For many not-for-profits, planning has become increasingly challenging. Funding cycles are shorter. Compliance demands are growing. Workforce turnover is rising. At the same time, expectations around service delivery, impact measurement, and digital capability continue to increase.

In this environment, strategic planning is no longer a once-every-few-years exercise. It's an ongoing process that helps organisations navigate uncertainty, protect their mission, and build resilience, even with limited resources.

The organisations that will thrive in 2026 are not those with the most ambitious plans, but those with a clear understanding of their priorities, a structured approach to risk, and the ability to adapt as circumstances change.

Across the not-for-profit sector, leaders are facing a common set of challenges that make planning more complex than in previous years.

Funding instability remains the number one concern for many NFPs. Short funding cycles, increased competition for government grants, and tighter reporting requirements are placing a strain on financial sustainability. At the same time, NFPs are being asked to do more — often expanding services to meet growing community needs without a proportional increase in resources.

Workforce pressures add another layer of risk. High staff turnover, skills shortages, and difficulty retaining new employees all affect internal capacity and service delivery. When people leave, knowledge walks out the door with them, weakening continuity and progress.

Research from Infoxchange shows that 77% of not-for-profits still lack robust impact measurement systems. Without reliable data, it becomes harder to engage stakeholders, demonstrate value, and justify future funding.

These challenges make strategic planning essential — not as a compliance task, but as a way to boost clarity and focus.

Too often, strategic planning is viewed as an administrative requirement or a document created to satisfy board members and external stakeholders. In reality, a strong strategic planning process is one of the most powerful levers leaders have to guide decision-making.

Effective strategic planning helps organisations:

“We see technology working best when boards treat it as part of strategic decision-making, not an operational afterthought,” says Stephanie. “The role of digital is to support clarity — helping leaders understand where to focus, what to protect, and how to allocate resources in line with the organisation’s mission.”

The most effective not-for-profits treat strategic planning as a shared responsibility involving the strategic planning team, board members, internal teams, and, where appropriate, community members and other stakeholders.

Technology now plays a central role in how organisations operate. Yet in many not-for-profits, digital initiatives are still treated as operational projects rather than strategic priorities.

In 2026, this distinction matters.

Digital tech supports delivery, data collection, stakeholder, and scenario analysis. They also play a growing role in financial models, revenue streams, and risk management. When technology decisions are disconnected from strategy, organisations miss opportunities to strengthen resilience.

Leaders increasingly recognise that digital capability must support the organisation’s mission, not distract from it. This requires clarity around how technology enables strategies, protects services during disruption, and supports long-term sustainability.

A phased approach to digital adoption, rather than large-scale transformation, allows many organisations to move forward without over-stretching limited resources.

“Digital maturity doesn’t require a large transformation program,” notes Stephanie. “For many not for profits, resilience comes from phased adoption — strengthening core systems, improving data quality, and introducing tools that directly support service delivery and continuity.”

One of the most effective tools in modern strategic planning is scenario analysis. Rather than betting on a single future, scenario planning helps organisations prepare for different ways the next few years may unfold.

For many NFPs, three broad funding scenarios are worth considering:

For each scenario, leaders should ask:

Not-for-profits that build scenario planning into their strategic planning process are better positioned to maintain progress when circumstances change. Research from the Centre for Social Impact suggests organisations with scenario plans are far more likely to maintain services during funding shocks.

“Scenario planning becomes far more practical when organisations have access to timely, reliable data,” says Stephanie. “Technology enables leaders to model different funding outcomes, stress-test decisions, and understand the impact on services before those scenarios become reality.”

Strategic plans succeed or fail based on stakeholder engagement.

Stakeholders bring different perspectives, insights, and expectations. Boards focus on governance and risk. Employees understand operational realities. External stakeholders, including funders and partners, provide insight into sector trends and opportunities.

Engaging stakeholders early helps build shared ownership of the plan and ensures strategic priorities reflect real-world constraints. It also improves the organisation’s ability to engage stakeholders over time — particularly when difficult decisions must be made.

Best practice strategic planning balances consultation with focus. Not every voice can shape every decision, but all stakeholders should have a clear understanding of the organisation’s vision, objectives, and direction.

“One of the overlooked benefits of modern digital platforms is how they support stakeholder engagement,” says Stephanie. “When boards, teams, and partners are working from the same data and shared tools, conversations become clearer, faster, and more focused on outcomes.”

Financial sustainability underpins every strategic plan. Without it, even the strongest mission cannot be sustained.

For many organisations, sustainability means diversifying revenue streams, strengthening financial models, and improving visibility over income and expenditure. It also means understanding how resources are allocated and ensuring assets are used effectively to deliver greater benefit.

Strategic planning helps organisations identify where money creates the most impact and where activities may no longer align with priorities. This clarity supports better decisions around funding, services, and future investment.

Importantly, financial sustainability is not about chasing profit for its own sake. It is about ensuring the organisation can continue to operate, support its community, and achieve long-term success.

“Financial sustainability is ultimately about visibility and control,” notes Stephanie. “Technology helps NFPs understand how funding flows through the organisation, where resources are creating the most benefit, and where small changes can improve outcomes.”

In a constrained funding environment, partnerships can unlock capacity that individual organisations cannot achieve alone.

Shared services, cross-sector collaborations, and pro bono partnerships allow not-for-profits to access tools, expertise, and support without heavy capital investment. These partnerships also help organisations learn from other nonprofits facing similar challenges.

Strategic planning provides a framework for assessing which partnerships align with the organisation’s mission and which do not. It also ensures partnerships support long-term objectives rather than creating new complexity.

A regional organisation recently increased service reach by 30% through a technology partnership that improved data sharing and coordination — a reminder that resilience is often built through collaboration, not isolation.

“Partnerships work best when technology removes friction rather than introducing it,” says Stephanie. “Shared platforms, secure collaboration tools, and consistent governance allow NFPs to work together without duplicating effort or increasing risk.”

While long-term planning is essential, organisations also need momentum. A practical way to achieve this is by pairing a strategic plan with a 90-day action horizon.
Immediate priorities often include:

• Reviewing governance arrangements
• Improving data hygiene
• Assessing cyber and operational risk
• Clarifying roles and responsibilities

Building resilience with the right partner

Take the next step toward resilient growth