Looking ahead with NAPFA’s new strategic framework

By Jeff Jones

Over the past year, the NAPFA Board of Directors and staff worked closely with McKinley Advisors, a leading association consulting firm, to develop the new strategic framework for 2022–2025.

Acquiring data through research

In 2021, McKinley Advisors conducted a survey and several focus groups with NAPFA members. We wanted to know your thoughts about NAPFA membership, the value of the association, trends and challenges of the profession, and the future direction of the profession and association. The focus groups were asked about NAPFA’s strengths and your perceptions of NAPFA’s current strategic priorities.

Guided by this feedback, the experts from McKinley worked with the board and regional representatives through several development workshops, leading them to establish the new strategic framework.

Developing our 2022–2025 roadmap

The framework was built around three important strategic drivers:

• Advocacy
• Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)
• Professional excellence

Each strategic driver has specific initiatives tied to the advancement of NAPFA, the member community, and the financial planning profession. These initiatives, which are embedded into NAPFA’s operational priorities for the next three years, will drive realization of NAPFA’s vision of its members serving as the public’s trusted advisors of choice who represent the highest professional and ethical standards. Additionally, within the three drivers are initiatives that will act as a focus for the NAPFA staff.

Looking ahead into 2023

Our advocacy initiatives focus on strengthening NAPFA’s public policy impact at the federal level. Additionally, we want to strengthen NAPFA’s consumer awareness and increase accessibility of fee-only financial planning services to a broader population.

Our DEI initiatives include integrating principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion across the fabric of the organization. We seek to diversify NAPFA’s membership and the profession by fostering a welcoming environment for practitioners and prospective clients from underrepresented populations.

Lastly, as it relates to professional excellence, we will continue expanding the breadth of NAPFA resources dedicated to enhancing business, behavioral, and cultural competencies. We want to strive to provide a dynamic education portfolio that meets the needs of members and leaders of today and tomorrow.

How this affects you

In developing this framework, we focused heavily on the data provided to us in the membership survey and audience focus groups. Your feedback has been critical to the development of this framework, and it is our hope that in driving change in the community and profession, NAPFA can remain a steady resource for you and for consumers. Thank you for remaining steadfast in our association’s continued work in advancing our profession.

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Jeff Jones, CFP^®, EA, MS, is partner and director of financial planning at Longview Financial Advisors in Huntsville, AL. He is the NAPFA Board of Directors’ current chair. He enjoys working with families as they blend their financial and life goals.

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