Nonprofit boards have always carried a serious responsibility. They protect the mission. They steward resources. They support the CEO. They ask hard questions. They help build trust with donors, funders, staff, clients, and the community. But the expectations placed on boards are changing. BDO’s 2026 nonprofit outlook states that boards are asking for greater clarity around performance, liquidity, risk, and measurable outcomes. It also argues that nonprofits need to connect f

When navigating the crowded landscape of nonprofit technology, one decision can significantly shape your organization’s ability to fulfill its mission: can your nonprofit CRM track and report on impact, or do you need a purpose-built impact platform? This choice directly affects how you measure impact, streamline data collection, report to stakeholders, and ultimately demonstrate real, meaningful outcomes. Understanding the Difference: CRM vs. Impact Platform General nonprofi

As nonprofit leaders prepare for the next fiscal year, many face a familiar pattern. Budgets are drafted. Fundraising targets are set. Marketing plans take shape. Staffing decisions follow. That sequence feels logical. It is also backward. During last week’s workshop, we challenged a core assumption that has shaped nonprofit planning for decades. Most organizations begin with money and work their way to mission. The stronger approach begins with impact and works back to resou

Over the past several years, the City of Columbus, Ohio has made significant investments in school and afterschool programming. In the proposed 2025 budget, Mayor Andrew J. Ginther allocated $26.8 million for summer, after-school, and job-readiness programming to keep Columbus youth safe, active, and engaged. This substantial investment underscores the city’s commitment to creating safe, structured environments for youth. By prioritizing afterschool programming, the city ensu

For nonprofit leaders overseeing programs across multiple locations or for collaboratives made up of many independent organizations, answering the question “What impact are we making?” is rarely simple. Each site or partner organization operates within its own community context. Staff may use different tools, track outcomes in different ways, and report to multiple stakeholders with overlapping requirements. Over time, this leads to fragmented data, labor-intensive reporting