Free kit · Strategy and planning
Strategic Planning Retreat Agenda Pack: free retreat agenda template in Word and PDF
Plan a retreat that ends with a few decisions written down: up to three priorities, what to stop and who owns each one. The pack holds three weeks of preparation, the pre-reads, a one-day agenda with half-day and two-morning versions, a record of the day and the steps for the 30 days after.
Word and PDF · 14 pages · For board chairs and executive directors
Your kit is ready
We also emailed these links to .
Your library is open on this browser.
What is inside
- Three-week preparation plan. Who does what in the three weeks before, from the list of decisions the day must make to sending the pre-reads.
- Data pack. Results against the last plan, revenue by source and a draft SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) with evidence.
- Pre-retreat survey. Three questions to everyone attending, and a sheet to sort the answers into themes before the day.
- One-day agenda. The decisions the day must make, then eight timed blocks from 8:30 to 4:00, each with an exercise and a written result.
- Half-day and two-morning agendas. A three-and-a-half-hour version and a two-morning version a week apart, both keeping the choosing and the commit block.
- Retreat record. A note-taker's record of every block, from the results review to the owner-and-date round.
- The 30 days after. The steps for the month after, and a one-page summary of priorities, owners and what you stop.
How to use it
- Three weeks out: write the decisions the day must make, agree who decides what and choose who runs the room (Form A).
- One week out: send the data pack (Form B), the survey (Form C) and a draft plan to everyone attending.
- On the day: run the one-day agenda (Form D) or a shorter version (Form E), and record each block (Form F).
- Before anyone leaves: book the first quarterly review.
- The month after: write the one-page summary, and the board approves the priorities (Form G).
Questions
Is the kit free?
Yes. Enter your name, email and organization once, and every kit in the library opens on this browser.
Can I edit it?
Yes. The Word file is fully editable: change the times, blocks and exercises to fit your day, and add your own decisions, data and survey questions.
Does it work in Google Docs?
Yes. Upload the Word file to Google Drive and open it with Google Docs; the tables and ruled lines carry over.
Can I share it inside my organization?
Yes. Copy it, adapt it and share it with your board and staff.
Read the guide
More kits for boards
Nonprofit Strategic Plan TemplateA full plan and a one-page plan, with a goal filter, a stop-doing list and a review dashboard
Nonprofit SWOT Analysis and Mission and Vision WorksheetsA SWOT session that ends in decisions with owners, and worksheets to test and rewrite your mission and vision
Board Self-Assessment Kit26-statement questionnaire, scoring workbook, retreat guide and action plan
With a retreat, the agenda is rarely where it goes wrong. October is, when the plan drifts and the gala is three weeks out. Coaching does not run the retreat: a coach works with the executive director before it, on the priorities to argue for, and in the months after, on carrying them.
Six sessions of executive coaching: $300, $400 or $600, set by your organization's yearly operating expenses.
