If there’s one thing uniting nearly all nonprofits since the election, it’s uncertainty. Leaders at groups of all kinds are bracing themselves for policy changes that may come, the potential loss of federal funding, possible shifts in foundation giving, and increased needs they may have to meet.
Many charities did more planning and preparing for different scenarios this year compared with 2016, but probably still not enough, says Kindred Motes, founder of the consulting firm KM Strategies Group. In an informal survey of around 25 organizations in early 2024, his team found that on every front — from communications to donor relations to advocacy and staff retention — the groups did not feel prepared for a possible Trump win. “They weren’t ready,” he says. “They didn’t know exactly what it would take to get them there.”
Financial sustainability and potential staff challenges, such as burnout and turnover, are getting the most attention from leaders right now, Motes says. Executives also know they should prepare crisis communication plans, he adds, but many are still worn down from “playing call and response” during the first Trump presidency and adapting to the pandemic. As a result, they may not tackle that until they have to, he explains. “It just doesn’t feel like we’ve had really much of a breather.”
To help leaders steer their nonprofits through this period of change and uncertainty, the Chronicle gathered advice from experts. Here are their recommendations for how to communicate with employees, donors, and those you serve; take care of yourself and your staff; and ensure your mission can continue for the long term.
Communication
Communicate more than you think you should
Most leaders undercommunicate with their teams in times of volatility and uncertainty, says Nancy Koehn, historian and Harvard business professor who studies the way leaders make decisions in great turbulence. Strive to do the opposite, she says: “You cannot overcommunicate.”
If at the end of the day you’ve said something so many times you feel sick to your stomach, you are right on target — you are communicating adequately.
Koehn suggests using what she calls the “nausea index” or “vomit index” as a barometer. “If at the end of the day you’ve said something so many times you feel sick to your stomach, you are right on target. … I’m very serious — you are communicating adequately.”
Your communication — whether internal or external — should be clear, she says, and hit a few key messages:
- Say again and again that your nonprofit remains true to its mission and purpose.
- “Frame the stakes”: Acknowledge what the election results mean for the country and the world, and then what’s at stake for your organization. “You probably can’t answer that with perfect certainty at all, but you’re going to say it, right? Because that’s what people are thinking,” Koehn says.
- “Stoke resilience and commitment”: You have to say, “We will not give in, give out, or give up,” she says, because people won’t hear that anywhere else.
Know that all eyes will be on you as a leader, Koehn adds. People will be looking to you for cues, including your energy and presence, to help them understand this world that suddenly feels very different. So whether you’re communicating on Zoom, in person, or by phone, be aware of your presence and keep this in mind.
‘Acknowledge the fear’ and foster conversations
Don’t overlook the anxiety that many employees and community members are feeling, Koehn says. “Whomever you voted for, the level of anxiety in the country is ratcheted up a couple of degrees. So, a leader’s job is to acknowledge it.”
Explain that the organization is going to step into that fear as it has many times before, continue the work, and then take the next step, she says, and give examples of other crises or uncertain times the nonprofit has weathered. As you walk into the fear together, it will dissipate.
Whomever you voted for, the level of anxiety in the country is ratcheted up a couple of degrees. So a leader’s job is to acknowledge it.
Be more vulnerable than usual when talking with your staff and board, suggests Alan Cantor, a consultant and former nonprofit leader. People will find it reassuring. “You don’t want to overreact; you don’t want to underreact and say, ‘Tut, tut, everything will be fine,’” he says. But have lots of quiet conversations to try to better understand possible issues that may be coming.
Consider holding regular town-hall meetings with unscripted time set aside for staff to share their worries or questions with leaders, Motes suggests. This can help keep things from festering and blowing up later, he explains, and you can follow up as needed individually or in small groups.
Adjust donor communications to the current climate
Convey a sense of urgency, but not panic, in your communications and appeals, Cantor suggests. “Donors don’t [like] throwing money into a sinking ship.”
But be careful not to sound egocentric: Talk about the larger community and world, he says, and show you understand your organization’s place in it.
Be careful not to sound egocentric: Talk about the larger community and world, and show you understand your organization’s place in it.
Tell donors and grant makers that you are committed to your mission and that your work may need to evolve and grow as your community’s needs do, suggests Teresa Mateus, grants and program coordinator at the Kota Alliance, a gender-equity organization. Explain that you want to talk with them as that happens about how their funding might need to change, too.
Don’t appeal to just one group or side of the political polarization in your outreach, Motes says. Instead, talk about your work in unifying ways that enable as many people as possible to find themselves in your messages.
Some organizations create “voice guides” to help staff communicate about their mission, vision, and values, he says, including what they should and should not say, and why. Motes suggests building this into your communications plan, even if it’s just one page with tips. Share it with employees to prevent crises from happening because someone wasn’t prepared.
Invite your community to weigh in
Reassure those you serve that your work continues, says Mateus, who is also a trauma specialist and consultant. Recognize that you don’t fully know which needs may arise, but you are already working to make sure you’ll be able to meet them.
And invite community members to share feedback on what they think they’re going to need, she suggests, and what your organization should be preparing for.
Well-Being
Take care of yourself and your people
Leaders work harder as uncertainty increases, Koehn says, so you must be careful to “feed and water yourself” daily. This includes the basics, like making sure to get enough sleep, eat as well as you can, get up and move around every hour to clear your head, and allow yourself a little “recovery time” every day.
Help your employees feed and water themselves, too, Koehn says. She recalls one organization that decided to prioritize taking care of its staff, and the first thing it did was to encourage everyone to get their annual checkups. Two people detected early-stage cancer as a result, she says, which made them feel like the group saved their lives. “When an organization that has a mission says to the people charged with executing on that mission … ‘We’re going to help you take better care of yourself and therefore better care for your family,’ you lift the whole sense of commitment to another level,” Koehn says.
Another approach she has seen: Some CEOs and executive directors schedule recurring, half-hour meetings with their executive leadership team with no agenda. About 80 percent of the topics people bring up are staff-related issues that don’t fit anywhere else, she says, such as an employee who may have a mental-health concern or be getting disenchanted. “And then all kinds of interesting things happen.”
Often, leaders zero in on solving a problem with a specific individual or group and then consider whether they should take an organizationwide action.
Create a ‘protected space’ for staff relationship-building
Many groups have “relational codes of ethics” that set parameters for how employees should treat each other in the workplace and what is off limits, Mateus says. This helps create a sense of a “protected space” where people feel like they can be in relationships with each other without worrying that they could be hurt by a co-worker. If you already have such a code, you should revisit it with greater sensitivity and think about what you might need to clarify, expand, or add to strengthen those boundaries in the current context.
If you’re creating a new code, give all staffers the chance to participate, Mateus suggests, even if anonymously. Think about general community ethics such as listening when others are speaking, not responding in a reactionary way, and following a defined process if someone says something that makes you uncomfortable. You might also include some rules tailored to your organization, such as certain topics people shouldn’t bring up in meetings. (To help you start, Mateus shares sample community ethos documents she created for building a protected space where people care for themselves and each other.)
Then, find ways to foster community within those guardrails, Mateus says, such as opportunities for staff members to share how they’re feeling without detailing specific beliefs. She likes to use a tool called “A Resonating Practice,” which is a method of active listening and sharing feelings within boundaries.
Motes has seen groups benefit from forming cohorts with peer nonprofits in their communities, which gives employees ways to gather and share their experiences, so they don’t feel as isolated.
Strengthen your ‘infrastructure of support’
See what internal and external resources you can offer to the staff to bolster your organization’s “infrastructure of support,” Mateus says. Ideally, that should include activities people can do collectively, such as organizational retreats and group programs focused on learning and growth. Incorporate this kind of work into your culture, she suggests, and adapt the content to respond to what’s happening in the world or at your organization.
You can’t constantly let fear, anger, or resentment be the strategy because it has diminishing returns.
Don’t just make support available, Mateus says; be transparent about what you, as a leader, are using as a support system. Also let staff members plan and share which resources they are using to take care of themselves, she suggests, whether it’s people in their lives or certain practices that help them relax.
Encourage your team to practice self-care together, too, she adds, and build some shared activities into your organization’s “rhythm of life.” For example, set up a space at the office for people to lie down and rest, or offer 15- or 30-minute drop-in meetings throughout the week for staff to relax together virtually.
Sustainability
Diversify your organization’s income
Look at your buckets of funding by percentage and make sure you are set up for long-term sustainability, Motes suggests. Consider seeking new and different funders to diversify your revenue.
For example, some of his firm’s clients have found success partnering with businesses that are not Fortune 500 but have similar values and can move money faster, with fewer decision points. “It might be $50,000 or $100,000 instead of a million or 10 million, but there are a lot more of them,” he says.
Focus on achievable wins and convey hope
If you face headwinds in Washington — whether for funding or advocacy work — turn your attention to finding achievable wins at the state or local levels, Motes suggests, because that’s what’s going to keep donors motivated. People are worn down, he says, so you need to give them things to look forward to, not just react to. “You can’t constantly let fear, anger, or resentment be the strategy because it has diminishing returns.”
Give yourself time to ‘imagine beyond what we think is possible’
“I keep saying we need to imagine beyond what we think is possible,” Mateus says. “And that’s both true for imagining outcomes that can come, but also … how we can be creative and responsive to things.”
For example, know which organizations or individuals in your community could be your partners if logistics change. That might mean a larger organization building a relationship with a smaller group that serves a politicized cause, so you can help ensure its work can continue even if it loses funding.
Also rethink how the needs of those you serve might change and expand beyond what you could have envisioned yesterday or a week ago, Mateus says, and re-evaluate your nonprofit’s mission in the same way.
But don’t hyper-accelerate into work you don’t have experience or tools to do well, she cautions, or you could stretch yourself too thin and even do harm. “Sometimes it’s: Don’t move too fast,” she says. “Understandably, in times of stress, we feel the need to accelerate. But I think sometimes the greatest tool we can use is slowing down. And that means to pause and think and reflect and plan.”