New this week: when nonprofit resilience is a warning

[Sheela N. Mahajan]

Hi YNPN,

I'm writing to share two new pieces from the Nonprofit Science Institute this week, both circling a question I think this group will appreciate: what does "resilience" truly mean for nonprofits?

Nonprofit Science Podcast: Rethinking What Makes a Nonprofit Resilient
This episode digs into research on proactive resilience. We discuss why the organizations that last aren't necessarily the ones that handle crises well, but rather the ones that build capacity during the ordinary years between crises. I get into the four attributes that make an organization durable, and why the sector's habit of treating any margin as waste works against us. Click here to listen to the episode.

Nonprofit Science Review: When a Nonprofit's Resilience Is a Warning, Not a Win
A national study found that nonprofits serving communities of color received less pandemic relief and faced more demand, yet held their services and staff together anyway. The article examines the cost of that resilience and what it should communicate to funders. Click here to read the article.

If either one resonates, I'd genuinely love to hear your take, and please feel free to pass them along to anyone in your network who'd find them useful.

Warmly,

Sheela Mahajan

Founder, Nonprofit Science Institute