Free planning template
A fill-in template for asking your CFO to fund an executive retreat: purpose, measured outcomes, cost against the alternatives, the risk of waiting and the follow-through, on one page. Copy it, fill in the brackets, send it.
To: [CFO name] · From: [CEO / CPO name] · Date: [date] · Decision needed by: [date]
We are requesting $[total] for a [3]-day, device-free executive retreat for [number] leaders on [dates]. The purpose is to close [one or two named decisions] and leave each leader with a written 90-day plan we can review at day 90. This is a working session, not an incentive trip.
Success means decisions made, plans written and a measurable shift at day 90. Each attendee takes the same short reading at day 0 and day 90, and we report the change to you.
| Outcome | Day-0 reading | Day-90 target |
|---|---|---|
| [Decision 1] closed with owner and date | Open since [month] | Closed, executing |
| 90-day plans written and reviewed | 0 of [n] | [n] of [n] reviewed at day 90 |
| Self-rated clarity of priorities (1 to 5) | [avg] | [avg + target] |
| Self-rated trust in the team (1 to 5) | [avg] | [avg + target] |
| Line item | Market range | Our quote |
|---|---|---|
| Lodging, meals, meeting space | $200 to $700 per person per night [1] | $[ ] |
| Facilitation | $2,500 to $7,500 per day [2] | $[ ] |
| Planner fee (if used) | $225 to $300 per attendee [3][4] | $[ ] |
| Travel | [ ] | $[ ] |
| Contingency (10%) | $[ ] | |
| Total | $[ ] |
All-inclusive programs fold the first three lines into one price. Example: Root Astro's Highland is $9,200 per seat for an intact team; The Bearing is $7,600 per seat for individual leaders.
Our cost is $[ ] per person. For comparison:
The cost of waiting is the decisions that stay open. [Decision 1] has been open since [month], and every quarter it stays open costs us [describe: delayed launch, duplicated work, attrition risk]. Manager engagement is also slipping in many companies: Gallup reported a global drop from 30% to 27% in 2024 [8]. [Add one internal signal: engagement score, regretted attrition, missed target.]
The retreat ends on day 3; the return shows at day 90. [Owner] will run three checkpoints: a day-30 check on what is holding, a day-60 forward look, and a day-90 second reading with plan review. You receive a one-page summary after day 90.
Approve $[total] from [budget line] for [n] leaders on [dates]. Deposit of $[ ] due [date]; cancellation terms: [ ].
Approved: ____________ Date: ________
Root Astro publishes every price. Tell us your group and dates and we will send a figure you can put straight into section 3.
Ask for a quoteDispatches from the field of human renewal. Irregular essays on leadership, nature, and the practice of becoming human again.
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