What Makes Nonprofits Successful – It Isn’t Luck

Looking at a thriving nonprofit, it's easy to assume they just got lucky. The right donors showed up. The right staff fell into place. The timing worked out. But here's what I've learned after 30 years in nonprofit leadership: what looks like luck from the outside is almost always the result of deliberate, intentional work happening on the inside. Once you realize this, you can stop waiting for your luck to change — and start making that change yourself. 

What Do "Lucky" Nonprofits Actually Have in Common? 

These thriving nonprofits have a few critical practices in common. They make sure every role within their organization is clear. Their boards and staff are aligned with each other as well as their mission. They create systems to have non-reactive decision making. And they put an emphasis on sustainable leadership. When combined, these elements boost nonprofits to the next level. 

Why Do These Things Matter? 

Role clarity, board and staff alignment, non-reactive decision making, and sustainable leadership all create efficiency in conjunction with support. When you only have efficiency without support, people burn out. When you only have support without efficiency, a lot of time gets wasted patting each other on the back. But when every part of your nonprofit combines the two, you get an energized and high-performing team.  

It’s not luck that combines efficiency and support — It's putting intentional systems in place so you can take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself. You are the sculptor in your nonprofit’s story. So, take advantage of that and create something beautiful. 

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