Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program
Strategic Plan Resources
All applicant organizations must have a strategic plan to be eligible. If your organization does not have a strategic plan, the only project you may apply for is the development of a strategic plan. Please note that a strategic plan is for your organization as a whole, not a plan for the project that you are proposing. The administrative rules for the Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program define a strategic plan as follows:
“Strategic plan” means or refers to an organization’s process of defining its strategy, or direction, and making decisions on allocating its resources to pursue this strategy. The applicant organization’s strategic plan should address the following: organization’s mission statement, long-range planning, opportunities facing the organization, and an action plan for accomplishing goals.
Strategic plans are a vital “core document” for any organization. That is why it is so important that when applying for a grant, you have a strategic plan in place and that your organization is utilizing that strategic plan to determine the grant request project. Depending on many factors (size of organization, number of participants, etc.), the development of a strategic plan will take varying amounts of time to develop. Please consider these factors when determining if your organization should develop a strategic plan to become eligible for this grant. Remember that your organization can apply for a grant to facilitate the development of a strategic plan.
Strategic Plans and the Grant Review Process
If your organization is NOT applying for a grant to fund the development of a strategic plan, you must upload your organization’s strategic plan with your application. This plan will be evaluated by reviewers as part of the following weighted criteria:
Institutional readiness of applicant organization, which may include past accomplishments, programming/activities, facilities, base of support, strength of organizational strategic plan, community engagement, participation of board members/volunteers, accessibility to the public, or record of collecting experience/care. This criteria shall be weighted a factor of three (3).
It is important to remember that not only does your organization need to have a strategic plan but that the strength of that plan will play a role in determining your score in the grant review process.
Helpful Links
The following resources may help guide organizations develop a strategic plan:
“Developing a Strategic Plan for Your Historical Organization”
Kathy Dickson, director of Museums and Historic Sites Division, OHS
- American Association of State and Local History Technical Leaflet - DIY Strategic Planning for Small Museums
- Wisconsin Historical Society - How to Use Strategic Planning to Achieve Your Historic Preservation Advocacy Goals
The following are examples of strategic plans that might help your organization develop a framework. Please note that all of these organizations are located outside of Oklahoma so as not to give an unfair advantage to a possible eligible organization. Also, please understand that these are merely examples of formatting, which may provide a basic framework for a strategic plan for historical organizations. Your organization will need to put the time and energy needed to develop the strategy, goals, and long-range planning that is unique to your organization.
- Medford Historical Society and Museum strategic plan
- Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission strategic plan
