Founder’s Playbook
Strategic Planning
Many nonprofits know they need a strategic plan, but few are prepared for the complexity of building one that truly works. Effective planning demands deep listening, skilled facilitation, political navigation, and the discipline to turn insight into action. When done well, it aligns people, sharpens focus, and becomes an act of leadership.
Strategy by Robert Espinoza and Leanne Clarke-Shirley for the American Society on Aging.
Designing What Comes Next
-
Consensus is hard—and essential. The American Society on Aging was entering a pivotal moment. A new President & CEO brought fresh leadership just as the aging field itself was undergoing rapid change—expanding beyond traditional programs and publications to grapple with longevity, equity, social enterprise, narrative change, and the systems that shape how we age. ASA needed a strategic plan that honored its legacy while equipping the organization to lead in a more complex, future-facing landscape.
At the same time, the organization faced the familiar challenge of aligning board, staff, members, and partners around a shared direction—balancing bold ambition with operational reality. The planning process needed to surface hard questions, resolve competing priorities, and translate big ideas into a clear, actionable path forward.
-
A co-led process rooted in listening, analysis, and board partnership. The strategic planning process was co-led by Robert Espinoza and ASA’s President & CEO, in close partnership with the Board and a short-term consultant. The approach balanced broad engagement with disciplined synthesis.
To ensure the plan reflected both community insight and strong governance leadership, the process included the elements visualized below.
-
A strategic plan built for action and accountability. Working in close partnership with ASA’s President & CEO and Board of Directors, Robert led a disciplined, inclusive planning process—grounded in listening, synthesis, and shared decision-making. Diverse input from board members, staff, members, and partners was translated into a clear set of priorities, a refined vision and mission, and a strategy focused on program innovation, membership growth, and field leadership. Narrative framing helped position ASA as a modern, equity-centered institution, while board-level guidance ensured ambition was matched with feasibility.
The result was a multi-year strategic plan that unified the organization around a shared direction—rooted in financial sustainability, realistic capacity, and renewed public impact. Similarly, organizations gain more than a plan: they gain alignment across leadership and staff, a clear roadmap for decisions and resource allocation, and the confidence that long-term goals are grounded in insight rather than guesswork. When done well, strategic planning becomes a catalyst for organizational transformation—not just a document.
“Robert Espinoza brought invaluable strategic leadership, clarity, and bright ideas to the American Society on Aging's board room and to the development of our strategic plan.”
— Leanne Clarke-Shirley, Chief Executive Officer of the American Society on Aging, one of the nation’s leading organizations advancing leadership and innovation in aging.
Meet the Founder
Robert Espinoza is a nationally recognized workforce and care economy strategist and CEO of The CareWorks Project, partnering with leaders to redesign long-term care systems so people live with dignity, workers thrive, and communities prosper.