Research and recommendations for effective, day-to-day nonprofit practice from ASU faculty, staff, students, and the nonprofit and philanthropic community.
Nonprofit organizations play a unique role in society–they don’t just serve causes, they shape and stand for social values. Yet in times of pressure, change, or crisis, even the most deeply held values can quietly drift. Leadership approaches and governance structures can reinforce and strengthen organizational values, making them more resilient to challenges. Understanding how leadership behaviors and governance choices support the sustainability of those values is essential in navigating today’s complex environment.
What leadership approaches help deliver enduring nonprofit values?
Meaning-making
During times of uncertainty, nonprofit staff, board members, and community members often turn to leaders for guidance and interpretation. Leaders who practice meaning-making help stakeholders understand not only what is happening but also why it is happening. This leadership approach serves to minimize anxiety and create clarity during challenging times.
Shared governance
Traditional hierarchical governance structures persist in many nonprofit organizations; however, shared governance models are a valuable alternative. When leadership and decision-making responsibilities are spread across staff, boards, and community members, values become embedded into everyday operations and practices. These inclusive…
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That we need to remind ourselves to involve the communities we hope to empower in our nonprofit work is telling. Who better to lead the way? Someone who has worked in nonprofit boardrooms for years, arguably doing much good and understanding the nuances of bureaucracy that can make or break mission-driven initiatives? Or someone on the front lines of the community, holding embedded history and the intergenerational relationships unlearnable to an outsider?
Truthfully, both are needed.
This shift toward embracing community strengths rather than focusing on deficits as a noble outsider is known as Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD). ABCD is about recognizing the talents, relationships, and resources already present within communities and building collaboratively to leverage them.
In my current work, I’m honored to support formerly incarcerated individuals on a pathway to sustainable employment. I’ve worked in nonprofits for nearly 20 years, but I have zero personal experience being incarcerated.
So when it comes time to create programming and write funding proposals, our greatest assets are the nearly half of my teammates who have lived experience with incarceration. Those who have left prison with nothing more than a prison ID, somewhere south of $100, and are expected to thrive in a society they may barely recognize.
My colleagues with lived experience are the ones who create the real connections…
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While the most common and well-known method of income for nonprofits is from donations, there is also a percentage of nonprofits that receive some or even most of their income from federal grants. The types of nonprofits most likely receiving federal funding are organizations in healthcare, education, research or environmental services. These organizations provide important work for the government for continuation of societal programs that otherwise would not be offered to the full extent that they are.
Current events
In late January of 2025 the White House Administration put out a memo of an executive order calling for a pause on all federal funding. This was a major concern for nonprofits who rely heavily on federal funding, with many having to cut programs and lay off staff. As of most recently the federal funding cuts are being aimed at higher education institutions. Funding for these institutions goes towards a variety of programs including student aid, faculty salary, overhead costs and research projects making advancements in science and medicine.
An example of this currently happening is at Harvard University. Harvard is being denied $2.3 billion in federal funding, which will greatly affect their ability to continue educational programs and conduct critical scientific research.
What to do next
Review grant language:
If organizations feel…
In the nonprofit sector, integrated communication and fundraising strategies are essential for maximizing organizational impact and achieving mission-driven goals. By aligning messaging, outreach, and resource allocation across all channels, nonprofits can overcome challenges such as fragmented communication, inconsistent messaging, and inefficient use of resources. An integrated approach enhances donor engagement, strengthens organizational identity, and improves overall effectiveness, positioning nonprofits for sustained success.
The importance of integrated strategies
External Factors: In today’s competitive nonprofit landscape, transparency and trust are paramount to donor engagement. A 2020 study by Gose found that 70% of donors list trust as the most important factor when deciding to contribute, while fewer than 20% of Americans express high levels of trust in charitable organizations. To build trust, nonprofits must ensure that their messaging is consistent and cohesive across all communication channels, whether through social media, email, or direct mail. Research supports the notion that unified messaging helps foster donor trust, increases retention, and improves overall fundraising success.
Internal Factors: Within nonprofit organizations, communication and fundraising efforts are often siloed, leading to inefficiencies. When departments such as…
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Properly fulfilling a nonprofit’s mission and providing quality services to the community hinges on the staff hired to perform that work. However, Nonprofits can have unique challenges leading to difficulty in recruitment and retention amongst qualified staff, leading to a workforce crisis in the nonprofit sector.
Contributing factors leading to crisis
Being able to provide a competitive compensation package is a leading challenge for nonprofit organizations. The recent phenomenon of the “Great Resignation” has led to a choosier labor pool, with for-profit companies being able to offer higher salaries and strong benefit packages to prospective employees. Nonprofits are left unable to compete with for profit counterparts due to their reliance on outside funding for their operation costs.
Nonprofit workers, specifically those in client facing roles, also have a higher risk factor for burnout and compassion fatigue. Feelings of emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and the inability to accomplish goals are characteristics of burnout caused by chronic workplace stress. Nonprofit workers are also more likely to experience compassion fatigue, which is related specifically to a reduction in empathy, due to the repeated exposure to hard client stories. When staff experience compassion fatigue or burnout, their work ability can be impacted, ultimately leading to lower level of care or resignation from…
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