How to Kill a Zombie Program (Without Killing Morale)
Ending What No Longer Serves the Mission Every nonprofit has one. A program that once made sense. A program people care about. A program with history. A program that no longer works. It doesn’t align cleanly with strategy. It barely breaks even. It stretches staff thin. It survives mostly because no one wants to […]
I’m Changing How I Write
I’ve been thinking a lot about how I show up in your inbox. Not the topics. The way I’m writing about them. For the past few years, I’ve shared a lot of practical guidance, tools, strategies, and frameworks to help you lead more effectively. That’s not going away. But I’ve realized something. Most […]
When the Board Won’t Decide: What the Executive Director Should Do
How to Lead When Governance Gets Stuck Every executive director has been here. You bring a clear recommendation to the board. The case is thoughtful. The numbers are solid. The strategic rationale is sound. And then… Silence. More questions. Requests for additional data. A motion to “table until next meeting.” Three months later, you […]
The Hidden Cost of Indecision in Nonprofits
Why Hesitation Is Quietly Undermining Your Organization Let’s start with a truth most nonprofit leaders don’t want to say out loud: The greatest risk facing your organization right now is not making the wrong decision. It’s not deciding at all. Across the country, executive directors and boards are stuck in slow motion. They’re […]
Digital Transformation Made Simple for Small Nonprofits
Digital transformation doesn’t require a big budget. It requires focus: pick the right problems, modernize the right workflows, and invest in staff capacity like it actually matters. Small nonprofit reality: your “tech stack” is a patchwork of heroic staff behavior. Someone knows the spreadsheet. Someone knows the password. Someone built a workaround that only works […]
What Nonprofit Leaders Should (and Shouldn’t) Use AI For
AI can absolutely make your nonprofit faster and sharper. It can also make you confidently wrong. The difference is leadership, not the tool. Last week, I sat in on a leadership meeting where someone said, “We should just have ChatGPT write the grant.” Everyone laughed. Then nobody laughed. Because the idea wasn’t a joke […]
Stop Asking Your Board to “Help Fundraise”
Boards don’t fail fundraising because they’re lazy. They fail because the job is vague. Let’s make the job clear. You’ve seen this movie. A board meeting hits “development update,” and suddenly half the room becomes fascinated by their water glasses. Someone says, “We should do a gala.” Someone else says, “My friend might sponsor something.” […]
Nonprofit Scenario Planning 2026: How to Stay Steady When the Year Gets Weird
Uncertainty is not a temporary glitch. It’s the environment. The nonprofits that hold up best in 2026 will not be the ones with the most confident predictions. They’ll be the ones with the cleanest decision-making when reality shifts. There’s a specific kind of January optimism that feels… brave. Leaders come back from the holidays with […]
The Leadership Reset: 9 New Rules Nonprofit Leaders Can’t Ignore in 2026
If you’re walking into 2026 with the same leadership playbook you used five years ago, you’re going to feel it… fast. The sector is under strain, staff are tired, trust is fragile, and uncertainty isn’t a “phase.” It’s the weather. January always starts the same way: fresh calendars, fresh goals, and a quiet promise […]
Enhancing Collaboration in Virtual Environments
How Nonprofit Teams Improve Collaboration in Virtual Environments Without Adding More Meetings Virtual collaboration is no longer a temporary solution. It is the everyday reality for many nonprofit teams. And while remote tools have made communication easier, they have not made collaboration automatic. This leaves many leaders asking the same question: how can nonprofit teams […]
Cultivating Culture in a Remote-First World
How Nonprofit Leaders Cultivate Culture in a Remote-First Workplace Without Losing Connection or Clarity If hybrid work changed the way nonprofits operate, remote-first work has reshaped the way nonprofit teams relate. When most of your staff is online, not onsite, one of the biggest leadership questions becomes: how do nonprofit leaders cultivate culture in a […]
Strategies for Managing Hybrid Teams Effectively
How Nonprofit Leaders Manage Hybrid Teams Effectively in 2025 and Beyond Hybrid work is no longer an experiment. It is the reality for thousands of nonprofit organizations. And the biggest question leaders are now asking is simple: how can nonprofit leaders manage hybrid teams effectively without losing connection, culture, or clarity? The answer starts with […]