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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

front cover of "Nonprofit Sustainability" (2010) by Jan Masaoka and Spectrum Principal Steve ZimmermanNonprofit SustainabilityNonprofit Sustainability: Making Strategic Decisions for Financial Viability (2010)
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…
Cover of "The Sustainability Mindset" (2014)Nonprofit SustainabilityThe Sustainability Mindset (2014)
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 & OperationsStrategyBeyond Strategic Planning: Using the Process to Strengthen Execution
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 ImpactStrategyProgramming for Impact
February 8, 2022

Programming for Impact

By Shelly Scnhupp Achieving impact is still a challenge for many nonprofits.  While we often…
StrategyUsing Adaptive Strategy to Get Through a Crisis
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 & PeopleFostering the Heartbeat of Nonprofit Strategy: People, Purpose, and Progress
June 6, 2024

Fostering the Heartbeat of Nonprofit Strategy: People, Purpose, and Progress

By: Samantha Maldonado Doing a lot with a little is a common understanding and expectation…
Leadership & PeopleSteering Organizational Change
September 18, 2023

Steering Organizational Change

By Steven Zimmerman In the movie Groundhog Day, Bill Murray’s weatherman character, stuck in time,…
Leadership & PeopleHow Nonprofit Boards Upped Their Game During the Covid-19 Pandemic
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…

Spectrum Nonprofit’s Resources for Nonprofit Business Models & Sustainability

Nonprofit Business Models & SustainabilityStrategyBecoming a More Adaptive Organization After a Crisis
June 14, 2021

Becoming a More Adaptive Organization After a Crisis

By Steve Strang In 2019 I wrote a blog post advocating for organizations to try…
Nonprofit Business Models & SustainabilityFrom Sustainability to Survivability: Lessons from COVID Response One Year Later
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 & SustainabilityStrategyReimagining Your Nonprofit Organization: Framework & Questions
May 18, 2020

Reimagining Your Nonprofit Organization: Framework & Questions

Framework & Key Questions to Ask By: Steve ZimmermanNonprofits across all mission areas and budget…

Spectrum Nonprofit’s Resources for Revenue & Financial Strategy

Revenue & Financial StrategyLooking Beyond Contributed Support: How to Leverage Traditional Development Skills to Build the Right Revenue Strategy
March 29, 2023

Looking Beyond Contributed Support: How to Leverage Traditional Development Skills to Build the Right Revenue Strategy

By Maggie Corry In the past three years nonprofits have faced an onslaught of external…
Revenue & Financial StrategyCalculating the True Costs of Impact
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 StrategyPaying for Impact: What Makes a Sustainable Revenue 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…

Spectrum Nonprofit’s Resources for Organizational & Programmatic Impact

Organizational & Programmatic ImpactStrategyValuing Evaluation in Strategic Decision Making
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 ImpactStrategyIntended Impact: Telling Everyone Where You’re Trying to Go
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 Impact2016 Annual Report
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 & OperationsStrategyHow to Implement Adaptive Strategy in Nonprofits
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 SeriesStrategyThe Big Lie Of Strategic Planning
June 18, 2021

The Big Lie Of Strategic Planning

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