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Strategic Planning Templates & Samples

An effective way of developing a strong strategy is by utilizing a strategic plan template. Templates and examples can help streamline your planning process — whether you are leading a business, a nonprofit, or a health care organization in the United States — and can help you execute a strong framework for a successful process! You can also save time to create a strong draft, following best practices, while ensuring to cover all aspects of a strategic plan. 

A strategic plan template is a ready-made framework to help organizations develop goals, objectives, strategies, and measures of performance. From business strategic plan templates to nonprofit strategic plan examples, these documents help generate a strong plan for success.

We have pulled together, strategically, a collection of template & examples for several industries, such as business, nonprofit, HR, IT, marketing, and health care, to assist you with preparations. Desirable planning templates should meet your industry needs.

Why use a strategic planning template?

A good strategic planning template provides:

  • Time Saver: Don’t need to start from scratch.

  • Clarity and Organization: Ensures all the essential sections are included.

  • Best Practices: Uses proven practices used by U.S. organizations.

  • Flexibility: Can be tailored to your organization’s unique needs.

  • Accountability: Easier to assign ownership and follow up on progress on key aspects of successful implementation.

Pro Tip: Templates are guides, not how-to manuals, so feel free to adjust the template while you stay true to your organization.

Strategic Plan Outline (General)

A general strategic plan outline typically includes:

  • Executive Summary

Mission & Vision Statements


  • Core Values

  • Environmental Scan (SWOT/PEST)

  • Strategic Goals & Objectives

  • Action Plans & Initiatives

  • Performance Metrics (KPIs)

  • Review & Evaluation Process

Business Strategic Plan Outline

Business Strategic Plan Outline

A business strategic plan outline is specialized towards organizations that are focused on growth, competitiveness, and profitability.

Key sections: 

  • Market Analysis

  • Competitive Landscape (Porter’s Five Forces)

  • Sales & Marketing Strategy

  • Operational Plan 

  • Financial Projections

Company Strategic Plan Outline

Frameworks provide a framework for organizational decision making. Some examples include:

  • Balanced Scorecard (BSC): Focuses on financial, customer, internal process, and learning metrics.

  • OKRs (Objectives and Key Results): A widely used decision making tool by U.S. tech companies such as Google to achieve objectives to measure outcomes.

  • Hoshin Kanri (Planning with Attention): Aligns organization-wide goals with day-to-day management to build capacity for planning.

  • Porter’s Five Forces: Focused on assessing the competitive landscape.

  • SWOT analysis framework: A classic framework for reviewing internal/external aspects of a considering future options.


Choosing the correct framework will depend on the size and sector of your organizations and what you mean to achieve.

Company Strategic Plan Outline

Nonprofit Strategic Plan Example

Nonprofits in the U.S. face unique challenges such as; donor engagement, sustainable funding, and mission-driven impact that other companies do not.

A nonprofit strategic planning outline typically includes:

  • Mission/Vision Alignment to Community Needs

  • Fundraising/Donor Engagement Strategies

  • Volunteer/Staff Development

  • Impact Measurement/Reporting

HR Strategic Plan Examples

Human Resources teams will have the option of developing a strategic plan outline to support their workforce development and employee engagement plan

Sample Sections:

  • Workforce Planning and Recruitment

  • Employee Training and Development

  • Engagement and Retention Objectives

  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Initiatives

  • Performance Metrics 

IT strategic plan framework

What are strategic plan frameworks are for IT strategic planning? An IT s trategic plan framework is particularly valuable in aligning IT and technology invest men ts to fit an example organizational strategy.

Structure into IT strategic covers:

  • IT Mission and Vision 

  • IT Infrastructure and Systems Roadmap 

  • Cybersecurity and Compliance 

  • IT Governance, Leadership and KPIs 

  • Digital transformation initiatives 

Sample strategic plan sections (Marketing)

 

What are strategic plan frameworks for marketing? A strategic plan framework is h ighly valuable for a modern marketing organization to build a comprehensive strategy.


Sample marketing plan sections include: 

  • Market and Audience and Brand Analysis 

  • Value Proposition and Messaging, Brand Development and plans 

  • Marketing Strategy (Multi-Channel), campaign message points and tactics 

  • Campaign calendar section considered to include timing and frequency of campaign strategy, 

  • Budget and potential return for investment 

Strategic Planning Outline & Process Template

Healthcare organizations should prioritize strategic planning to help improve: patient care, compliance and financial sustainability. Most common sections in a healthcare strategic plan include:

  1. Patient Care and Safety planning, objectives, and initiatives

  2. Regulatory Compliance, planning, and accountability initiatives

  3. Workforce and Staffing Plan

  4. Technology Integration and Telehealth approaches

  5. Community Health Impact Metrics

Frameworking / Building Templates

  • Start with a structure – Use the strategic plan outline. 

  • Adapt for your industry – business or non-profit or healthcare. 

  • Insert measurable goals based on SMART inclusive goal setting. 

  • Get stakeholder input in mind and document into your planning building. 

  • Review and refine annually to keep document relevant.

Conclusion 

Using your a strategic planning template will not make the planning simplified; it takes the guess work out it. Only if your have recognizably need a yourselves action either making a business strategic plan, a nonprofit strategic plan example or a moderation marketing strategic plan template, shared these insights into an excellent platform of selection with plenty of opportunities to customize and use in valuable planning framework for present and future itself.

Don’t tell me you haven’t reinvented the wheel – when you could adopted a constantly planned effort through, with all the agreement on every plans to take start to build and to influence towards of their collective goals its steps today.

FAQ

1. What is the strategic planning process in simple terms?

Answer: The strategic planning process is a step-by-step method organizations use to define goals, set priorities, and create action plans. It ensures every business decision supports the company’s mission, vision, and long-term strategy.

2. Why is the strategic planning process important for organizations?

Answer: Strategic planning gives your organization direction, focus, and accountability. It aligns teams around shared objectives, helps allocate resources efficiently, and ensures you measure progress with KPIs and performance dashboards.

3. What are the main steps of the strategic planning process?

Answer: A well-structured template typically includes:

-Executive Summary

-Mission & Vision Statements

-Core Values

-SWOT/PEST Analysis

-Goals & Objectives

-Action Plans

-KPIs

-Review Process

These ensure clarity, accountability, and progress tracking.

4. Are there different types of strategic planning templates for different industries?

Answer: Yes. Strategic planning templates vary by industry. For example:

-Business templates focus on growth and profitability.

-Nonprofit templates emphasize community impact and donor engagement.

-Healthcare templates focus on patient care, compliance, and workforce planning.

-Each version is tailored to meet specific U.S. industry standards.

5. What makes a good business strategic plan template?

 Answer: A business strategic plan template should include market analysis, competitive positioning, marketing strategy, operational plans, and financial projections. It helps companies drive growth, improve competitiveness, and manage risk effectively.

6. How is a nonprofit strategic plan template different?

Answer: A nonprofit strategic plan template focuses on mission alignment, community impact, fundraising strategies, and volunteer engagement. It helps nonprofit leaders build accountability, measure social outcomes, and attract donor support in the U.S. nonprofit environment.

7. What is included in an HR strategic plan example?

Answer: An HR strategic plan includes workforce planning, employee engagement, DEI initiatives, and performance management metrics. It’s designed to align people strategy with organizational goals while improving retention and satisfaction.

8. How can an IT strategic plan framework help my organization?

Answer: An IT strategic plan framework helps align technology initiatives with business goals. It typically includes IT mission and vision, infrastructure roadmap, cybersecurity, and digital transformation priorities — ensuring tech investments support long-term strategy.

9. What does a marketing strategic plan template look like?

Answer: A marketing strategic plan includes market analysis, brand positioning, value proposition, campaign planning, and ROI tracking. It helps marketing teams in the U.S. target audiences effectively and maximize campaign performance across multiple channels.

10. How do healthcare organizations use strategic planning templates?

Answer: Healthcare strategic planning templates guide hospitals and clinics in improving patient care, compliance, and workforce efficiency. They include sections on patient safety, telehealth, community health metrics, and technology integration — critical for sustainable growth.

11. How can I customize a strategic planning template for my organization?

Answer: Start with a general outline, adapt it to your industry (business, nonprofit, or healthcare), set SMART goals, involve stakeholders, and review annually. Customization ensures your plan remains relevant, measurable, and aligned with your unique objectives.

12. Where can I download free strategic planning templates and examples?

Answer: You can download free, U.S.-based strategic planning templates and examples for various sectors — including business, HR, IT, marketing, and healthcare — directly from our website.

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