The close of a strategic planning process often feels like crossing a finish line. In reality, it’s the starting line for what comes next. A good plan gives direction. But direction alone doesn’t build capacity, communicate value, or sustain momentum. Those next steps depend on how well an organization can see, name, and use its […]

When you hear the phrase organizational health in a nonprofit context, what comes to mind first? For many leaders, it’s the budget: balanced books, strong reserves, maybe a clean audit. But those are just one part of the picture. Real organizational health runs deeper—into the energy, relationships, and systems that allow your mission to endure. […]

In nonprofit leadership, the demands are constant: delivering on today’s programs, building toward tomorrow’s vision, and sustaining the organization through shifting external conditions. Finding the right fuel for yourself—and for your team—is a tough balancing act. Every leader carries a spark that burns brightest. For some, it’s deep subject-matter expertise and confidence in getting things […]

Nonprofit leadership is a role of constant decision-making. Decision fatigue is real. The fear of making a bad decision is real. And the overwhelm of being expected to know what to do—and how to do it—day after day is draining. Even when we show up with energy, joy, and hopefulness, decisions can wear us down. […]

I came to work this morning with the word hope on my mind. Talk about an intangible! Let’s play with the word and how it has meaning for leaders—not only as a personal disposition but also as an asset that can be developed and shared across a team. I’ve taken emotional intelligence tests before, though […]