Hello First name / community member,
Several months into 2026, we are starting to see a bit more movement as executive directors and development directors are looking to move around, retire, orchange their work focus. In meeting with folks, there are two trends that I am seeing.
First, a need for strong financial skills in leadership roles. This is not only reading financials and understanding the budgeting process, but also understanding how revenue enters the organization, what type of cash flow projections you can make, how expenses are spread out over the year, and what limitations exist from grant or donor fundraising for these expenses.
Seems simple enough, but for many nonprofit leaders, balancing the budget and managing finance has generally been a positive experience. 2008-2011 was the last time Oregon experienced a serious recession without any federal dollars entering the state. Remembering those challenges and looking at the fiscal side of an organization is really important right now.
Second, where therevenue is coming from. Interview committees are focusing on two things: Can you interpret our financials, and how will you fix that with fundraising/revenue generation? It’s not just fundraisers being asked to invest in outreach, asks, grant proposals, or developing revenue streams. As the Executive Director, understanding how grant money is found, used, and recorded, what type of donor pool an organization has, andwhere the organization sits with investments, partnerships, and social enterprises are all key to how you will be leading the organization.
There isn’t an easy answer, and no one is expecting an easy answer. But you also can’t slide by on how things were managed before the pandemic or even with federal funds during the pandemic. How do you make tough decisions? What kinds of questions are you asking? What kind of work have you done in these situations, and what were the results? These questions will be regularly asked.
So what about the organization? Are they expecting an Executive Director to be a miracle-worker? Of course they are!! Aren’t we always looking for the people who can solve problems quickly, grow an organization, and serve all of our clients? But the reality is, the boards and staff are looking for honesty, theability to problem-solve, experience with tough decisions, being able to explain situations, and ask the right questions. Many have just discovered that previous leaders just always handled everything, and they are new to seeing the impact of previous decisions. How do you move them along in processing information? How do you use your experience to lead in a challenging time?
This is a great opportunity for people looking to lead through challenge. It isn’t easy. Helping teams to set priorities, work towards goals, and understand their limitations will always be a challenge. Doesn’t matter if you are in a nonprofit or running your own business. No one helps you make these decisions, and it may be the people outside of the organization who see your skills, recognize the effort, and be your cheerleader.
If you're looking to improve your financial literacy, we recommend checking out the
Nonprofit Financial Leadership Academy, offered by Anthony Petchel and Deborah Steinkopf. Their next
cohort is running Spring 2026 and starts on May 6.
