Nonprofit Leaders: Are You Ready for the Future?

Q: What are the biggest challenges facing nonprofit leaders today?

A: I think the biggest challenges, which have been challenges for the past 20 years and will continue to be challenges, are the typical funding, time management, prioritizing, and staffing issues with hiring, retaining, and motivating employees.

“How do we reduce the stress and overwhelm and the burnout engaging the board?” I hear that question all the time. Resources like BoardSource exist because there are always challenges with engaging the board. When I talk with nonprofit leaders about their frustration around engaging boards, the first question I ask is, “What does engagement look like to you?” And the answer is different from organization to organization at times. Nowadays, I field questions about technology with ChatGPT and AI! “What in the world is it? How can we leverage it?” That’s a big challenge. And those types of challenges will always be around if we dive a little deeper.

I think some of the more common challenges I see are in confidence and decision-making abilities, and I think that goes hand-in-hand with the confidence to have the courage to make the right or the best decision for the organization. In general, being a leader is challenging, right? How do you inspire? How do you motivate? How do you continue to develop your team? How do you make sure that you have the right people on the right bus and in the right seats.

I recently heard someone say, “There are 2 key aspects to a leader’s job: their ability to make decisions and solve problems, period. A leader who can do those two things well is going to be more successful than the than the next person.” And that really stuck with me.

Q: How can nonprofits stay relevant in a changing world?

A: In my opinion, remaining relevant is determined by a leader’s desire to do so. A mindset of continuous growth is the key. There are so many resources available to leaders now. Go to the Take Five Nonprofit Leadership Conference. Listen to podcasts. Read the relevant newsletters and media outlets. Join a peer group.

I do a lot of strategy-focused work with nonprofit organizations. And one of the questions that I ask and encourage leaders and boards to continually ask themselves on at least a quarterly basis is, “What’s going on in the world around us, and how does that impact our ability to advance our mission?”

We live in an ever-changing, ever-evolving world. So, what’s going on out there is definitely going to impact us in some way, shape, or form. And one way to stay relevant is being able to ask questions: “What’s going on in the world around us today? And how do we need to adapt and adjust to meet the needs of the people we’re looking to serve and continue to advance our mission?”

Joel Kessel is leading the workshop, “Leading in an Evolving Nonprofit World, at the Fall Take Five Nonprofit Leadership Conference on October 24.