What should you be focusing on this year to keep your nonprofit strong, strategic, and sustainable? In this special episode, I asked a group of brilliant nonprofit professionals and consultants to share their predictions for 2026—and what they believe mission-driven organizations need to do now to prepare. From leveraging AI to treating retention as a growth strategy, these insights are sharp, actionable, and forward-thinking. I’ve pulled together their responses in this episode to help you zoom out and think big—without losing focus on what actually works. 

2026 Predictions at a Glance:

• Tess Conrad (Full Potential Fundraising)
• Fundraising: Mid-sized nonprofits are shifting to prioritize Planned Giving, focusing on donors’ assets, not just cash.
• Laurie Ehrlich (Elevate Marketing Strategy)
• Communication, Marketing, Fundraising: Nonprofits will thrive by using AI as a collaborative tool and embracing clarity, intentionality, and relational engagement.
• Naomi Hattaway (8th & Home | Leaving Well)
• Leadership, Organizational Resilience: Foundations will step up with capacity-building and cohort learning, not just checks.
• Daniel Francavilla (The Good Growth Company)
• Communication, Marketing: Donor retention will become a growth strategy; trust and brand clarity will be key to long-term success.
• Rachel Bearbower (Nonprofit Automation Agency)
• Automation/Technology: Automation will become essential infrastructure for sustainability and consistency.
• Jess Campbell (Out in the Boons)
• Marketing: Nonprofits that don’t prioritize email list growth will struggle to hit their fundraising goals.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why planned giving is no longer just for large organizations—and how to get started now
• How automation and AI can support real relationships, not replace them
• What funders can do differently to build long-term nonprofit resilience

3 Key Takeaways:

• Mid-sized charities are stepping up: 2026 marks a turning point in planned giving adoption beyond just the big players.
• Retention > acquisition: Smart content, segmentation, and relationship-building will beat spray-and-pray fundraising strategies.
• Infrastructure matters: Systems, automation, and cohort-based support are critical for scale, sustainability, and avoiding burnout.

Want to work together?

Apply for the Next Level Nonprofit Mastermind, a high-touch coaching and training accelerator for established organizations with $1M+ budgets that are ready to design for impact sustained at scale.

Budget under $1M? Join Elevate and get proven step-by-step playbooks + coaching support to build each of the core elements of your nonprofit's operating system - strategic clarity, a fundraising engine, a high-performance team, and an active and engaged board!

Connect with me!

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As your nonprofit grows, your role as CEO must evolve — but what does that look like once you’ve built the team? In this episode, I unpack the shift from being the doer to becoming the architect of your organization’s systems and success.

This conversation was sparked by a powerful coaching session with a client (we’ll call him Dylan) who asked the question so many leaders reach and freeze at:
 “If my team has it… what’s left for me to do?”

If you’ve ever felt a little lost after stepping out of the day-to-day, this one’s for you. We’ll walk through what it actually means to lead at the next level — and how to step into that new identity with clarity and confidence.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why the CEO’s role must shift as your organization scales
• The three core responsibilities of an “architect” CEO
• How to coach your team without micromanaging

Key Takeaways:

• If you’re still the glue, you may have a Capacity Design Deficit — not a personal failure
• Architect-level leadership means designing systems that work without you
• You can (and should) lead at altitude — with clarity, visibility, and trust

🧱 Step-by-Step: The CEO’s Shift from Glue to Architect

1. Define Success
Build clarity before the work begins. Define what “good” looks like with measurable KPIs and a simple CEO dashboard to track progress without micromanaging.

2. Equip for Ownership
Assign clear owners for each goal — not to do all the work, but to own the outcomes. Structure creates accountability.

3. Monitor & Coach from the Right Altitude
Set a cadence for check-ins (monthly dashboards, quarterly reviews, etc.) and coach based on data — not hunches. Step out of the weeds and into strategic oversight.

Want to work together?

Apply for the Next Level Nonprofit Mastermind, a high-touch coaching and training accelerator for established organizations with $1M+ budgets that are ready to design for impact sustained at scale.

Budget under $1M? Join Elevate and get proven step-by-step playbooks + coaching support to build each of the core elements of your nonprofit's operating system - strategic clarity, a fundraising engine, a high-performance team, and an active and engaged board!

Connect with me!

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You crushed your year-end fundraising goal… so why does revenue still feel shaky?

If you've ever felt uneasy after a successful campaign—like the money came in, but stability didn’t—you’re not alone. I’ve been there too. In this episode, I unpack why that post-campaign fragility is so common and what it actually tells you about your organization’s fundraising infrastructure.

We’ll talk about the difference between a revenue spike and a sustainable revenue system, and I’ll walk you through how to shift from relying on quick wins to building a Capital Engine™ that creates predictable, long-term stability.

Whether you’re coming off a big win or staring down your next big push, this episode will help you reframe the problem—and start building smarter.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why a successful campaign doesn’t necessarily mean your revenue model is strong
• How to spot the real reason your funding feels fragile—even when the numbers look good
• The first three steps to move from fragile to resilient

3 key takeaways:

• Year-end campaigns generate momentum—but momentum is not the same as stability
• Fragility usually stems from design, not effort—your system can’t hold what you're building
• A reliable Capital Engine™ is built on structure, not heroics

🛠️ Steps to Strengthen Your Revenue Model

Do a Revenue Reality Check: Review the past 12 months. Where did the money come from? What was repeatable vs. a one-time push?

Spot the Bottlenecks: Identify areas where you or your team are still the linchpin. What disappears if you’re not driving?

Start Building Your Capital Engine™: Begin systematizing follow-ups, donor journeys, and cultivation processes. Focus on repeatability and shared ownership.

Want to work together?

Apply for the Next Level Nonprofit Mastermind, a high-touch coaching and training accelerator for established organizations with $1M+ budgets that are ready to design for impact sustained at scale.

Budget under $1M? Join Elevate and get proven step-by-step playbooks + coaching support to build each of the core elements of your nonprofit's operating system - strategic clarity, a fundraising engine, a high-performance team, and an active and engaged board!

Connect with me!

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In this episode, I want to say something clearly—and maybe a little provocatively:

If you’re leading a nonprofit right now and feeling overwhelmed by how hard it all feels, I want you to lean in. Because what I’m talking about in this episode might just be the shift you’ve been looking for.

So many of the leaders I work with assume the chaos and pressure are temporary—that things will ease up after the next grant lands, or once a new hire settles in. But I want to challenge that belief. Because the truth is: chaos doesn’t resolve itself. It compounds.

In this episode, I unpack one of the most important frameworks I teach: the idea of the Design Deficit™—what happens when your organization grows on top of systems that were never built to hold that growth.

You’ll hear why your org might be feeling fragile or unsustainable even as you grow, and why no amount of hustle will fix that. I’ll also walk you through the Stability Flywheel™—my model for designing predictable revenue, distributed leadership, and actual strategic clarity that doesn’t live in a dusty doc somewhere.

This is an episode about reclaiming your sanity, designing for sustainability, and getting real about the cost of “just making it work.”

Let’s stop waiting for stability to arrive, and start building it—on purpose.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why instability isn’t a temporary phase—it’s a structural issue
• How to spot a “design deficit” in your org (and what it’s costing you)
• The 3 pillars of The Stability Flywheel™: Capital, Capacity, and Clarity
• A simple “pressure test” to assess your org’s ability to scale
• Why later is a lie—and what to do now to reclaim your time and sanity

Key Takeaways:

• Chaos doesn’t resolve itself—it compounds
• You’re not the problem: your org wasn’t designed to carry this weight
• Real resilience comes from structure, not hustle
• You can’t scale on heroic effort—you need a flywheel that spins without you
• Stability is built. And it starts with a single intentional shift.

Reflection Questions:

• What would break if your organization doubled in size tomorrow?
• Where are you still the glue?
• What is one workflow, system, or role that you could redesign this month to absorb pressure?

Want to work together?

Apply for the Next Level Nonprofit Mastermind, a high-touch coaching and training accelerator for established organizations with $1M+ budgets that are ready to design for impact sustained at scale.

Budget under $1M? Join Elevate and get proven step-by-step playbooks + coaching support to build each of the core elements of your nonprofit's operating system - strategic clarity, a fundraising engine, a high-performance team, and an active and engaged board!

Connect with me!

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What if the most powerful leadership actions… involved building something you’ll never see finished?

In this episode, I’m exploring the concept of Cathedral Thinking—a long-term, purpose-driven approach to leadership that can radically shift how you inspire your team, engage your board, and motivate your funders. Especially now, during the giving season, this kind of vision isn’t just helpful—it’s essential.

I’ll walk you through why this mindset matters so much in the nonprofit world, and how adopting it can unlock energy, commitment, and a sense of meaning that will sustain your organization far beyond year-end goals.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What Cathedral Thinking is—and why it matters for nonprofit leaders
• How to articulate a clear and compelling long-term vision for your organization
• Why deep, systemic change requires a different kind of leadership energy

Key takeaways:

• Vision isn’t a luxury—it’s a leadership tool that drives action and commitment.
• People don’t invest in programs; they invest in purpose.
• When people believe they’re part of something bigger, they give more, stay longer, and lead better.

Step-by-step insight:

1. Understand Cathedral Thinking

Recognize that the work you’re doing may not reach its full impact in your lifetime—but that’s the point, not the problem. You're part of building something enduring.

2. Frame Your Work as Part of a Bigger Vision

Day-to-day work—budgets, emails, programs—is important. But your job is to make sure people always know what it’s all building toward.

3. Communicate That Vision to Stakeholders

• With your team, to foster motivation and meaning
• With your board, to drive strategic clarity
• With your funders, to inspire transformational giving

4. Shift from Tasks to Purpose

Move your messaging from “cutting stone” to “building a cathedral.” This language shift creates emotional connection and renewed energy.

Want to work together?

Apply for the Next Level Nonprofit Mastermind, a high-touch coaching and training accelerator for established organizations with $1M+ budgets that are ready to design for impact sustained at scale.

Budget under $1M? Join Elevate and get proven step-by-step playbooks + coaching support to build each of the core elements of your nonprofit's operating system - strategic clarity, a fundraising engine, a high-performance team, and an active and engaged board!

Connect with me!

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We’ve been told that a balanced budget is the gold standard for nonprofit leadership — but what if that “balance” is actually hiding the cracks? In this episode, I break down why a neat, balanced budget isn’t the safety net we think it is — and how it can actually create false confidence while your organization is already struggling behind the scenes.

I’ll walk you through a shift in mindset: from backward-looking bookkeeping to forward-thinking design. Whether you're building your first budget or revisiting old assumptions, this episode is about making sure your budget is more than a math exercise — it’s a tool for resilience, clarity, and impact.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why a “balanced” budget can mask burnout, fragility, and slow collapse
• The hidden costs most leaders forget to account for — and how to fix that
• How to shift from reactive budgeting to designing for the future you’re building

3 Key Takeaways:

1. Balance isn’t strategy. A budget that “works on paper” can still fail in practice.
2. Invisible costs break budgets. Staff time, compliance, and leadership bandwidth need to be named and funded.
3. Your budget is a design tool. It should reflect the organization you want to build — not just the one you’ve survived in.

Step-by-Step: How to Build a Future-Oriented Budget

1. Stop budgeting from last year’s numbers. That just keeps you locked in survival mode. Use budgeting to design where you're going.
2. Name the invisible costs. Include staff time for reporting, systems, and leadership — not just direct program expenses.
3. Build for capacity, not just delivery. Fund the infrastructure that supports your work: technology, workflows, leadership development.
4. Challenge false assumptions. Don’t let beliefs like “we can’t afford it” or “funders won’t support that” dictate your priorities.
5. Use your budget to declare what matters. If it’s not in the budget, it’s not part of the plan. Clarity brings support.

Want to work together?

Apply for the Next Level Nonprofit Mastermind, a high-touch coaching and training accelerator for established organizations with $1M+ budgets that are ready to design for impact sustained at scale.

Budget under $1M? Join Elevate and get proven step-by-step playbooks + coaching support to build each of the core elements of your nonprofit's operating system - strategic clarity, a fundraising engine, a high-performance team, and an active and engaged board!

Connect with me!

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When you’re used to doing everything yourself, letting go can feel risky—maybe even impossible. But if you want to grow your nonprofit without burning out, there’s one crucial mindset shift you have to make: moving from control to clarity. In this episode, I unpack why clinging to control actually makes your organization more fragile, and how embracing clarity can create the stability and freedom you need to lead effectively at scale.

I’m sharing the real talk I usually reserve for coaching calls—because this shift isn’t just about systems. It’s about identity, trust, and the emotional weight of leadership. This is part one of a mini-series on evolving from operator to architect in your leadership. Let’s get into it.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why control feels safe—but actually creates fragility as you grow
• What clarity really means in a scaling organization
• How to start designing your “leadership cockpit” so you can lead without micromanaging

Key takeaways:

• Control creates a bottleneck. When everything flows through you, growth stalls and burnout increases.
• Clarity creates stability. Clear definitions of success, priorities, and values allow your team to move forward without constant oversight.
• Leadership at scale requires evolution. You’re not meant to be the operator forever—your role is to become the architect.

Want to work together?

Apply for the Next Level Nonprofit Mastermind, a high-touch coaching and training accelerator for established organizations with $1M+ budgets that are ready to design for impact sustained at scale.

Budget under $1M? Join Elevate and get proven step-by-step playbooks + coaching support to build each of the core elements of your nonprofit's operating system - strategic clarity, a fundraising engine, a high-performance team, and an active and engaged board!

Connect with me!

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We’re heading into planning season—and if you’re anything like the nonprofit leaders I work with, your to-do list is already growing. But here’s a question we don’t ask enough: “How will this plan help us say no?” In this episode, I dig into why most strategic plans are more like overwhelming wish lists, and how to flip the script by building a plan that’s not just visionary, but protective. I’ll walk you through the cost of “yes-by-default” planning, and share the three filters I use with clients to create focused, capacity-aware strategies that actually get implemented. If you’re feeling stretched thin or unsure what not to do next year, this one’s for you.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why “yes” is costing you more than you think—and how to identify it
• The real reason most strategic plans collapse by Q2
• Three powerful filters to build a plan that guards your team, time, and mission

Key takeaways:

1. Every yes costs something—time, energy, and focus. If your plan doesn’t help you say no, it’s not protecting your mission.
2. Strategic plans fail not because of lack of ambition, but because of lack of filtration. You need sharper priorities, not longer lists.
3. Using filters like alignment, capacity, and opportunity cost helps transform bloated planning into strategic clarity.

The 3-Step Filter for a Focused, “No-Powered” Plan

Use these three questions to evaluate every new initiative before it enters your 2026 plan:

1. Strategic Alignment -- Ask: Does this move us measurably closer to our 1–2 core goals?
2. Team Capacity -- Ask: Do we realistically have the time, energy, and talent to do this well?
3. Opportunity Cost -- Ask: If we say yes to this, what are we delaying or derailing?

Want to work together?

Apply for the Next Level Nonprofit Mastermind, a high-touch coaching and training accelerator for established organizations with $1M+ budgets that are ready to design for impact sustained at scale.

Budget under $1M? Join Elevate and get proven step-by-step playbooks + coaching support to build each of the core elements of your nonprofit's operating system - strategic clarity, a fundraising engine, a high-performance team, and an active and engaged board!

Connect with me!

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What if the fastest path to scaling your nonprofit wasn’t doing more — but doing less, with laser focus?

In this solo episode, I share a story that’s been sticking with me — one that perfectly illustrates the overlooked power of choosing one goal. I break down how singular focus can turn small wins into major momentum and why scattering your energy across too many priorities might be the very thing slowing your organization down.

This one’s for any nonprofit leader who’s feeling stuck, stretched thin, or frustrated by slow progress — because sometimes the key to scaling is subtraction, not addition.

🎧 In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why narrowing your focus can dramatically speed up your growth
• How to set one clear, measurable goal that realigns your whole organization
• What to expect when you prioritize focus over activity — and how to navigate it

🔑 Key Takeaways:

1. Singular focus accelerates progress — Momentum builds when every resource points to one goal.
2. Clarity reduces decision fatigue — A clear target helps filter what’s worth doing and what’s not.
3. Scaling is about precision, not just effort — Doing less (strategically) can actually get you more.

Want to work together?

Apply for the Next Level Nonprofit Mastermind, a high-touch coaching and training accelerator for established organizations with $1M+ budgets that are ready to design for impact sustained at scale.

Budget under $1M? Join Elevate and get proven step-by-step playbooks + coaching support to build each of the core elements of your nonprofit's operating system - strategic clarity, a fundraising engine, a high-performance team, and an active and engaged board!

Connect with me!

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You know the feeling—you're working nonstop, checking off every task, yet still completely underwater. In this episode, I share why many nonprofit leaders aren't experiencing organizational messiness and chaos because of disorganization or poor time management. It's because they're solving the wrong problem - like mopping up a kitchen floor while the pipe under the sink is still leaking. 

I break down four types of organizational chaos I see all the time—tactical, strategic, structural, and leadership—and how each one points to a deeper design deficit. If you're feeling stuck, this episode will help you diagnose what’s really going on and what to do instead.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why time management isn't always the answer to feeling overwhelmed
• The four different types of nonprofit overwhelm—and how to recognize them
• How your organization's design might be causing unnecessary pressure

3 Key Takeaways

1. Most overwhelm is a symptom of misaligned organizational design—not a lack of productivity.
2. Naming the right problem is the first step to leading with more ease and clarity.
3. You don’t need to work harder—you need to evolve your org’s structure to match your scale.

Step-by-Step Breakdown: 4 Types of Chaos

1. Tactical  – “ We need better systems”
2. You’re buried in inefficiency. Nothing is repeatable. This points to a systems design issue.
3. Strategic  – “We don’t know where we’re going”
4. You’re second-guessing everything. This is a clarity design issue—you need a guiding vision.
5. Structural  – “The org structures haven't kept pace with our growth”
6. You're scaling programs without scaling infrastructure. This is a capacity design issue.
7. Leadership Overwhelm – “Everything flows through me”
8. You’re holding what should be shared. This is a leadership architecture issue—you need shared ownership.

Reflection Questions to Take With You This Week

• Where am I applying effort without addressing the root cause?
• What kind of overwhelm am I really experiencing—tactical, strategic, structural, or leadership?
• What might shift if I stopped mopping and fixed the leak instead?

Want to work together?

Apply for the Next Level Nonprofit Mastermind, a high-touch coaching and training accelerator for established organizations with $1M+ budgets that are ready to design for impact sustained at scale.

Budget under $1M? Join Elevate and get proven step-by-step playbooks + coaching support to build each of the core elements of your nonprofit's operating system - strategic clarity, a fundraising engine, a high-performance team, and an active and engaged board!

Connect with me!

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• YouTube