Strategic thinking and planning are fundamental tools that nonprofits use to organize efforts that support mission attainment. With competing priorities and community needs, program planners and organizational leaders need to devote time to thinking strategically and developing plans that are flexible and adaptable. This session delivers a practical, step-by-step approach to strategic planning that covers how to gather and analyze data needed to inform decision-making; who to involve at what steps in the process; and how to construct the necessary components of a strategic plan. 

This program is open to all nonprofits and the fee is $25.* Parking is free. *Scholarships are available for nonprofits who want to attend but need financial assistance.

Presenter: Erin Donovan, Associate Consultant

Erin Donovan is Principal Owner of rootED LLC and consults for nonprofits and faith-based organizations focusing on fundraising and development, board leadership and governance, strategic planning and change management, and succession and transition planning. She is passionate about justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion work. Erin is a known leader within the non-profit community, having served as an Executive Director of HopeSprings from 2011 through 2018, where she led a 325% growth and raised millions of dollars by engaging individual donors, corporate sponsors, Federal and local grants, and area foundations. She has spoken throughout the country.

Erin was formerly on the Johns Hopkins Center for AIDS Research Community Participatory Advisory Board, sat on the Mayor’s HIV/AIDS Commission for the City of Baltimore co-chairing the Faith work group, and on the board of the Presbyterian AIDS Network. She has developed trainings for the faith community such as Dialogue with the Church: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, published research articles such as Opportunities for religious and spiritual supports to promote HIV prevention and treatment adherence among Black MSM; and contributed to books such as “A Christian's Guide through the Gender Revolution” by Dr. Vince Gil. She is a Standards for Excellence^© Licensed Consultant through Maryland Nonprofits.

Erin is also the vice chair for World Relief and Vanguard University’s Board of Trustees where she also serves as president of the Vanguard University Alumni Board. She is passionate about raising up the next generation of nonprofit leaders. She is an adjunct professor with the College of Business and Leadership at Eastern University.

This program is a part of CFAAC Community Impact Speaker Series for Nonprofit Capacity-Building and is made possible thanks to the generous funding of Andrew and Leslie Price. Events in this series include: Strategic Planning for Nonprofits; Strategic Partnership/Corporate Integration; Risk Management, Donor database and Financial Management Systems; Executive Director Supervisory Skills, Managing for Mutual Success; and Board Governance/Innovative Board Recruiting.