Camp leaders are often known for their creative and abundant ideas. These ideas help organizations grow and thrive year after year. But as more ideas pour in, so does the chaos of figuring out when, how, and what to focus on. The fun of imagining these ideas in motion can quickly turn into an overwhelming sense of confusion.
Where should you start?
What makes the most sense?
As consultants, we’re often called in to help leaders filter through ideas and prioritize them into actionable steps. Our internal process includes sorting ideas by relevance, revenue generation, timing, and more. We dig deep into internal operations and structure to map out a plan customized for each organization.
However, we understand that not all camps and retreat centers are in a position to hire a consultant.
So we’ve simplified our process below in hopes that your organization can use this method to filter through the chaos and determine where your time and attention should go.
What ideas or areas of focus are relevant to your organization’s mission and goals?
This is the first question to ask. If an idea doesn’t support your mission or goals, it shouldn’t move forward — at least not now. Missions and values can shift over time, so an idea may become relevant later, but for now it wouldn’t be an effective use of resources.
What will your stakeholders think of this idea, and will they offer support?
Your camp or retreat center has needs, but so do the owners, supporters, and communities you serve. Aligning ideas with stakeholder priorities helps ensure you’ll have the support needed to move a project forward.
What is the least challenging and will produce results quickly?
Tackle these items early. If something is relatively easy to implement, aligns with your mission, and has stakeholder support, it should rise to the top of your list. Quick wins build momentum.
What drives your revenue and costs the least time and money?
Even strong ideas need resources. If you don’t have the time, people, or funding to support a project, you may need to address that first. And every idea — even in a nonprofit setting — should contribute to financial sustainability. Revenue keeps the mission alive.
After you filter your ideas through the funnel, what remains are the ideas most relevant to your organization — the projects that deserve your time and attention.
It may not be their time yet, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have value. Resources and priorities change, and opportunities will shift as well. The funnel isn’t a one-time tool — it can be used repeatedly to reassess both new and existing ideas.
We recommend keeping all ideas organized by category and stored somewhere your team can easily access.
Even if timing isn’t right, always encourage your team to brainstorm and share freely. A culture of open communication leads to a more productive, creative, and enjoyable work environment.
We hope you find this system useful, and as always, feel free to contact us if you need additional help with strategic planning or sorting through your ideas.
