mergers, Integrations, and Alliances (2003);Tool for Assessing Startup Nonprofits: Due Diligence Guide for Grantmakers (2003);Real Collaboration: A Guide for Grantmakers (2001);Beyond Collaboration: Strategic Restructuring for Nonprofit Organizations (1997)

David received his Master of Public Administration degree in nonprofit management from the University of San Francisco, and holds graduate and undergraduate degrees from the University of California at Berkeley. A former VISTA volunteer, David has held senior management positions with the YMCA, The International Institute, and East Bay Agency for Children, a multifaceted human services agency which grew ten-fold under his leadership.

Melissa Mendes Campos is a partner with La Piana Consulting and plays a key role in advancing the firm’s research, writing, and communications to fulfill its commitment to sharing knowledge across the sector.