You can’t do everything (and that’s okay)

"Scope creep" is the silent killer of regional charities.

You start out to provide youth services. Then you notice the kids are hungry, so you start a breakfast program. Then you notice their parents need help with forms, so you start an advocacy service. Suddenly, you’re doing ten things poorly instead of one thing brilliantly.

I see this constantly in strategic planning sessions. The passion in the room is incredible. Everyone wants to fix every problem. But a Strategic Plan isn't a wish list. It’s a list of things you are refusing to do so you can focus on what matters.

Saying "no" is the hardest job of a Board. But if you don't say no to the good ideas, you won't have the resources for the great ones.

Let’s simplify. What is the one thing your community would miss if you closed your doors tomorrow?

Do that. The rest is just noise.

The "Bus Factor": A governance risk you’re probably ignoring

We talk a lot about financial risk (running out of money) and reputational risk (ending up in the paper for the wrong reasons). But I rarely hear Boards talk about the "Bus Factor."

It’s a grim hypothetical: If your Secretary got hit by a bus tomorrow, would the organisation survive?

I don’t mean emotionally. I mean, does anyone else know the password to the bank account? Does anyone else know where the grant acquittal documents are saved? Or is that entire history locked inside one person’s head (or worse, their personal laptop)?

Governance isn't just about reading the Treasurer’s report. It’s about building a system that survives the people who built it.

If your organisation relies on "Susan just knowing how to do it," you aren't governing; you're gambling. It’s time to get those processes out of heads and onto paper (or SharePoint). It’s not about mistrusting Susan—it’s about respecting her legacy enough to make sure it lasts.

Why I’m tired of “Strategic Plans” that nobody reads

Let’s be honest. When was the last time you actually pulled your organisation’s Strategic Plan off the shelf?

If you’re like most Board members I talk to, the answer is "the day we wrote it."

I started Plain Sense because I was watching good people in the Not-For-Profit sector drown in bad paperwork. I saw Boards spending weekends arguing over the font size in a Constitution, while the actual purpose of the charity was drifting away. I saw "Governance" becoming a dirty word that meant "boring meetings," instead of what it should be: the safety net that lets you do great work.

The sector doesn't need more jargon. You don't need a consultant to tell you to "leverage your synergies." You need to know if you’re solvent, if your volunteers are safe, and where you’re going next year.

That’s what we do here. We strip away the fluff. We write policies that people actually read. We build strategies that fit on one page.

If it doesn’t make sense, it doesn’t belong in your business.