You’ve downloaded the free SWOT analysis template for nonprofit organizations – but now what?
First, we recommend deciding what you want to conduct your first SWOT analysis on. While it may be tempting to analyze your entire organization, it’s actually best to start small if you haven’t conducted a SWOT before. Choose a specific fundraising campaign, donor event, beneficiary program, or another sector of your organization to review first.
Then, gather a small team of stakeholders in your organization, whether that be staff, volunteers, or board members, to conduct a SWOT together during a brainstorming session. This is a great way to get creative juices flowing, as your stakeholders will build off of each other’s ideas and provide feedback in real-time.
Next up, walk through each step of the SWOT, starting with your internal factors – strengths and weaknesses. Then, move on to opportunities and threats, which are external factors. You may find yourself jumping back and forth between each category a bit as the conversation builds, and that’s ok!
Use the nonprofit SWOT analysis template above as a guide, asking your team the questions listed to start conversations and help create a list of factors for each section. These questions will keep you on track and will help you better understand what falls into which categories.
You can also reference our article, How to Perform a Nonprofit SWOT Analysis, for more tips and a detailed walkthrough of the process of creating a SWOT for your organization.
Once you have your SWOT analysis complete, you can then use the takeaways to affect change in your nonprofit. Tap into your strengths, look for ways to adopt new trends and update your way of doing things, and discuss what needs to be done to improve upon your weaknesses and neutralize your threats.
And, now that you’ve completed your first SWOT, you can tackle another program, event, or campaign! We also suggest revisiting each SWOT analysis at least once a year, using it as a time to reflect on the improvements you have made, and how else you can grow as an organization.
Ready to go? Download the nonprofit SWOT analysis template above, assemble your team, and start brainstorming!
