Fix It Before You Grow

After years of working in nonprofit organizations, I have learned to be cautious when someone tells me, “We need to raise more money.”

Of course, most nonprofits need more revenue. Money gives organizations the ability to hire good people, serve more people, invest in programs and pursue their missions with greater confidence. Fundraising matters enormously.

But I have also learned that a fundraising problem is not always a fundraising problem.

Sometimes it is a leadership problem. Sometimes it is a strategy problem. Sometimes the board is not sufficiently engaged, the organization has too many competing priorities, or the systems behind the fundraising effort are not strong enough to support the growth everyone is hoping for.

That is why one of the first questions I ask when working with a nonprofit is not, “How can we raise more money?” It is, “What is keeping the organization from becoming the organization it needs to be?”

Look underneath the problem

When an organization is struggling to raise money, I want to understand what is happening before recommending another campaign, another grant strategy or another development hire.

Are donors being cultivated consistently, or are they mostly hearing from the organization when there is a financial need? Does the board understand its role in fundraising? Is the organization’s story clear enough that donors can see why their support matters? Are staff spending their time on the activities that actually build relationships and generate revenue?

Just as importantly, is the organization clear about what it is trying to accomplish?

I have seen talented fundraisers struggle because the organization’s priorities were unclear. I have seen good initiatives stall because no one was quite sure who was responsible for moving them forward. I have seen boards become frustrated because they did not understand what leadership needed from them, and I have seen executives become overwhelmed because too many decisions eventually landed on their desks.

In those situations, raising more money may help, but it will not solve the underlying problem.

The organization itself needs attention.

Growth has a way of revealing weaknesses

Growth is exciting, but it also exposes weaknesses that may have been manageable when an organization was smaller.

A process that worked with five employees may become frustrating with twenty-five. A board structure that was perfectly adequate a few years ago may no longer provide the expertise or engagement the organization needs. A development program built around a few personal relationships may become inadequate as the donor base expands.

This is why I like to ask leaders to think about what will become harder if they succeed.

If you double the number of people you serve, can your systems keep up?

If you significantly increase revenue, are your financial controls ready for it?

If you add programs, do you have the people and leadership capacity to run them well?

If you attract many new donors, do you have the systems and discipline to build those relationships over time?

These are not reasons to avoid growth. They are reasons to prepare for it.

Let the mission help you decide

A recent Forbes Nonprofit Council article offered advice that resonates with my experience: “I anchor decisions in the mission, which serves as the North Star.” (Forbes Nonprofit Council, April 30, 2026, online article; pagination not provided.)

That becomes especially important when an organization has more good opportunities than it has resources.

Every nonprofit has worthwhile ideas. The difficult part is deciding which ones deserve attention now.

When I am helping an organization make those decisions, I tend to come back to two questions: Does this meaningfully advance the mission, and can we do it well?

Both questions matter.

An initiative can be perfectly aligned with the mission and still be the wrong decision if the organization lacks the capacity to execute it. On the other hand, an opportunity can generate revenue while gradually taking the organization away from its central purpose.

Revenue should support the mission, not quietly become the mission.

Build before you scale

I do not believe every nonprofit needs to become bigger. I believe nonprofits need to become healthier.

A healthy organization knows what matters most. Its leaders understand their roles. Its board knows how to contribute. Its employees have enough clarity to do their jobs well. Its fundraising strategy supports its larger strategy. Its financial information helps leaders make decisions rather than simply report what has already happened.

Most importantly, people trust one another enough to tell the truth when something is not working.

That last point matters more than almost anything else.

If employees are afraid to raise concerns, leaders eventually lose access to some of the most useful information they have. If board members are reluctant to challenge assumptions, bad ideas can move forward too easily. If donors do not trust leadership, even a strong fundraising program will eventually suffer.

Building that kind of organization takes time.

It also requires generosity, integrity and determination. Leaders have to be generous with their attention, honest about what needs to change and determined enough to stay focused when improvement takes longer than expected.

That is the philosophy behind much of my consulting work:

Fix the organization, and you create the foundation for sustainable revenue growth.

The goal is not simply to build a bigger nonprofit. It is to build one that is strong enough to turn its resources into lasting impact.