What does it really mean for a nonprofit to succeed? How do you build trust with funders, and does celebrating wins help as much as we think? In this year-end reflection, I share five research articles that genuinely changed how I think about nonprofit work.

We'll explore why impact is only one piece of organizational health, what transparency does for donor relationships (spoiler: it's not what you'd expect), why radical innovation requires totally different conditions than incremental change, what makes AI in fundraising work, and how identity shapes giving in ways our models often miss.

Whether you're an executive director, development professional, board member, or just someone who cares about making this sector stronger, these insights offer fresh perspective heading into the new year.