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Spectrum Nonprofit’s blog posts for nonprofit solutions and our books about nonprofit strategy.

Nonprofit Education Resources

Spectrum Nonprofit’s Publications

Nonprofit Sustainability
November 11, 2022

Nonprofit Sustainability: Making Strategic Decisions for Financial Viability (2010)

Finances are an important part of any nonprofit’s toolkit. But building a sustainable nonprofit isn’t…
Nonprofit Sustainability
November 11, 2022

The Sustainability Mindset (2014)

Nonprofit sustainability lies at the intersection of exceptional impact and financial viability.  In this step-by-step…

Spectrum Nonprofit’s Resources for Strategy

Implementation & OperationsStrategy
September 13, 2022

Beyond Strategic Planning: Using the Process to Strengthen Execution

By Steve Zimmerman Have you noticed when you’re finished watching your favorite show on Netflix…
Organizational & Programmatic ImpactStrategy
February 8, 2022

Programming for Impact

Why Understanding the Problem Is Crucial for Impact   By Shelly Scnhupp Achieving impact is…
Strategy
December 14, 2021

Using Adaptive Strategy to Get Through a Crisis

A Case Study of Lutheran Social Services of Indiana   By Alexander Porte For nonprofit…

Spectrum Nonprofit’s Resources for Leadership & People

Leadership & People
August 12, 2021

How Nonprofit Boards Upped Their Game During the Covid-19 Pandemic

By Shelly Schnupp Stories about nonprofit boards tend to focus on the bad or the…
Leadership & PeopleStrategy
July 8, 2020

Racial Justice & Nonprofit Strategy

By: Steve Zimmerman Systemic racism is a lingering evil in our country. The murders of…
Leadership & PeopleStrategy
June 13, 2020

The Survivability Series: Nonprofit Board Governance Amid Crisis

While COVID-19 continues to disrupt operations, the pandemic is certainly not the last crisis that…

Spectrum Nonprofit’s Resources for Nonprofit Business Models & Sustainability

Nonprofit Business Models & Sustainability
March 31, 2021

From Sustainability to Survivability: Lessons from COVID Response One Year Later

By: Steve Zimmerman Days are getting longer, temperatures are warming and this long, dark, cold…
Leadership & PeopleNonprofit Business Models & SustainabilityStrategy
May 18, 2020

Reimagining Your Nonprofit Organization: Framework & Questions

Framework & Key Questions to Ask By: Steve ZimmermanNonprofits across all mission areas and budget…
Leadership & PeopleNonprofit Business Models & Sustainability
March 17, 2020

From Sustainability to Survivability

How Nonprofits Can Manage Uncertainty Amid Crisis By: Steve Zimmerman In the nonprofit sector, the…

Spectrum Nonprofit’s Resources for Revenue & Financial Strategy

Revenue & Financial Strategy
October 5, 2022

Calculating the True Costs of Impact

By Steve Zimmerman It is a story as old as time. A donor expresses interest…
sustainable revenue strategyRevenue & Financial Strategy
February 20, 2020

Paying for Impact: What Makes a Sustainable Revenue Strategy?

What makes a sustainable revenue strategy?   By: Steve Zimmerman, Steve Strang, and Shelly Schnupp…
nonprofit budgeting processLeadership & PeopleRevenue & Financial Strategy
November 13, 2019

The Nonprofit Budgeting Process

How to Put the Art Into the Science of Budgeting   By: Steve Zimmerman Like…

Spectrum Nonprofit’s Resources for Organizational & Programmatic Impact

Organizational & Programmatic ImpactStrategy
November 3, 2020

Valuing Evaluation in Strategic Decision Making

By: Shelly Schnupp Challenging times often call for difficult decisions.  The Covid-19 pandemic has presented…
Intended ImpactOrganizational & Programmatic ImpactStrategy
March 20, 2018

Intended Impact: Telling Everyone Where You’re Trying to Go

In the ongoing orientation toward sustainability, it’s important to ask: “If our organization went away…
Organizational & Programmatic Impact
January 19, 2017

2016 Annual Report

Dear friends and colleagues, Each of us has a vision of the community we want…

Spectrum Nonprofit’s Resources for Implementation & Operations

traditional v. adaptive strategyImplementation & OperationsStrategy
August 7, 2019

How to Implement Adaptive Strategy in Nonprofits

By: Steve Strang Earlier this year, I came across a number of RFPs proposing a…

Spectrum Nonprofit’s “Advancing Nonprofit Strategy” Series

Advancing Nonprofit Strategy SeriesStrategy
June 18, 2021

The Big Lie Of Strategic Planning

By: Steve Zimmerman As a strategy consultant, admitting one of your favorite articles is titled…