One of the hardest decisions in social impact planning is deciding what you’re NOT going to do this year.

I often work with teams who struggle to prioritise between long lists of competing priorities, because they care deeply about doing more for their communities.

But as David Albury taught me a good few years ago:

What’s *not* in your strategy is just as important as what *is*.

Sometimes the most strategic move is having the courage to say no, so we can focus on what matters most, right now.

A ‘strategic no’ makes space for:

protecting what matters most
doing fewer things, better
better-aligned future opportunities

But saying ‘no’ is even harder in social impact, where everything feels urgent and important.

So remember:

What you put down, someone else will pick up.
New Zealand has one of the highest numbers of charities per captia. We are a deeply caring bunch, and focusing on what you do best lets others do the same.
Try a ‘slow yes’:
”Yes! We could do that…after February.”
”Yes, we could pause X, to prioritise Y now.”
Put it in a ‘revisit later’ box.
You don’t have to let it go, but give yourself some time to focus on what’s most important right now, before revisiting it with a fresh perspective.
Prioritise for impact
Does it align with your vision and purpose? Are you the best people to lead it? Do you have capacity to do it well, now?

What will you say a ‘strategic no’ to this year?