It is football season — the time when families rush home to turn on the game, tailgates fill midtown parking lots, and coworkers beam with hometown pride as they reenact the plays of the week.

My son and I watch football together, appreciating the quick feet, earthshaking blocks and deep passes. But as a leader — running a team of my own — I most appreciate successful execution of the plays.

Today, all organizations should have a game plan — a business plan. Whether for-profit or not-for-profit, we want to execute well so we can be successful. Quick decisions and avoiding the "rush" with the desire to win could get us to halftime, but that might not be enough to come out on top at the end of the game. Increasing fear about what unanticipated "plays" might come at us (e.g. market instability) make it even more imperative that organizations remain committed to thorough business planning.

We know this well at the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona where we have just completed our first business plan after 28 years in operation. Our story may not be much different from other nonprofits and small businesses: we had strategic plans and goals, but never the resources or time to execute them to completion.

My eyes have been opened. Like in football, we have a committed team, proper equipment, a game schedule and some tough competition. Now, with a business plan, we have the coveted playbook.

Different from a strategic plan that offers long-range goals and annual strategies, the business plan defines and aligns the strategies with people and processes.

In developing our business plan, we gained an in-depth understanding of our customers, products and services, competition, financials, leadership strategy, and the actual steps it will take to achieve our strategic goals.

The business plan is a living, breathing document that will guide us to our long-term goals over the next five years. It will keep us disciplined and focused but responsive to the needs and changing conditions in our community.

I have also found that it is important for the nonprofit to reach outside itself and involve all stakeholders — the community, the board, our employees, and our customers — in creating the business plan. If our team is to reach its goals, we must all be working from the same playbook. When we are ready to execute, we all have our individual role in getting the ball to the end zone.

This process has transformed our organization. Now we are poised to transform our community. We hope that is a comfort for our fans (donors), knowing they are supporting an organization that is positioned to be successful.

The season is still young; it’s not too late to review how your game plan is working. Good coaches (leaders) make adjustments as the season progresses. Give those fans something to cheer about — solidify that business plan and go out and execute!