Increased cash reserves. Higher enrollment levels. Long-term stability.

These are the goals of every private school. And they are attainable—if you have a strategic financial plan tailored to the mission and program of your school. ISM’s proven approach to Strategic Planning/Strategic Financial Planning will help you experience financial success now while ensuring the sustainability of your school for the next generation of students. This consulting service is perfect for schools that are concerned with today’s economic difficulties.

Why Our Planning Works

Our strategic plan includes a sequenced list of viability-related items most likely to advance your school mission over the next six years. A cost estimate for each is included with a strategic financial plan. When significant changes or student program changes are being considered, such as adding grade levels, the plan includes those as well.

The plan is custom-designed, based on the goals and needs of your school. Though our planning process is rooted in ISM theory and experience, we don’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions. The end result with ISM is a strategic plan that is truly yours, and yours alone.

For more details on the process: Strategic Planning/Strategic Financial Planning: FAQ.

What We Do

After analyzing data you provide in advance, our Consultant arrives on your campus and leads a seminar, focusing on the ISM Stability Markers™ and their implications in your setting. Having established this research-derived framework, the Consultant then leads a brainstorming session, anchored in ISM theory, to develop a vision of your “ideal school.” Cost estimates are assigned to the items needed to make that vision a reality. A time line is then developed, and prioritized, by consensus.

Your final strategic plan document encompasses financial planning (the strategic financial plan), facilities planning and management, enrollment management, development, and marketing.

To find out more about Strategic Planning/Strategic Financial Planning, e-mail Terri Gillespie, ISM's Consulting Coordinator, or call 302-656-4944 (ext. 134).