SWOT ANALYSIS

FOR NONPROFIT
A How-to Guide, Example, and Template
What is a SWOT Analysis?
SWOT Analysis is a straightforward technique that lets you examine your organization’s Strengths,
Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. It’s a relatively easy way to dig down deep into the workings
of your nonprofit and ferret out the truth, allowing you to determine just how effectively you’re working.

Strengths are advantages that you have over your competition internally at

S your organization. Access to a large community of rabid supporters,

celebrity endorsement, or especially skilled staff are all internal strengths.

Weaknesses are shortcomings within your organization that may impact

W your ability to compete. Poor organizational structure, vacant key staff

positions, and limited budgets are weaknesses.

Opportunities are external situations of which your organization can take

O advantage. Being able to spot and exploit opportunities can make a huge

difference to your organization's ability to grow.

Threats are external situations that could negatively impact your organization.

T Changes to laws, economic recessions, rising taxes, even social media

platforms could be threats. Threats are often outside your control.
How to Conduct a SWOT Analysis
for Your Organization
1 Take a look at Paws Therapy's Example 4 Add external factors

Opportunities and Threats might be a little harder to

On page 4, we lay out the Annual SWOT Analysis of the
identify. This might require you to conduct more in-depth
Paws Therapy Organization. Use this example to get a
research on the nonprofit sector, your audience's interests,
sense of what a complete, effective analysis looks like.
or economic trends.

2 Use the following questions to guide your 5 Fill the SWOT matrix
analysis
Once you come up with factors, fill them in on the matrix
(page 6). You can fill out our template or simply use a pen
Now that you have a good understand of what a SWOT
and a piece of paper. Try to limit yourself to three to five
analysis should look like, use the questions on page 5
items per category.
to guide your analysis. This will give you a good starting
point.

3 Start with internal factors

Strengths and Weaknesses are internal factors. They

are usually easier to identify than external factors.
Collect relevant information through talking to others.
For instance, you can organize a brainstorm session
with the senior members of your organization.
Paws Therapy
Annual SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Workers are all
professionally certified
Loyal base of volunteers
This is the only community  Dogs are in limited supply
service of its type in the
city
Established, well-known
organization that receives a
lot of organic media
coverage
Weaknesses
Small volunteer base
because of the extra
qualifications needed
as they need to be trained
There is no dedicated team
to work on communications
and marketing in order to
get the word out
There is no system in place
to track previous supporters
Opportunities
Work with local animal
shelters to identify dogs who
could be the right candidate
for this training program
Reach out to local universities
to see whether
Communications students
require internships or co-ops
Set up online donation forms
to widen the network of
potential donors
Buy a donor management
software to best keep track of
consistuent records
Threats
Convincing our Board of
Directors to invest in a donor
database
We are majority grant-based,
so if we do not receive our
normal amount of funding, it
will critically impact us
Revenue issues: It is
expensive to train dogs
We haven't been able to
decide on how we calculate
our ROI causing difficulties
in strategic decision making
Questions to Guide Your SWOT Analysis
STRENGTHS
What do you do better than anyone else?
What makes your mission unique?
What unique resources do you have at your disposal?
What do your supporters (donors, volunteers,
sponsors) and/or service users see as your
strengths?
OPPORTUNITIES
What are the circumstances that are favorable and
can be used beneficially?
Can the organization make best use of the modern
technology?
Is there any partnership you could benefit from?
Are there government policies that are favorable to
your mission?
WEAKNESSES
What could you be better at?
What expertise does you organization lack?
What do your supporters and/or service users might
see as a weakness?
What are the essential resources that are required but
not available?
THREATS
Are there serious internal financial, human resources,
or technological threats?
Is the change in technology too abrupt so that the
organization cannot keep pace with it?
What are the obstacles to organizational growth?
How will the economic conditions affect your
mission?
STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES

SWOT
ANALYSIS

OPPORTUNITIES THREATS
 GOOD LUCK!

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