Dr. Alicia M. Schatteman, Northern Illinois University
Alicia M. Schatteman, PhD
Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
Associate Professor
Department of Public Administration
School of Public and Global Affairs
Northern Illinois University
Pursuing Impact: Mission-Driven Strategic Planning for Nonprofits
Johns Hopkins University Press, 2024
In Pursuing Impact, published by Johns Hopkins University Press (2024), scholar and former nonprofit executive director Alicia Schatteman shares her unique experience and expertise to help organizations navigate the complexities of strategic planning effectively. Going beyond the typical step-by-step manuals, Schatteman addresses the nuances that nonprofit leaders face during the planning and implementation stages and emphasizes the cyclical nature of planning while acknowledging the need for flexibility and adaptability.
Tailored to small and medium-sized nonprofits, this guide recognizes the challenges they may encounter with limited capacity and resources. Schatteman’s comprehensive six-stage strategic planning cycle offers practical insights and strategies to guide nonprofit leaders from readiness to implementation. Drawing on her academic background and real-world experience, Schatteman presents a blend of research and practical application to take nonprofit leaders through the process of identifying stakeholders, gathering data, involving the board, putting a plan together, and allocating resources. Through relatable stories and lessons learned from various nonprofits, she demystifies the process and empowers leaders to create strategic plans with impact.
Pursuing Impact helps nonprofit leaders transform their organization’s future by providing the tools, insights, and resources to drive meaningful change, align mission and vision, and achieve their goals.
Alicia Schatteman is the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and an associate professor in the Department of Public Administration. She received her PhD in public administration from Rutgers University-Newark and a master’s degree in communications management from Syracuse University. She also consults and conducts research in nonprofit strategic planning and performance measurement. Prior to returning to school for her PhD, she worked for ten years in the public and nonprofit sectors as a communications specialist and then an executive director.
Her areas of expertise include nonprofit management, public administration, performance management, public communications, and citizen participation and electronic government.