Suzanne Smith, MBA

Suzanne Smith, MBA Professional Page for Suzanne Smith - CEO of Social Impact Architects * Keynote Speaker * Author

🧳 Summer travel season is here. I love researching future trips. As I research a trip next year to Scotland, I am remind...
06/13/2026

🧳 Summer travel season is here. I love researching future trips. As I research a trip next year to Scotland, I am reminded of a challenge I see every day in nonprofits: too much information and not enough initial clarity on your goals. It is the same anytime you start research on any topic.

Between AI, reports, surveys and endless online content, the problem is no longer finding answers. It is knowing which questions matter most.

In my latest blog, I share a simple approach called “backward market research” that can help leaders make better decisions. I learned it in B-school and wanted to share my hack with you on better research on any topic.

Read more: https://socialimpactarchitects.com/market-research/

📊 "We need more data."Sometimes that's true. Often, it isn't.I see organizations launch another survey, commission anoth...
06/12/2026

📊 "We need more data."

Sometimes that's true. Often, it isn't.

I see organizations launch another survey, commission another study and hold another meeting, only to end up exactly where they started.

The problem is rarely a lack of information. It is a lack of clarity about the decision they are trying to make.

My latest blog explores how to break free from analysis paralysis.

Check it out: https://socialimpactarchitects.com/market-research/

A few years ago, I wrote a blog about planning a trip to Hawaii. In it, I explained that after spending two hours resear...
06/11/2026

A few years ago, I wrote a blog about planning a trip to Hawaii. In it, I explained that after spending two hours researching online, I had more questions than answers. Today, that problem has only gotten worse.

Whether you're planning a vacation, developing a strategic plan, launching a new program or exploring a social enterprise opportunity, information is everywhere. Add AI to the mix, and the volume of available data has exploded.

The challenge is no longer finding answers. The challenge is identifying which questions matter most.

In my latest blog, I share an approach I have taught for years called backward market research. It helps leaders avoid analysis paralysis by starting with the decision and working backward from there.

Because good market research is not really about research. It is about making better decisions.

Read the step-by-step process in our latest blog: https://socialimpactarchitects.com/market-research/

After you read it, I'd love to hear from you: What is your favorite strategy for cutting through information overload and getting to a decision?

Clarity is one of the most valuable outcomes of strategic planning. When leaders, staff, board members and stakeholders ...
06/10/2026

Clarity is one of the most valuable outcomes of strategic planning. When leaders, staff, board members and stakeholders understand the destination and their role in reaching it, organizations gain momentum and focus.

Looking for answers to common strategic planning questions? Explore our guide and discover practical ways to strengthen your planning process and improve implementation.

Read the blog: https://socialimpactarchitects.com/strategic-plan-qa/

📚 Help me choose a book cover!I’m putting the finishing touches on The Nonprofit Flywheel and have narrowed the cover do...
06/10/2026

📚 Help me choose a book cover!

I’m putting the finishing touches on The Nonprofit Flywheel and have narrowed the cover down to two options.

Which one gets your vote? Cover 1 or 2 or Both Equally?

If you have feedback, please use the cover number in the comments.

FYI: A flywheel builds momentum over time. That simple idea inspired the framework behind the book and how nonprofits can create sustainable impact.

I recently worked with an organization that had nearly 40 priorities in its strategic plan.One of the most common issues...
06/10/2026

I recently worked with an organization that had nearly 40 priorities in its strategic plan.

One of the most common issues in strategic planning is doing too much. Plans need to tell you what to do, but also what NOT to do.

In my latest blog, I share my answer and why focus is often the difference between a plan that drives decisions and a plan that collects dust.

Check out our latest blog: https://socialimpactarchitects.com/strategic-plan-qa/

🙋 Can your board & staff explain your organization's top priorities without opening the strategic plan?If not, you may n...
06/09/2026

🙋 Can your board & staff explain your organization's top priorities without opening the strategic plan?

If not, you may not have a strategy problem. You may have a clarity problem.

In my latest blog, I share why strategic plans should show up in staff meetings, budgets, dashboards and performance goals, not just board or staff retreats.

https://socialimpactarchitects.com/strategic-plan-qa/

BONUS QUESTION: If I stopped three people in your organization today, would they give me the same answer?

*****on

Here's a question every strategic planning team should ask: who isn’t in the room?In our opinion, too many strategic pla...
06/08/2026

Here's a question every strategic planning team should ask: who isn’t in the room?

In our opinion, too many strategic plans are built around what the organization wants to do instead of what the community needs most.

In my latest blog, I discuss who should be involved in strategic planning and why stakeholder input often determines whether a plan gains traction and builds trust.

Read & find out more: https://socialimpactarchitects.com/strategic-plan-qa/

In your experience, whose voice is most often missing from strategic planning conversations?

5-year strategic plans used to be the gold standard.Today, I'm seeing more organizations move toward shorter planning ho...
06/07/2026

5-year strategic plans used to be the gold standard.

Today, I'm seeing more organizations move toward shorter planning horizons and annual refreshes.

Why?

📐 Community needs change. Funding changes. Technology changes. Leadership changes.

🗺️In my latest blog, I explain why strategy should function more like a GPS than a printed map and how organizations can stay focused without becoming rigid.

Find out more in our latest Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/socialtrendspot/p/top-questions-on-strategic-planning?r=djf1m&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

Weigh in – what timeline is best now for nonprofit strategic plans?

A strategic plan sitting on a shelf is not a strategy. It's evidence that planning and ex*****on got disconnected.The go...
06/06/2026

A strategic plan sitting on a shelf is not a strategy. It's evidence that planning and ex*****on got disconnected.

The good news? Most organizations don't need to start over.

In my latest blog, I share why strategic plans often lose momentum and several practical ways to bring them back to life without having to launch another planning process.

Take a look: https://socialimpactarchitects.com/strategic-plan-qa/

And, share your thoughts: what's the biggest reason strategic plans end up on the shelf?

*****on

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