What Chesterton's Fence Can Teach Nonprofits About Strategic Planning
Nonprofit leaders are often hired to create change.
A new executive director arrives with fresh ideas. A board wants to modernize. A consultant is brought in to facilitate strategic planning. Everyone agrees it's time to "think differently."
That's usually a good thing.
But there's a danger that accompanies every strategic planning process: the temptation to assume that because something appears outdated, it must also be unnecessary.
British writer and philosopher G.K. Chesterton offered a useful framework for avoiding that mistake more than a century ago. His idea has become known as Chesterton's Fence.
The principle is simple.
Imagine you're walking through a field and come across a fence. One person says, "This fence serves no obvious purpose. Let's tear it down."
Chesterton argued that the correct response is not to remove it, but to first understand why it was built.
Only after you understand its purpose—and determine that purpose no longer exists—should you consider removing it.
The lesson is straightforward: don't eliminate something simply because you don't yet understand its value.
The Strategic Planning Trap
This happens in nonprofit strategic planning all the time.
An organization has been doing something for years. Maybe it's an annual fundraising event that barely breaks even. A scholarship program that seems overly complicated. A committee that never appears to accomplish much. A decades-old policy that everyone quietly complains about.
The immediate reaction is often, "Why are we still doing this?" However, a better question is “Why did we start doing this in the first place?”
Understanding the original purpose often reveals information that isn't immediately obvious.
Perhaps the fundraising event no longer generates significant revenue, but it has introduced dozens of major donors to the organization over the years.
Maybe the committee exists because, years ago, the organization nearly lost accreditation without it.
Perhaps the cumbersome policy was written after an expensive lawsuit.
The original conditions may have changed, or they may not have.
Until you understand the history, you can't know whether you're removing unnecessary bureaucracy or dismantling an important safeguard.
Every Tradition Contains Information
One of the biggest mistakes organizations make is assuming that long-standing practices exist simply because "that's the way we've always done it."
Sometimes that's true, but often, traditions are simply institutional memory made visible.
The challenge is that institutional memory disappears. Board members rotate off, staff retire, and executive directors move on until, eventually, the only thing left is the process itself.
Without understanding the history, today's leaders may mistake accumulated wisdom for unnecessary complexity.
This is why the discovery phase of a strategic planning process is often the most important. Through interviews, focus groups, surveys, and historical research, organizations can better understand not just what exists today, but why it exists. Those insights lead to stronger decisions and, ultimately, a stronger strategic plan.
This Doesn't Mean Never Change
Chesterton's Fence is often misunderstood as an argument against change when it’s actually the opposite.
It argues for informed change.
Sometimes, after understanding why the fence was built, you'll decide it absolutely should come down. In that case, the circumstances that justified it may no longer exist. For example, technology may have made it obsolete, or the community's needs may have changed, or the organization may have evolved beyond it.
But now you're making an intentional decision rather than an impulsive one. And that's the foundation of a good strategic planning process, and ultimately, a stronger strategic plan.
Questions to Ask Before Updating Your Strategic Plan
Before recommending that an organization eliminate a program, restructure a department, discontinue an event, or abandon a long-standing practice, ask a few simple questions:
What problem was this originally designed to solve?
Does that problem still exist?
If not, what has changed?
If we remove this, what unintended consequences might follow?
Is there another way to accomplish the original purpose more effectively?
Those conversations often uncover insights that financial reports, organizational charts, and SWOT analyses never reveal.
Strategy Requires Both Curiosity and Courage
The best strategic planning processes balance two seemingly opposite qualities: Curiosity and courage.
Organizations need to ask “Why does this exist?” and “Does it still deserve to?”
Without curiosity, they risk dismantling systems that quietly support their mission, and without courage, they become trapped by outdated habits that consume resources without creating impact.
Effective strategy isn't about preserving everything from the past, nor is it about replacing everything with something new.
It's about understanding the difference.
Before You Build the Future
Every nonprofit wants to become more effective, more sustainable, and more responsive to its community.
Effective strategic planning should challenge assumptions while incorporating meaningful stakeholder engagement.
But the strongest strategic plans start with "What were we trying to accomplish?" before jumping to “What should we stop doing?” That way, leaders can determine whether the old fence still belongs, or whether it's finally time to build something better in its place.
If your organization is preparing to develop a new strategic plan or refresh an existing one, remember that the best plans begin with thoughtful questions.
At Beam Consulting, we help nonprofits develop strategic plans through thoughtful facilitation, stakeholder engagement, and practical implementation. If you're ready to begin your next strategic planning process, we'd love to help.
About The Author
For the past 25 years, Dani has helped nonprofits at local, regional, and global levels find sustainable solutions to tricky growth and funding issues. She works with leaders and teams to optimize their approach to fundraising, strategic planning, marketing, and more! Dani is passionate about helping motivated people build vibrant and effective nonprofit organizations—so they can make a meaningful impact in the world!