With the prospect of an economic downturn looming ― and the number of nonprofit layoffs on the rise ― many leaders are coping with a jittery workforce and new pressures to keep staff members motivated.

These new developments come on top of one of the most challenging staff recruitment landscapes in recent memory, after the Covid pandemic changed how and where work gets done.

In search of solutions, Chronicle CEO Stacy Palmer talked to two leaders who have found ways to attract and retain outstanding employees.

Jordan Shenker is CEO of the Peninsula Jewish Community Center, in Foster City, California, and Keena Friday is COO of the Association of Infant Mental Health in Tennessee.

Among their suggestions:

• Don’t rush to fill open positions.
• Salary isn’t the only lure.
• Remote work options matter.
• As the economy and federal policy shift, communicate what you know as often as possible.

Connect with Friday and Shenker on LinkedIn.

Further Reading:

• “6 Ways Nonprofit Leaders Can Boost Morale in Chaotic Time” by Rasheeda Childress
• “How to Lead Well in Uncertain Times” by Lisa Schohl
• “For Nonprofits, Remote Work Offers a Competitive Edge” by Eden Stiffman
• “How to Attract Employees — Simple Strategies Work Better Than New Benefits” by Ben Gose
• “Leaders’ Advice for Other Leaders” by Ben Gose
• “Smart Ways to Show You’re Ready for a Promotion — and a Few Things to Avoid” by Lisa Schohl
• “How to Manage Up — and Reach Your Career Goals” by Lisa Schohl
• “Q&A: Bad Bosses, Big Dreams, and Broken Philanthropy” by Nandita Raghuram
• “A Really Tough Job: Nonprofit CEOs Work to Make Their Roles More Manageable” by Ben Gose
• “Leadership at the Crossroads” by George Anders

We welcome your thoughts on how the Chronicle can help you build your leadership superpowers. Write us at connect@philanthropy.com.

Nonprofits Now: Leading Today is hosted by Stacy Palmer. It’s produced by Emily Haynes at the Chronicle of Philanthropy and from Reasonable Volume, Mary Dooe is the producer, Mark Bush is our engineer, and Rachel Swaby and Elise Hu are executive producers. Additional support comes from Margie Fleming Glennon, Andrew Simon, Nick Adams, Krista Niles, Amaya Beltran, and Kyle Johnson.

For the latest philanthropy news and analysis, subscribe to the Chronicle at philanthropy.com/subscribe

As nonprofit leaders grapple with increasingly dire threats to their funding and missions, it’s more important than ever to understand what it takes to lead resilient organizations.

For a look at what skills are most important, we hear from Vanessa Priya Daniel, who interviewed 45 social-justice leaders for her new book, Unrig the Game: What Women of Color Can Teach Everyone About Winning.

Daniel combines her extensive research for the book with her own experiences as an organizer and founder of Groundswell Fund and Groundswell Action Fund — which together have distributed more than $100 million to over 200 organizations led by women of color and transgender people.

In a conversation with Chronicle CEO Stacy Palmer, Daniel says her interviews led her to identify three all successful change agents possessed:

• Bold ideas. Incremental solutions don’t add up to enough to solve the tremendous challenges of today and tomorrow.
• Generosity. Daniel says an “ethos of rising by lifting others” is what makes the women she interviewed successful.
• 360-degree vision. There’s never just one cause of a problem that’s complex and worth solving.

Connect with Daniel on LinkedIn.

Further Reading:

• "Open Your Tent for Supporters Wide, Says Leader of Progressive Group" by Nicole Wallace
• "Opinion: White Philanthropy, Here's How to Guarantee Real Change Happens" by Edgar Villanueva and Vanessa Daniel
• "Opinion: A Post-Affirmative Action World Demands More — Not Less — Funding for Black Leaders" by Cora Daniels
• "Opinion: Women Leaders of Color Are Exhausted. Philanthropy Needs to Step Up." by Sayu Bhojwani
• "The Challenges of Being a Woman Leader of Color at a Nonprofit" by Jim Rendon
• "Funders Should Support Nonprofit Leadership Transitions — Now" by Nick Grono
• "Leadership at the Crossroads" by George Anders
• "A Really Tough Job: Nonprofit CEOs Work to Make Their Roles More Manageable" by Ben Gose

We welcome your thoughts on how the Chronicle can help you build your leadership superpowers. Write us at connect@philanthropy.com.

Nonprofits Now: Leading Today is hosted by Stacy Palmer. It’s produced by Emily Haynes at the Chronicle of Philanthropy and from Reasonable Volume, Mary Dooe is the producer, Mark Bush is our engineer, and Rachel Swaby and Elise Hu are executive producers. Additional support comes from Margie Fleming Glennon, Andrew Simon, Nick Adams, Krista Niles, Amaya Beltran, and Kyle Johnson.

For the latest philanthropy news and analysis, subscribe to the Chronicle at philanthropy.com/su

Two leaders, Kathleen St. Louis Caliento and Nick Grono, join Chronicle CEO Stacy Palmer to explain how they have engaged their board in financial efforts.

St. Louis Caliento runs Cara Collective, a Chicago nonprofit that helps low-income people find jobs.

Grono heads the Freedom Fund, an organization that pools funds from donors who want to fight modern-day slavery. He’s the author of How to Lead Nonprofits: Turning Purpose into Impact to Change the World, published in 2024.

As nonprofits face economy headwinds — including losses in federal funding, rising costs, and the possibility of a global recession — nonprofit boards play an increasingly essential role. Trustees help with strategy and can also be powerful donors and fundraisers. Yet fewer than a quarter of respondents to a Chronicle survey described their board members as enthusiastic fundraisers.

Grono and St. Louis Caliento share their advice on how to inspire boards to champion your mission and share insights from their shared experience of working with trustees to manage unrestricted, multimillion-dollar grants from MacKenzie Scott.

Among their key points:

• Ask board members for access to their networks.
• Help the board understand the nonprofit’s work and impact.
• Do an annual check-in.

You can connect with Grono and St. Louis Caliento on LinkedIn.

Further Reading:

“A Really Tough Job: Nonprofit CEOs Work to Make Their Roles More Manageable” by Ben Gose

“How to Create a Culture of Fundraising on Your Board” by Lisa Schohl

“How to Retain Skittish Donors Amid Economic Turbulence” by Rasheeda Childress

“Show How Your Nonprofit Is Making a Difference: 10 Do’s and Don’ts” by Lisa Schohl

“Funders Should Support Nonprofit Leadership Transitions — Now” by Nick Grono

“Leadership at the Crossroads” by George Anders

We welcome your thoughts on how the Chronicle can better help you engage your board. Write us at connect@philanthropy.com.

Watch a video version of this episode at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58WhjVvKzbA. And catch up past episodes at https://www.philanthropy.com/podcast/nonprofits-now.

Nonprofits Now: Leading Today is hosted by Stacy Palmer. It’s produced by Emily Haynes at the Chronicle of Philanthropy and from Reasonable Volume, Mary Dooe is the producer, Mark Bush is our engineer, and Rachel Swaby and Elise Hu are executive producers. Additional support comes from Margie Fleming Glennon, Andrew Simon, Nick Adams, Krista Niles, Amaya Beltran, and Kyle Johnson.

For the latest philanthropy news and analysis, subscribe to the Chronicle at philanthropy.com/subscribe.