Control Your Destiny in 2026
It’s a new year, and if you are like most nonprofit organizations I know, it’s not exactly the year you hoped you would be facing. The shocks of 2025 are now the new normal. So if you haven’t already pivoted to meet this moment, now is that time.
3 THINGS YOU AND YOUR TEAM CAN DO TO TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR DESTINY IN 2026
ASSESS AND RESPOND TO YOUR RISK LANDSCAPE
Facing your fears, rather than ignoring them and hoping they will go away, is the best way to make your organization stronger and more resilient. Are you worried about losing your biggest funder? Being attacked for your policy stances? Being blocked from serving your constituents? Then say it out loud and start making a plan. You may feel powerless to address these external threats, but you have more resources than you think. Harness your smarts, your team, your community, and your mettle. Doing something, anything, to get ready and to respond immediately makes you safer and stronger.
REFRESH YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN
If your strategic plan was developed before 2025, it is OBE and needs to be updated. The world has changed. The needs have changed. You have changed. If you don’t have time to do a deep and thorough strategic planning process, then just do a quick-and-dirty remix of your old plan. Take an afternoon with your leadership team to review what your assumptions and objectives were and mark them up to reflect where you are now and where you need to change. Clarity around your priorities and purposes is what your team needs to hear from you and what your funders will demand.
INVEST IN YOUR PEOPLE
Many organizations had to let people go last year. Or have stopped hiring new staff because of uncertainty around funding sources. The team that is left are your ride-or-die compatriots in this battle so acknowledge their worth and empower them to be the best they can be. When everything else is lost, your people are your greatest asset so get the most out of them by making them your top priority for investment and appreciation.
Meeting the moment can be scary, but taking control of your destiny can also be exhilarating. Don’t wait until it’s too late.
