Strategic Planning: Your Bridge to Better Fundraising Efforts

The tall grass of public safety operations can sometimes feel cluttered with too many priorities. Taking a step back to develop a strategic plan can be the bridge your department deserves to a stronger tomorrow. A strategic plan can serve as a bridge to:

1. An even safer community
2. More efficient operations
3. More fulfilled firefighters, be they career or volunteer
4. Stronger community connections

Although some strategic or business plans look out as far as ten years, a plan that covers no more than three to five years is generally recommended. Funding sources and community realities often change dramatically during that time. Once a plan is in place, it can be updated annually to make it a continual bridge towards an even better future. 

Strategic planning makes fundraising efforts better through definition of need to donors. A request that says, "Your fire department operations would be improved through a backup power generator. Your fire department would be honored by your support" is much stronger than an appeal that relies only on community goodwill in making the fundraising ask. Prioritizing unfunded needs through strategic planning brings a more meaningful case to your community.


An outside facilitator is often used for the full strategic planning process to ensure impartiality and a compass for the process. The facilitator will often prepare a detailed reference document to ensure your bridge to a better department. As an alternative, the Amazon Affiliate link below offers strong workbook-based information on the process:

FlashPoint Fundraising offers strategic planning facilitation services.  Send us an email today with the subject line, "I was reading carefully" and you will receive a free example three year plan from a Midwest department. 

Strategic planning is about where your department goes from here. It's about how you build on your strengths, as Lewis Carroll reminds is in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland:

"Would you tell me which way I ought to go from here?" asked Alice.

"That depends a good deal on where you want to get," said the Cat.

"I really don't care where" replied Alice.

"Then it doesn't much matter which way you go," said the Cat.