For nonprofit leaders, few things create more anxiety than unexpected shifts in federal policy. Whether it’s changes in funding streams, new compliance requirements, or shifts in public priorities, these transitions can feel like existential threats to the communities and causes we serve. The uncertainty alone can be overwhelming. Will critical programs lose support? How will new regulations affect operations? What does this mean for long-term sustainability?

These concerns are not only valid—they are deeply felt by board members, staff, and the people who rely on nonprofit services every day. But while policy changes bring challenges, they also present opportunities for organizations that are prepared to respond with clarity and strategic focus. In times of uncertainty, effective nonprofit boards play a crucial role in guiding their organizations with resilience and vision, transforming fear into action.

How is your staff doing right now? …How are you doing right now?

Everything we’re hearing from our colleagues and clients these days seems to indicate that burn out and stress are at record levels. This time of the year is an incredibly stressful time both personally and professionally for those in the nonprofit space. Reconciling expenses with budgets at year-end and doing strategic planning for the year ahead have always been causes of headaches for staff and leadership. However, when employees are already stretched thin in their roles and burdened by fundraising worries, this stress can take a bigger toll and derail the organization’s effectiveness in achieving its mission.

Chances are, you’ve heard this quote before: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is not an act, but a habit.”
It’s a quote that is often associated with sports (and just as often misattributed to Aristotle instead of its original author Will Durant, but that’s beside the point). If you ask any elite athlete, they’ll tell you that this insight is absolutely true! The continual practice of their skills, attitude, knowledge, and commitment to excellence are big drivers to success in their sport.

Having worked extensively in nonprofit leadership over my career, I have seen this apply to boards as well. I believe if you ask any effective nonprofit board, they too will say their ongoing practice of skills, attitude, knowledge, and commitment are the keys to good board governance, which helps to make their organizations great.  

The relationship between a nonprofit Executive Director (ED) and Board Chair is a unique one, which is why they should have their own “training day.” Find out how setting time aside to work together one-on-one can benefit the organization they both serve!

If you’re a sports fan, you probably understand what I mean when a refer to the concept of a training day but let me offer a story from many years ago to provide some broader context. When my daughter was just a teenager, I arrived at her fastpitch softball practice. I looked around and she was nowhere in sight. I came to realize she’d been right in front of me the whole time, but she was covered in catcher’s gear so I didn’t even realize it was her. I soon learned from the coach that both the starting and back-up catchers were unavailable for the weekend tournament. So, they asked my daughter if she would be the catcher because they felt she had the best ability to command the field. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but she did great! Fast forward to a month later and the catching gear remained, but it had been adjusted to fit better. She grew into being a good backup catcher and, although it wasn’t her permanent position, it was a great learning experience for her that she carried into her college softball playing days.

Through this experience I started understanding that being a catcher is more than just catching the ball behind the plate. The catcher is a leader (calling plays on the field) and a key strategic partner with the pitcher (in leading the game and the team).
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Behind every good pitcher is a good catcher – someone who has a certain way about her to mentally and physically help and challenge her pitcher. A pitcher who knows to respect and trust her catcher’s instincts while being direct about what she needs from her catcher is often the key to winning. The same can be said about the Board Chair and ED relationship!

One of the biggest pain points in nonprofit leadership is board engagement. Some boards may try to wear too many hats while others may lack engagement, but neither is desirable for effective nonprofit management! 

​The ideal scenario is one where a board plays the role that the organization needs when it needs it – a sort of “just right” balance between being too hands-on and being too hands-off. And while this may seem like an impossible fairy tale request, it’s one that becomes attainable when the board understands their overarching purpose and has clearly defined boundaries.​

Losing a long-standing leader brings a host of unique challenges that many organizations are unprepared to face. When a long-term nonprofit leader leaves that person is typically beloved by the staff, creating a hole emotionally as well as functionally.
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Sometimes this person is the original founder, other times they aren’t but they’ve been in the role for the organization’s most formative years. Regardless of whether they were there at the very beginning or not, they are someone who has been at the helm though significant periods of growth. As a result, they have imbued institutional knowledge that must be retained by the organization and passed onto the next leader.

When a leader’s era is over it’s important to recognize the challenges that lay ahead, understand where opportunities for growth may exist, and craft a formal transition plan to guide the organization through the change.