Innovative Concepts

Battleship Strategic Planning

If your strategic planning attempt reflects playing the strategy game Battleship, then the prospects of success are limited. The possibilities of arranging the ships on the board are vast. This is akin to selecting the strategies and goals in a traditional plan. Then, we must start guessing in some methodical or random order to hit the correct positions and create an impact. The calculations behind the probability are significant.

There are a surprisingly large number of ways that the ships could be arranged: for example, a blank board with the usual 5 ships has 30,093,975,536 possible configurations. Source C.Liam Brown

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What if we adopted a more durable approach? What if our goal was not to ‘win’ strategic planning but to remain in the game (and mindset) of planning and amending. What if the act of thinking strategically was a sign of progress? What if we collaborated with others instead of playing in a silo? What if we relied on others to succeed so that we could thrive?

Unless You’d Rather Stay, Of Course

Hagrid offers Harry Potter two choices: to follow him to enroll in Hogwarts or to stay with the Dursley family. The story (and film franchise) would have been very different if Harry had chosen to stay with the Dursleys.

We are presented with the same opportunity daily. Although the magnitude of our decisions might differ daily, we can stay or go.

How do you approach ‘unless you’d rather stay’ options?

Perspective

If you search Google Maps for the Gulf of Mexico, you will generatedifferent results depending on which country your search originates in. A United States search delivers the Gulf of America, and a search in Mexico reveals the Gulf of Mexico. Regardless of the politics behind this naming dispute, it is a quick illustration that we might see the same thing but have different ways of articulating the answer.

Other Peoples’ Ideas
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When is it acceptable to use other people’s ideas for your enterprise’s benefit? In the social sector, an homage (or straight-out plagiarism) is acceptable in some circumstances. A successful gala becomes a template for others to replicate. An annual appeal (or annual report) is quickly adopted by peer organizations. A new source of engaged and effective board members is mined heavily by numerous causes. Network affiliates frequently hire (poach) development and marketing professionals from their peers, asking them to replicate successful campaigns.

However, there are times when fishing from another organization’s pond can be problematic. Attempting to recruit an Executive Director navigating the crux of stabilizing a local nonprofit or intentionally scheduling a last-minute ask (cutting the line) with a major donor just before another enterprise makes their pitch for a leadership campaign gift. Or a board member who takes confidential information from one meeting to another cause, foregoing their duty of loyalty to the source of the information.

How might we establish processes that allow the sector to thrive and our peers to succeed but retain our superpower to fuel the journey we have embarked upon? What trip wires and circuit breakers have you established to balance fidelity and partnership?

There, But Not There
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Flying back to the United States from Europe, our flight path crossed the Arctic Circle, traveled north of Iceland and across Greenland, and dropped down into Canada. I have been close to the Arctic Circle on land adventures but have never crossed the line of demarcation at ground level. If somebody asks if I have been above the Arctic Circle, technically, the answer is yes, but the answer is not what I would consider authentic.

How might we ask more intentional questions when seeking a factual answer? How might we remain curious rather than accepting the first response we receive?

Obstructed Views

A few years ago, a friend and I made dinner reservations at a hotel restaurant. We had just eaten breakfast and noted that the mountains and snow-covered valley views from the tables by the big windows were remarkable. So we requested a window table if possible. When we arrived for dinner, we were seated at a window table, but we had forgotten to account for the fact that sunset occurred so early in the winter season. We sat at the window table for our meal but could only stare into the night.

Sometimes, we make plans, assuming the views will be amenable to our experience. When an obstacle appears (weather, daylight, misaligned window, selecting the wrong side of our mode of transport), we must be content with the outcome. Planning can be tricky, and we are not guaranteed the results we outlined before arriving in person.

How might we be adaptable to the environment? How might our entire plan not hinge on a single attribute or assumption?

12 Critical Steps: Nonprofits Act Now

–> The following article’s attributes belong to the authors and Nonprofit Financial Commons. This information is timely for all of us in the social sector. Visit the Nonprofit Financial Commons for more resources and insights.

12 Urgent Financial Action Steps for Nonprofits: A 2025 Checklist by Steve Zimmerman and Ruth McCambridgeFor the Nonprofit Financial Commons 
For nonprofit leaders, 2025 started with a bang, featuring first a set of executive orders that targeted a specific set of issues and organizations but progressed quickly to a general order from the Office of Budget and Management (OMB), placing a freeze on all federal grants. This last directive, which occurred on January 27, was immediately stayed by a DC circuit court judge in response to lawsuits filed by NCN and others, and while that legal fight goes on, particular fields of nonprofits, like international aid organizations, are still being subjected to a wide array of more immediate cuts and threats. Many nonprofits, of course, did what they always do in such situations—laying quick groundwork to explore the full range of their possible choices for delivering on mission even when it appeared that a good part of their funding bases might be disrupted and maybe even eliminated virtually overnight. This article is intended to help nonprofit organizations take on the first phase of what is likely to be an extended period of financial uncertainty; and it is structured as an action checklist designed to build your organization’s agility under turbulent conditions. The first part focuses on the importance of building your ongoing access to unrestricted and liquid dollars while the second part is about using our network and advocacy to protect ourselves, other nonprofit organizations in our community and the people being politically targeted by these actions.
The Twelve Steps
1. Check and monitor your cash flow and liquidity.  How much time do you have before needing to reorganize if that is required? Disruption, whether caused by economic, regulatory, or political forces, is often first felt in cash flow. Understanding the organization’s cash position will help leadership determine the urgency of their response. To assess financial health, calculate the organization’s reserves using this formulacommonly referred to as LUNA or Liquid Unrestricted Net Assets:Net Assets Without Donor Restriction – Fixed AssetsTypical Month’s Expenses This ratio indicates how many months of operating expenses the organization has if no additional income were received. The higher the number, the more time leadership has to make strategic decisions.
2. Bill paying: begin to identify the timing of and need for expenditures.Identify any possible expenditures that can be put off. This includes, but is not limited to, capital expenditures the organization was going to undertake. However, whatever you do, DO NOT stop paying payroll taxes. Manage payables carefully, taking advantage of the full time the organization has to pay expenses.
3. Inventory all contracts along with their associated risks and requirements. Leadership should inventory all contracts to see how much latitude for renegotiation exists in them. Contracts should include funding agreements as well as any contracts for services the organization may have. Knowing when grants or revenue contracts are up for renewal is essential to understanding when risk may be higher. Likewise, understanding cancellation terms on contracts is important to know where levers might exist for reducing costs
4. Be realistic and active on all elements of cash flow projections and management. If you have suffered from late payments on government contracts, it might be safest to assume that the problem may worsen in the near future. Take the time to make sure that you have a realistic cash flow projection updated and ready to be used by staff and board.
5. Address any external barriers to the use of cash. Consider your banking relationship and any precarity in your line(s) of credit with an eye to retaining access to that debt. This is a great place to engage board members in the discussion and utilize any relationships they may have with your bank. Get involved with advocacy coalitions to ease issues with late payments and related problems wherever possible.
6. Address any Internal Barriers to the use of cash. Check board-imposed requirements regarding the use of reserves and possibly some types of endowments both for cash flow and replacement of at-risk operating funds. Begin a conversation at the governance level to lay the groundwork for this possibility.
7. Measure the risks in existing revenue mix. To understand financial risk, analyze revenue sources. Determine the percentage of total revenue that comes from government contracts, individuals, foundations, and other sources. Then, assess concentration within each category.   For example, if the organization receives 30% of its revenue from foundations, but 95% is from a single funder, the organization is highly vulnerable. This information provides context for understanding the implications of potential funding changes.
8. Refresh all local and field networks so that you are looped in on all the information related to changes in revenue streams and regulatory schemes as soon as possible. Things are changing quickly. Even if you don’t have federal funding, state and local funding may come from the federal government and be impacted by these changes. Additionally, as the changes flow through the economy, there may be an affect on individual donations or fee-for-service programs. Stay aware of the latest happenings by connecting to your local networks to listen and learn about the environment from others.
9. Push funders to increase liquidity, ease transaction requirements, and increase revenue dollars overall. During the pandemic, many foundations relaxed their restrictions on funding, even in existing grants. Approach local foundation funders to ask them to: Remove any restrictions on grants already made or under consideration. Begin to consider the need to give at a higher rate than usual – and potentially out of their endowments. Make loan monies available to affected groups when the problem is not revenue but cash flow. One of the problems in this situation is that nonprofits that are highly dependent on government grants tend to have less unrestricted funds proportionate to overall operating costs and those funds may already be tied up in the cash flow needed to cover late payments and operating costs not covered by government contracts. This means the very nonprofits that would be most affected by a potential federal freezes, cuts and terminations are likely to be those with the least flexibility. These organizations are anchor agencies in our communities that address basic needs such as health care, housing, early childhood education, and refugee settlement. They may need to access funds from places they may not have previously connected with. Make introductions to other organizations and approach funders collectively to address this community challenge.
10. Communicate, communicate, communicate.  While the intensity of a crisis may fluctuate, the importance of clear communication on strategies and the potential role of stakeholders in carrying those out remains constant.   The current uncertainty has created anxiety among leadership, board members, staff, volunteers, and constituents. Transparency, built trust, and acknowledgment of the personal stresses caused by this situation are all key.   Avoid making promises you cannot keep. Rather than guaranteeing programs will remain open, commit to inviting participation in finding the way forward while sharing what you do know, acknowledging what you do not know, and providing regular updates – even when there is no new information. Consider increasing the frequency of communications with key stakeholders and staff so they are informed and know the latest information. Establishing a predictable communication routine reduces anxiety and builds trust.
 11. Build and Deploy social capital In moments of crisis, nonprofits will generally find they can benefit greatly from engaging their human and social capital wisely. This realm of currency exists in your staff, networks and program participants and you will find it can often eventually be converted to dollars and cents though it is enormously valuable on its own. Empower the people closest to an organization – board members, staff, donors, volunteers, community members, and constituents – to spread the word. Encourage them to speak with friends, neighbors, elected officials, and other stakeholders about the organization’s impact and financial needs. When doing strategy, we often ask the question, “If we went today, who would it matter to and why?” Unfortunately, this is no longer a hypothetical question for many organizations. Use this question to articulate both the impact the organization has on direct program beneficiaries as well as the broader community impact strengthens advocacy efforts. Then, share this information with your friends and partners to amplify the organization’s story. Too often, nonprofit organizations are so busy delivering services that they neglect to advocate for their own survival. Now, more than ever, they must share their story effectively.
12. Support other organizations. At this precarious time, remember that you are not alone. Nonprofit organizations must work together to support each other and find solutions. Reach out to other organizations to understand their needs, how you might help them, and how they might help you. This collaboration to protect the most vulnerable in our communities is central to our identity.   

The Gutter

Gutters help keep the primary travel surface free of debris and precipitation. They collect everything from snow to trash to lost treasure. We barely see the gutter if the central lane is free of obstacles. But we reach a liminal zone when forced to navigate using the gutter due to hindrances, too many pedestrians on the sidewalk, or to evade collision. Gutters serve as thresholds between different forms of travel. Until we venture into one to expedite our journey or utilize it in an emergency, we rarely pause as we cross this boundary.

However, it can become emotional when forced into the gutter to accommodate a person or object deemed a priority. For example, proprietors may claim sidewalk space for their enterprise and route passersby into the gutter as egress. A poorly parked vehicle that

Navigating by gutters can add to our journey: it can make room for a wedding party spilling out of a church, creep past a fire truck engaged in emergency services, or accommodate a new neighbor moving into an adjacent property.

How might we recognize that how we position and communicate a detour, a reroute, or a temporary barrier may be interpreted in various ways?

The Making of ____ Was A Sh*T Show

A YouTube channel (The Making of ____ Was A Sh*t Show) highlights iconic movies and the lesser-known details behind each film’s production. The primary focus is on the movie’s obstacles and challenges it overcame. Many films made it to the silver screen despite all the odds stacked against them.

It reminds us that some of our best work encounters more obstacles than our less impactful efforts. A Tour de France cyclist can ride considerable kilometers of training on flat roads, but they will not be prepared for the race if they forego training in the mountains. We must venture into challenging terrain to fully develop a project’s potential. Getting lost, scraped up, and uncomfortable creates the stories we remember and tell afterward.