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Nonprofit Leadership

Nonprofit Leadership Resources to help you Lead with a Big Heart and a Sharp Mind

A woman with a bun leads a nonprofit meeting at a board.

There’s an overwhelming amount of advice for business leaders, but this advice is often not tailored to the unique needs of nonprofit leaders and executives. As a nonprofit ourselves, we understand the frustration, so we continually update this page with resources for nonprofit leaders: from advice from other nonprofit execs to book recommendations or relevant news.

Let’s be honest, running a nonprofit is tough.

Sometimes it can be great to hear from people who are doing it well for a little extra motivation. We asked some nonprofit executives for their advice on running a successful charity and this is what they had to say. Or, check out this story on the Villages and what they’ve done to unify their team and decrease risk. You can also hear from a nonprofit leader who helped turn an existing organization into the best version of itself in this story from Ascent 121, a nonprofit that helps teen survivors of human trafficking. 

Once you’ve got a nonprofit set up, it’s time to move from surviving to thriving.

One of the biggest challenges for nonprofits specifically is figuring out how much to spend on overhead vs. how much to spend directly on your mission. Managing Attorney and CEO Zac Kester weighs in on how to find balance and deal with the challenges that arise.

Want to make sure your nonprofit is doing everything legally?

At the start of the year, we recommend checking to ensure your nonprofit is compliant and up-to-date. To help you out, we’ve created this post that walks you through the basic things to check and update periodically, from bylaws to board policies. Or, start with these three quick tips, including which 990 form is right for your nonprofit, and the basics of the responsibilities and liabilities of the board of directors.

Maximize your impact for greater change.

You chose nonprofit work to make a difference, so how do you ensure you’re making the most impact possible? First, you’ve got to figure out how to measure your impact. From there, you’ll want to create a unified vision, strategic plan, or “theory of change” to ensure your impact stays the course. Developing a mission statement isn’t just for the sake of having a punchy statement about what you do – it serves as a guiding compass for your organization’s choices. 

Want to dive a little deeper into leadership development?

One book that changed the way our decision-makers operate is Decisive by Chip & Dan Heath, which breaks down the psychology of how to make better choices. It’s a powerful read that will challenge the way your team makes decisions in any circumstance. We also suggest checking with your local nonprofit state association, as many of them hold events for nonprofit leaders to hone their skills and network with fellow nonprofit professionals.

If you take anything from this article, it should be this:

Leading a nonprofit is challenging, but it doesn’t have to be a mystery. Charitable Allies works with nonprofit leaders every day to help them lead nonprofits that are compliant, and mission-centric. Request a free consultation today to learn more.