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E-Newsletter -- April, 2005
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In This Issue:
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About Think Weeks and Strategic Planning Departments |
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Do You Care Who’s Using Your Organization’s Name? |
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Welcome SDPA Members! |
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Book Review -- Nonprofit Nation -- A New Look at the Third America |
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Please Share With a Colleague! |
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Featured Links:
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About Think Weeks and Strategic Planning Departments
The Wall Street Journal printed two articles on the same day, and both caught our interest as strategic planning consultants.
Microsoft CEO Bill Gates takes one week twice a year to take a wilderness retreat – alone – to read briefing papers from staff and other material, as well as to think about the future of the computing industry and Microsoft’s role in that future. Being away from phones, traffic, and people helps him concentrate on strategy and vision. He reads and thinks up to 18 hours a day. His sole contacts with the outside world are e-mail and a caretaker who drops off two meals a day.
Meanwhile, Disney has decided to dismantle its strategic planning unit. As Robert Iger prepares to take over from longtime CEO Michael Eisner, Mr. Iger wants to push more decision-making authority and accountability to line management and away from separate administrative units. Also, over time, the strategic planning unit had, at times, become a crisis management and business development unit, dealing with issues like EuroDisney’s troubles and building Disney’s cruise line.
There are key similarities in these seemingly different stories. First, CEOs are personally involved in and invested in the strategic planning process. Second, they expect their subordinates and their operating divisions to be thinking about strategy and making important recommendations about industry trends and organizational direction. Third, attempts to delegate strategic planning seldom work. Strategic planning is infused into everything a successful organization is and does. Segregating strategic planning into a distinct department implies that line management does not need to be, or, worse, is not allowed to be, concerned with strategy. It also places planning at a responsibility level below that of the CEO and the board of directors.
Do you reserve time to read and research, solicit ideas and analysis from your employees, and think about your organization’s strategy and vision? These activities are crucial to living the strategic plan, which is even more important than having a strategic plan.
Do You Care Who’s Using Your Organization’s Name?
Do You Care Who’s Using Your Organization’s Name?
Corporations guard their corporate identity because they know it’s an important asset, a key part of who they are and how the public perceives them. There are experts in “branding” who help companies build the value of their identity through logos, ad campaigns, marketing, etc.
Some nonprofits and charities also guard their brands with copyrights and trademarks, just as for-profit corporations do. They especially have to be careful about who raises money in their name. There are tax deductibility issues, liability issues, and, occasionally, issues of fraud to be considered.
Locally, we witnessed a stark contrast in approach. A local chiropractor sent out a mass mailing offering short exams, with a reduced fee to be donated to the local Salvation Army chapter.
The Salvation Army was unaware of this promotion using its name; the chiropractor had not solicited an agreement with the charity. This lack of agreement, of joint action, caused both to lose opportunity as well as face potential risk.
The local Salvation Army officials were unconcerned about the chiropractor’s promotion. They were unaware of both the power of their name being allied with a local business and the potential for liability should a dissatisfied patient believe that the Salvation Army in some way endorsed the chiropractor’s practice.
The local chiropractor’s mass mailing may have attracted some new patients to his practice. However, he missed an opportunity to work with the Salvation Army to craft a cause marketing campaign that would have been far more likely to serve both his business interests and raise more money for the Salvation Army.
On the other hand, a local car dealership recently launched a radio, TV, and print campaign to support a local homeless shelter. The message was clear, considerate, and balanced the interests of the charity with those of the business. The image, visibility, and revenue of both were enhanced through joint, collaborative effort.
Recent surveys show that when consumers choose between two similar products or retailers, 69% will choose the one with a strong relationship to a charitable cause. This is a powerful asset for a charity as well as for a business. Like any powerful tool, however, it can be used or abused. Whether you run a charity or a car dealership, protecting your brand and using it wisely will improve your chances of success.
Welcome SDPA Members!
Sumption & Wyland was recently contracted to act as the association management firm for the South Dakota Psychological Association. We are honored to assist this group of professionals to serve their profession and their members.
The state affiliate of the 150,000-member American Psychological Association (APA) acts as the professional association for licensed psychologists. SDPA advocates for the profession of psychology as a critical component of health care delivery. SDPA provides ongoing professional development for psychologists in the state, including the upcoming annual state conference to be held on Saturday, May 14, at Cedar Shore Resort in Chamberlain, SD.
For more information, please contact Michael Wyland at (605) 336-0244.
Book Review -- Nonprofit Nation -- A New Look at the Third America
Have you ever wondered about how and when charity was recognized by government and how it became a tax-exempt activity? What are the key characteristics of each part of the nonprofit sector, including the hundreds of thousands of nonprofits that aren't charities? What have the historical trends been, and how have they changed over the years?
If you're like me, these questions don't come up very often, but when they do, I feel like I should have some idea about the answers. This book answers these questions and more in a straightforward, nontechnical way. It gives added context and understanding about what we do everyday as professionals as well as donors and taxpayers.
Please Share With a Colleague!
If you find this free e-newsletter to be valuable and interesting to you, please share it with a friend or colleague. Subscriptions remain free, and we respect our subscribers' privacy.
Use the link on the newsletter, or have your colleague submit their e-mail address on the home page of our web site. It's that easy!
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