Your strategic planning process is about so much more than the final document.
Done right, it’s a powerful journey that generates early buy-in and leverages full-team creativity.
Laridae will ensure you make the most of the strategic planning experience. We will guide your organization through the necessary work to clarify focus, deepen trust, and re-energize commitment to your purpose. You will emerge stronger, poised, and ready for what’s next.
Quick Links
- What is special about Laridae’s approach to strategic planning?
- What will benefits will you experience at the end of the strategic planning process?
- What is it like to develop a strategic plan with Laridae?
- What experience does Laridae have helping non-profits with strategic planning?
- Free strategic planning resources
- Get in touch
“Developing a strategic plan can be an overwhelming task. Thanks to Laridae the process was timely, engaging and strategically executed. Laridae was responsive to our needs and great to work with.”
– Heather Norris, CEO, United Way Northumberland
What is special about Laridae’s approach to strategic planning?
We take the time and do the work required to ensure an impactful process with actionable outcomes.
The Right People from Day One
Laridae takes a board-led and staff-supported approach. We bring the whole board in early and maintain ongoing engagement for maximum alignment with the final strategy. Our continuous involvement sets them on a path of effective governance moving forward.
Adaptable
We are responsive to new discoveries or your changing needs to best support you throughout the process.
Builds Capacity
We ensure you have the knowledge and resources to do the work within your new strategic plan yourselves. We are always conscious of your capacity and strive to build on it where possible.
Listen and Learn
We believe authentic stakeholder engagement, which means asking all the hard questions, and actively listening to the perceptions and experiences shared in response. By investing in engagement early in the process, your strategies will tackle the right problems, while building trust and gathering buy-in along the way.
Actionable
Laridae helps you craft clear, powerful plans that are as applicable and relevant on day one as on their final day. You’ll hit the ground running with action items that can be implemented right away to build early momentum with your team.
“The methodology and hands-on approach to soliciting, capturing, and analyzing community feedback was priceless to us. Jonathan and Rachel took us on a guided tour of our own organization that helped us to view it from a different perspective–a perspective necessary to help us move the organization forward in a healthy, strong, positive direction.”
– Juli-Anne James, Co-Founder, Streams Community Hub
What benefits will you experience at the end of the strategic planning process?
- Clarity about the path ahead and a road map for the future
- Focus for your collective efforts and resources
- Alignment around purpose with employees, community partners and other key stakeholders
- Agreement around intended outcomes and results
- Structure that informs your operational performance and annual planning
- Guidance for communicating your strategy to multiple audiences
“Our agency’s experience with the skills of Laridae during our strategic planning process was excellent. The Laridae staff met all our expectations and we have a plan that included strong internal and external engagement, meaningful strategic directions and the tools to develop an exciting operational plan.”
– Trish Baird, Executive Director, Community Care Northumberland
“The Laridae team was always helpful and professional. They tailored the process to respond to our organization’s needs and concerns.”
– Ross Wicks, Director of Governance, Pflag Canada
What is it like to develop a strategic plan with Laridae?
In a word: Comforting. Our consultants have achieved decades of combined experience developing strategic plans for over 100 non-profit organizations across Ontario.
We have developed a time-tested strategic planning process and methodology, grounded in best practices, which we adapt to the needs of each organization. We will bring all of this to your project.
Phase I: Get Grounded
We begin with a comprehensive review of key documents and in-depth discussions with the senior leadership and Board, setting a clear path forward and ensuring a complete understanding of your current state.
Phase II: Engage Stakeholders
This is our speciality. Over the years, Laridae has engaged tens of thousands of people through focus groups, 1:1 interviews, surveys, meetings and events. We know how to listen actively. Ours is an inclusive, in-depth engagement process that draws out critical, qualitative information. This helps us discern real problems from distractions, and define positive, achievable opportunities for the organization’s success.
Phase III: Participate in a Transformative Retreat
Our strategic planning process culminates with a facilitated, structured activity that allows the Board and senior leaders to achieve consensus on your strategic directions.
Outcome: Articulate a Clear, Concise and Actionable Plan
Following the retreat, Laridae will draft the strategic plan and work with you until the final product is everything you’d hoped for. We leverage the professional writers on our team to create clear, concise, and actionable strategic plan documents.
 Here for You, Every Step of the WayWe support you at every step along the way. With tools and checklists, communications tips and project management expertise, working with Laridae means the planning will be professionally completed, on time and on budget. The legacy will be deeper engagement and an increased level of trust. |
“Laridae’s specialization in non-profits made all stages of the strategic planning process relevant to our organization’s realities.”
– Kate Edwards, Executive Director, Association of Canadian Publishers
What experience does Laridae have helping non-profits with strategic planning?
We have helped over 100 non-profit organizations develop strategic plans. We have worked with a wide variety of sectors, including:
- Ageing & Long-Term Care
- Arts and Culture
- Child & Family Welfare and Wellbeing
- Children’s Treatment Centres
- Child & Youth Mental Health
- Community Health Centres and Public Health
- Developmental and Accessibility Services
- Early Childhood Education
- Food Security & Food Banks
- Housing, Shelters & Homelessness
- Indigenous-Serving Organizations
- Law and Justice
- Mental Health and Addictions
- New Canadians
- Violence Against Women (VAW)
“Laridae is an excellent guide for a volunteer board hoping to make needed changes in their organization. Honest and committed it definitely feels like they want to help you succeed.”
– James Sitar, Board Chair, Canadian Association of Staff Physician Recruiters
Free Strategic Planning Resources
Planning to Plan: How to Get the Most out of your Strategic Planning Process
The initial stage of “planning to plan” is one of the essential aspects of the Strategic Planning Process.
When organizations miss this initial step, it often results in conflict, misunderstandings, underwhelming results, or their final plan sitting on that proverbial shelf. This is no time to ‘wing-it’.
If you’re thinking of getting started, check out our article “How to Get the Most out of your Strategic Planning Process,” a practical guide that will take you through what you need to know – and what you need to ask – so you are prepared for a successful strategic planning process.
Organizational Readiness Self-Assessment Tool
Are you thinking about starting a strategic planning process? Would you like to identify which areas of your organization are well-prepared and which areas need to be flagged and addressed?
This tool is designed for non-profit leaders who wish to take the time to reflect on these foundational questions and strategic issues before they begin a planning process, in order to improve the outcome.
Download the Organizational Readiness Self-Assessment Tool here.
Take the Next Step
We Can Help
Get in touch and we can set up a free, no-obligation discovery call. We would love to work with you through a transformational planning process.