Alan Tuck and Nan Stone

As U.S. nonprofits continue to take on more responsibility for redressing social ills, a growing number of large networks have embarked on initiatives to raise their performance to a new level. Succeeding in these efforts is no small feat, because it requires aligning diverse groups—on-the-ground service providers, national office staff, national board members—around a common vision. But, done well, the rewards can be tremendous in terms of lives transformed and human potential unleashed.

Although approaches vary, establishing a new strategic or business plan is almost always part of the effort. The planning experiences of America’s Promise Alliance, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Communities In Schools, and the National Council of La Raza suggest a set of useful insights with broad applicability for executives and board members working to create networks that are truly more than the sum of their parts. The unifying theme: how you plan is at least as important as what the plan ultimately says.