Episode Details

What if the reason most nonprofit strategic plans fail isn’t the strategy itself, but the process behind it?

In this week’s episode of Nonprofit Nation, Julia sits down with nonprofit consultant, educator, and author Renee Rubin Ross to explore what it truly means to create an inclusive strategic planning process. Drawing from her new book, Inclusive Strategic Planning for Nonprofits, Renee shares why traditional top-down planning often falls short and how organizations can create plans that people actually believe in, support, and implement.

Together, they discuss:
 ✨ Why inclusive planning leads to stronger alignment and better outcomes
 ✨ The dangers of performative inclusion in nonprofit leadership
 ✨ How to authentically engage staff, boards, and stakeholders
 ✨ The difference between strategy that sits on a shelf vs. strategy that drives action
 ✨ Practical ways small nonprofits can embrace inclusive planning approaches

Whether your organization is preparing for a new strategic plan or struggling to implement an existing one, this episode offers thoughtful guidance for building a process that energizes teams instead of exhausting them.

🎧 Tune in now and join the conversation.

About the Guest

Dr. Renee Rubin Ross is a recognized leader in board and organizational development and the founder of The Ross Collective, a consulting firm that designs and leads inclusive, participatory processes for social sector boards and staff. She is the author of Inclusive Strategic Planning for Nonprofits: A Five-Step Process to Expand Energy, Alignment, and Opportunity and guides organizations through strategic planning and governance processes that deepen social change, racial justice, and community strength. Renee also directs the Cal State University East Bay Nonprofit Management Certificate program. 

🔗 Learn more about Renee Rubin Ross:
 • Website: https://www.therosscollective.com/
• Book: https://www.therosscollective.com/book

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