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In challenging times, abundance isn’t about having more. It’s about defending what matters most.

Recently, I met with an Executive Director I’ll call Susan. She had been in her role just a few months when the funding landscape shifted in a way that couldn’t be ignored. This wasn’t a temporary disruption—it was a permanent change that forced hard decisions forward.

Susan reviewed the financials and knew layoffs were coming. She also knew her team would struggle—not from lack of commitment, but because uncertainty makes all of us reach for what feels familiar.

And she understood something that sat heavily with her.

She hadn’t been hired to protect the status quo.
She had been hired to ensure the organization could endure and continue serving its community.

Standing in that tension, Susan designed a pathway forward that protected the mission.

Today, I want to share what she did, why it mattered, and how you can move through difficult seasons with the same steadiness if you’re facing something similar.

You can find the full transcript and show notes at CultureCARES.com/14.

Marcia Beckner helps nonprofit executives lead with confidence and create healthy, thriving workplace cultures, especially during times of growth and change.

After nearly 20 years in the nonprofit sector, she’s seen far too many talented, hard-working leaders burn out and walk away.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

Nonprofit CEO SPARK is your invitation to pause, pivot, and reignite your energy so you can lead with clarity, courage, and balance.

Feeling exhausted and on the edge of burnout?

Grab my free guide - 4 Strategies for Nonprofit CEOs to Reduce Burnout, Unify Your Team & Build a Culture That Lasts. Go to https://culturecares.com/guide.

If this episode resonated, I invite you to join my Tuesday newsletter. Each week I share the podcast topic, practical leadership insights, and occasional special offers and event invitations designed to help you lead with clarity without burning out.

If you know another nonprofit leader who could use this support, please pass it along. And if you’d ever like to connect directly, you can reach me at https://culturecares.com.

Send us a text

One of the toughest calls for nonprofit leaders right now is which staff members get remote flexibility… and which don’t.

You’re juggling programs, fundraising, and staff wellbeing — all while trying to create policies that balance fairness, equity, and mission delivery.

But when different departments play by different rules, silos can deepen.

Here’s a common example:
💼 The Development team’s working hybrid.
👥 The Program team’s in the field.
💬 And soon, staff are whispering about fairness instead of collaborating on impact.

In today’s episode, we’re unpacking real, actionable strategies to turn hybrid work from a source of tension into a tool for trust and connection.

Let’s make your hybrid culture one where everyone feels seen, supported, and set up to thrive.

Picture a nonprofit called “Bright Futures.” Their Development team negotiated hybrid schedules: two office days, three remote. Reports and grant writing can be done from home office.

Meanwhile, the Program team — the ones running after-school programs — are expected to be on-site five days a week. Their roles really do demand presence.

On paper, it makes sense.

But In reality, it sparks division:
- Program staff ask, “Why are we stuck here while Development gets flexibility?”
- Development staff quietly wonder, “Do people think we’re not pulling our weight?”

Team cohesion suffers. Emails go unanswered, deadlines slip, and the CEO feels like they’re putting out culture fires instead of leading the mission.

This is where nonprofit leaders must recognize: the issue isn’t just policy.

The real challenge is designing a culture that communicates fairness, explains the why, and creates connection across departments.

Marcia Beckner helps nonprofit executives lead with confidence and create healthy, thriving workplace cultures, especially during times of growth and change.

After nearly 20 years in the nonprofit sector, she’s seen far too many talented, hard-working leaders burn out and walk away.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

Nonprofit CEO SPARK is your invitation to pause, pivot, and reignite your energy so you can lead with clarity, courage, and balance.

Feeling exhausted and on the edge of burnout?

Grab my free guide - 4 Strategies for Nonprofit CEOs to Reduce Burnout, Unify Your Team & Build a Culture That Lasts. Go to https://culturecares.com/guide.

If this episode resonated, I invite you to join my Tuesday newsletter. Each week I share the podcast topic, practical leadership insights, and occasional special offers and event invitations designed to help you lead with clarity without burning out.

If you know another nonprofit leader who could use this support, please pass it along. And if you’d ever like to connect directly, you can reach me at https://culturecares.com.

Send us a text

Let’s say you’re leading a team meeting with the main goal to ‘Decide on new donor database’.

Two hours later, you’ve heard passionate arguments, five different options, and you’re running out of trail mix in the middle of the table.

Then someone says, ‘So who’s actually deciding this?’ Blank stares across the room. And that is the moment everyone realizes…nobody knows.

I’ll be honest …I was very guilty of this myself. When I was the Executive Director for MyLifeLine Cancer Foundation, the organization I founded, I thought being a good leader meant pleasing everyone and inviting all staff into every decision. I wanted my team to feel included.

But what often happened? Our big group wasted time spinning in circles and indecision. People left meetings frustrated.

I didn’t know it then, but I had confused inclusivity with clarity. Today, I’ll share a decision-making framework that saved the day and helped us address this challenge for good.

Marcia Beckner helps nonprofit executives lead with confidence and create healthy, thriving workplace cultures, especially during times of growth and change.

After nearly 20 years in the nonprofit sector, she’s seen far too many talented, hard-working leaders burn out and walk away.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

Nonprofit CEO SPARK is your invitation to pause, pivot, and reignite your energy so you can lead with clarity, courage, and balance.

Feeling exhausted and on the edge of burnout?

Grab my free guide - 4 Strategies for Nonprofit CEOs to Reduce Burnout, Unify Your Team & Build a Culture That Lasts. Go to https://culturecares.com/guide.

If this episode resonated, I invite you to join my Tuesday newsletter. Each week I share the podcast topic, practical leadership insights, and occasional special offers and event invitations designed to help you lead with clarity without burning out.

If you know another nonprofit leader who could use this support, please pass it along. And if you’d ever like to connect directly, you can reach me at https://culturecares.com.

Send us a text

Welcome back to Nonprofit CEO SPARK. I’m Marcia Beckner, and today we’re kicking off with a hot take I’ve been sitting with for a long time:

On-going staff drama isn’t normal. It’s a leadership choice to tolerate a low-trust environment.

I know...that’s bold, maybe even a little controversial. But I also know it’s true, because I lived through one of the most painful and ultimately transformational chapters of my Executive Director career.

There was a season when my staff split into factions. Our culture unraveled. Fundraising tanked. And I found myself standing at a crossroads, facing decisions I never thought I’d have to make.

But what happened next changed everything for me, for my team, and for the organization we built from the ground up.

I’m going to get a little vulnerable today, because I’ve never shared this story quite like this.

But if it helps even one CEO or ED understand that you get what you tolerate with your team, then it’s worth it.

Marcia Beckner helps nonprofit executives lead with confidence and create healthy, thriving workplace cultures, especially during times of growth and change.

After nearly 20 years in the nonprofit sector, she’s seen far too many talented, hard-working leaders burn out and walk away.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

Nonprofit CEO SPARK is your invitation to pause, pivot, and reignite your energy so you can lead with clarity, courage, and balance.

Feeling exhausted and on the edge of burnout?

Grab my free guide - 4 Strategies for Nonprofit CEOs to Reduce Burnout, Unify Your Team & Build a Culture That Lasts. Go to https://culturecares.com/guide.

If this episode resonated, I invite you to join my Tuesday newsletter. Each week I share the podcast topic, practical leadership insights, and occasional special offers and event invitations designed to help you lead with clarity without burning out.

If you know another nonprofit leader who could use this support, please pass it along. And if you’d ever like to connect directly, you can reach me at https://culturecares.com.

Send us a text

As we step into a new year, I want to talk about one resolution that almost every nonprofit leader needs, but very few actually name out loud:

Stop personally sacrificing yourself to get the work done.

Consider giving yourself permission to lead without losing yourself.

Today, I’m giving you 3 practical strategies to stick to this resolution, so you don’t spiral back to living on caffeine, email triage, and pure adrenaline.

Typical resolutions sound like:
“I want to work less.”
“I need boundaries.”
“I have to take better care of myself.”

But those are vague wishes, not commitments. Here’s a more powerful reframe:

“I will no longer sacrifice my peace, my health, or my joy to keep the mission running.”

This moves you from survival mode… to decisive CEO mode.

Marcia Beckner helps nonprofit executives lead with confidence and create healthy, thriving workplace cultures, especially during times of growth and change.

After nearly 20 years in the nonprofit sector, she’s seen far too many talented, hard-working leaders burn out and walk away.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

Nonprofit CEO SPARK is your invitation to pause, pivot, and reignite your energy so you can lead with clarity, courage, and balance.

Feeling exhausted and on the edge of burnout?

Grab my free guide - 4 Strategies for Nonprofit CEOs to Reduce Burnout, Unify Your Team & Build a Culture That Lasts. Go to https://culturecares.com/guide.

If this episode resonated, I invite you to join my Tuesday newsletter. Each week I share the podcast topic, practical leadership insights, and occasional special offers and event invitations designed to help you lead with clarity without burning out.

If you know another nonprofit leader who could use this support, please pass it along. And if you’d ever like to connect directly, you can reach me at https://culturecares.com.

Send us a text

As we wrap up 2025, it feels like the perfect moment to pause and reflect.

This year stretched every leader I know from staff transitions, funding dips, and the nonstop pace of change

So before we sprint into 2026 planning mode, let’s take a breath and look back at what actually worked.

I asked four incredible nonprofit leaders one simple question:

“What’s your #1 best strategy to build trust and morale during times of disruption?”

Their answers? Honest. Practical. Grounded.

They also cost nothing to implement but the payout is enormous.

You’ve heard the saying, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.”

Well… one of my clients proved it.

By focusing on building a high-trust culture, they didn’t just meet their $20M fundraising goal…they hit it two months early.

That’s the power of trust in motion.

Marcia Beckner helps nonprofit executives lead with confidence and create healthy, thriving workplace cultures, especially during times of growth and change.

After nearly 20 years in the nonprofit sector, she’s seen far too many talented, hard-working leaders burn out and walk away.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

Nonprofit CEO SPARK is your invitation to pause, pivot, and reignite your energy so you can lead with clarity, courage, and balance.

Feeling exhausted and on the edge of burnout?

Grab my free guide - 4 Strategies for Nonprofit CEOs to Reduce Burnout, Unify Your Team & Build a Culture That Lasts. Go to https://culturecares.com/guide.

If this episode resonated, I invite you to join my Tuesday newsletter. Each week I share the podcast topic, practical leadership insights, and occasional special offers and event invitations designed to help you lead with clarity without burning out.

If you know another nonprofit leader who could use this support, please pass it along. And if you’d ever like to connect directly, you can reach me at https://culturecares.com.

Send us a text

Hey there, nonprofit CEOs and Executive Directors — welcome back to Nonprofit CEO SPARK,
where we help you lead with more clarity and confidence — without burning out.

I recently met a CEO who runs a nonprofit refugee center.

As you can imagine, her organization is facing some of the toughest challenges imaginable —threats to documented and undocumented immigrants, shifting government policies, and the constant emotional weight of caring for people in crisis.

So when she told me, “I love my job,” — I was stunned… and inspired.

I asked, “What makes that true for you, especially in a year this hard?”

And she said, “Because I have a lot of agency.”

That one sentence stopped me in my tracks.

Because so many nonprofit leaders feel like they don’t have control. But today, we’re going to unpack what it really means to have agency, how to reclaim it, and why this mindset can change everything about how you lead.

Marcia Beckner helps nonprofit executives lead with confidence and create healthy, thriving workplace cultures, especially during times of growth and change.

After nearly 20 years in the nonprofit sector, she’s seen far too many talented, hard-working leaders burn out and walk away.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

Nonprofit CEO SPARK is your invitation to pause, pivot, and reignite your energy so you can lead with clarity, courage, and balance.

Feeling exhausted and on the edge of burnout?

Grab my free guide - 4 Strategies for Nonprofit CEOs to Reduce Burnout, Unify Your Team & Build a Culture That Lasts. Go to https://culturecares.com/guide.

If this episode resonated, I invite you to join my Tuesday newsletter. Each week I share the podcast topic, practical leadership insights, and occasional special offers and event invitations designed to help you lead with clarity without burning out.

If you know another nonprofit leader who could use this support, please pass it along. And if you’d ever like to connect directly, you can reach me at https://culturecares.com.

Send us a text

Hey there, nonprofit leaders, tell me if this sounds familiar…

You leave a staff meeting thinking, “Yes! We’re totally aligned. Everyone’s got it.”
Then 48 hours later, your inbox tells a different story.

Half the team took your idea and sprinted in one direction.
Another half politely waited for more instructions.
And one person… somehow started building an entirely new project.

You sit back, reread your own notes, and think, “How did we get here? I was so clear!”

That’s today’s topic — the moment when we realize: what we said isn’t always what people heard.

Whether it’s a staff member, your board, or a partner — clarity gaps happen everywhere.
And as leaders, we can’t afford to keep losing time, trust, and energy to mixed messages.

So today, we’re going to unpack why this happens, how to spot it early, and practical ways to bridge the clarity gap — before it turns into conflict or confusion.

A few months ago, my son Jake — who was 19 at the time — and I did a mobile order from my phone at our local Starbucks.

It was one of those Starbucks stores that sits on the edge of a big shopping center parking lot. We parked right in front. The front door was practically staring at us.

I handed Jake his mission: “Run in and grab our order, please.”

Easy peasy, right?

He hops out of the car while I check my phone for messages. Five minutes pass. Then ten. By the twelve-minute mark, I’m thinking, Did Starbucks run out of coffee beans?

Finally, Jake comes walking back across the parking lot looking slightly sheepish… and holding no coffee.

He says, “Ohhh… I thought you meant the Starbucks inside King Soopers.”

Yep. He had marched right past the Starbucks directly in front of us — past the Einstein’s Bagels, the Marshalls, the PetSmart, and the dry cleaners — all the way to the Starbucks kiosk inside the grocery store.

And of course, that one didn’t have our mobile order.

That, my friends, is the tale of two Starbucks. Same parking lot. Two totally different destinations.

☕ And today’s episode is brewed around one of my favorite real-life leadership lessons: what a Starbucks mix-up can teach us about effective communication with our teams and boards.

Marcia Beckner helps nonprofit executives lead with confidence and create healthy, thriving workplace cultures, especially during times of growth and change.

After nearly 20 years in the nonprofit sector, she’s seen far too many talented, hard-working leaders burn out and walk away.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

Nonprofit CEO SPARK is your invitation to pause, pivot, and reignite your energy so you can lead with clarity, courage, and balance.

Feeling exhausted and on the edge of burnout?

Grab my free guide - 4 Strategies for Nonprofit CEOs to Reduce Burnout, Unify Your Team & Build a Culture That Lasts. Go to https://culturecares.com/guide.

If this episode resonated, I invite you to join my Tuesday newsletter. Each week I share the podcast topic, practical leadership insights, and occasional special offers and event invitations designed to help you lead with clarity without burning out.

If you know another nonprofit leader who could use this support, please pass it along. And if you’d ever like to connect directly, you can reach me at https://culturecares.com.