Key issues from my keynote address at the national conference for
nonprofit organizations in the United States warrant special attention
because of my position as a senior management consultant for a
nonprofit agency. The first key idea of my talk is the nature and
importance of nonprofit organizations in modern society. In particular,
I'd want to point out that NGOs/nonprofits are "third sector" firms,
meaning "they fall outside of the purview of the public and private
sectors but are nevertheless dedicated to serving the public good, be it
on a local or global scale" (Schwenger et al., 2014). The remaining
primary points will center on the strategic planning cycle/steps that
moderators should consider to facilitate a practical internal and external
environmental analysis as part of the SWOT process, which is the
