Charities Strategy and Impact Report 2021
4. Our findings
No organisation can truly expect to fulfil its
objectives without having a strategic plan
in place, However, the time horizon of a
plan can vary.
On average, the charities we assessed set strategic plans
lasting just over three years. Most operated short-term
(annual or two-year) plans at some point over the course
of the five years examined. But almost as many established
medium-term plans (three to five years). Longer term
plans, often in the range of seven to 10 years, were the
least adopted.
40 per cent of charities formally introduced new strategies
within the five-year period. In some cases, these were of
a length consistent with the one completed, ie a five-year
strategy ended and a new five-year one began. 15 per cent
of charities introduced new strategies during the period
Key findings
Almost a quarter produced annual strategies
that were either substantively or literally
identical every year
The largest charities were more likely to
adopt longer-term strategic plans
The middle-income tier saw the greatest
percentage of medium-term strategies
Those in the smaller income segment
produced shorter-term aims and objectives
15 per cent either abandoned, changed
or completed their medium or long-term
strategic plans before the conclusion of their
intended timeframe
before the previous plan was due to expire. In one instance,
this was the result of a five-year plan being successfully
completed within three years.
Consistency
Many strategic objectives remained consistent over time.
However, following the global pandemic, many charities
may now be considering how adaptable they are and how
consistent they will be moving forward. 13 per cent of the
charities we examined listed identical aims in each of their
annual, short-term plans. A further 10 per cent repeated
aims that were identical, only slightly rephrased. When
grouped together, almost a quarter of the charities we
assessed produced annual strategies that were essentially
stagnant over the five-year period.
4.1 Strategic plans
The charity that achieved its five-year plan in
three years set a flexible and considered plan:
'Over the five years of our strategy we'll use
our new goals as a prism for making decisions
about what new work we do and what existing
work we stop. This means we need to carefully
consider what we can afford within the current
financial climate, and in how many places we
should be delivering targeted services and
generating evidence in order to meet our goals.
We have learnt that impact is more likely to be
secured where a service centre is resourced
sufficiently to develop and take advantage
of building, and then making the most of,
relationships with our partners, to the benefit
of children and families locally and beyond.'
Three reporting years later, the charity stated:
'In 2016, we set ourselves an ambition… We're
proud to report that we have reached this
ambition in just three years. This section of our
report looks at how we reached each of our five
goals over the last year.'