Redmond-based Hopelink has been chosen as one of nine agencies nationwide to join a three-year pilot project aimed at boosting the use of strategic planning in nonprofit organizations.

The funding from the Alliance for Children and Families will enable Hopelink to hire a chief strategy officer to lead the agency’s participation in Strategy Counts!, an alliance initiative that will help nonprofits think about their day-to-day services in the context of future needs.

As a pilot site, Hopelink has received a $237,000 grant and will participate with eight other agencies to determine whether strategic planning models create more organizational capacity — which could help Hopelink generate additional revenue for service delivery, expand successful core services, and achieve better resilience in the face of economic downturns.

The alliance launched Strategy Counts! — a multi-year pilot project that will closely examine the impact from elevating the role of strategy in nonprofit human service providers – in May 2011 with a $5.375 million grant from the Kresge Foundation. Through a competitive selection process, the Alliance has chosen nine of its member organizations to participate as pilot sites by hiring a chief strategy officer.

Strategy Counts! Director Michael Mortell said the initiative will help agencies on the frontline evaluate ways to anticipate emerging market forces and adapt strategies to meet those changes, with the goal of ultimately improving the lives of children and families.

“With nonprofits under pressure today from changing client needs and tighter resources, the tendency is for nonprofits to focus on the day-to-day demands while strategic decisions take a back seat,” Mortell said. “The pilot sites are exploring how a strategic focus increases positive results for communities and clients.”

The Alliance for Children and Families, headquartered in Milwaukee, is one of the nation’s largest membership associations of private, nonprofit human service organizations.