The Fulcrum Point – Opinion – Rebuilding the Modern Water Cooler
Leaders today must build the modern water cooler on purpose. Not a single
fixture but a network of small practices that give people the sense of community
that once happened automatically. When done well, these new water coolers do
more than fill a void. They help employees rediscover the power of connectivity,
the comfort of a shared home, and the quiet joy of belonging to a team that
celebrates, includes, and cares for one another.
The Fulcrum Point – Opinion – When Philanthropy Comes Without Strings, Communities Win
Healthy philanthropy trusts nonprofit leaders to make the best decisions for their communities. It provides resources, clarity, and accountability, but does not attempt to steer the work from the outside. The most effective giving recognizes a simple truth. Nonprofit executives and boards know their missions, their clients, and their operational realities better than any outside donor ever could. When donors add layers of control that restrict how funds can be used, they are not advancing mission. They are advancing their own preferences, priorities, or public image. That is not philanthropy. It is something closer to private management of a public good, and it rarely creates lasting impact.
The Fulcrum Point – Opinion – The Nonprofit Sector Cannot Exist Without Government Partnership
In public discourse, it is often said that the nonprofit sector stands as a pillar of civil society, sustained by the generosity of donors, the ingenuity of social entrepreneurs, and the selflessness of volunteers. While that image contains truth, it leaves out an indispensable partner: government. The nonprofit sector does not thrive in isolation, nor does it function effectively without a sustained public-private partnership. The history and future of the nonprofit world are deeply intertwined with government at every level. The idea that private philanthropy alone can meet the scale of human need is not only inaccurate but dangerously naive.
The Fulcrum Point – Opinion – Rethinking What Counts as Leadership
For decades, the nonprofit sector has been shaped by a hierarchy that privileges certain functions as “strategic” and others as “support.” Executive leadership, fundraising, and communications often sit at the top of that pyramid, while research, operations, data, and stewardship are relegated to the middle or bottom. It’s time to challenge that hierarchy. If our sector truly believes in collaboration, evidence-based decision-making, and mission alignment, then we must recognize that leadership exists in every corner of our organizations. Some of the most powerful leadership functions are hiding in plain sight — and one of the clearest examples is advancement research.
The Fulcrum Point – Opinion – Workplace Exodus: Why Talent is Walking Away and What to Do Now
The latest Fulcrum Point article, “Workplace Exodus: Why Nonprofit Talent Is Walking Away and What We Must Do Now,” examines the growing crisis of burnout, low pay, and inequity driving skilled professionals out of the nonprofit sector. It challenges leaders to move beyond surface solutions and rethink how organizations value and sustain their people. The piece calls for bold reforms in compensation, staffing, equity, and professional development, urging boards and executives to build workplaces where mission-driven talent can truly thrive.
The Fulcrum Point – Opinion – Why Nonprofits Should Look Within Before Looking Outside
In the nonprofit sector, we talk a lot about sustainability, culture, and mission alignment. Yet one of the simplest ways to strengthen all three is often overlooked: promoting from within. Too often, nonprofits bypass their internal talent pipelines in favor of external hires, especially when filling executive roles. This habit may seem harmless, even strategic, but over time it weakens the connective tissue that binds organizations to their people and their communities.
The Fulcrum Point – Opinion – Who Will Teach the Next Generation to Give?
For generations, religious congregations trained Americans to give regularly and generously, shaping philanthropy as part of everyday life. With 20 million fewer churchgoers today, those habits are eroding, leaving fewer donors and a generation less practiced in generosity. Fulcrum Nonprofit Leadership argues that philanthropy is like a muscle—without consistent training, it weakens. As churches step back from their historic role, new institutions such as colleges, universities, and nonprofits must step forward to cultivate the next generation of givers.
The Fulcrum Point – Opinion – The Overhead Myth is Dead. So Why are We Still Starving Nonprofit Infrastructure?
The overhead myth may be dead, but its ghost still haunts our sector. If we truly want thriving nonprofits that deliver lasting change, we must put that ghost to rest by funding infrastructure with the seriousness and respect it deserves.
The Fulcrum Point – Opinion – Bring Back Apprenticeship: A Nonprofit Imperative
In a sector built on mission, meaning, and mentorship, it is remarkable how little we now invest in the long game of leadership development. The nonprofit sector is suffering from a talent gap not because we lack passionate people, but because we have quietly abandoned one of the most effective and time-honored ways of preparing future leaders: apprenticeship.
The Fulcrum Point – Opinion – We Have an Engagement Crisis
WE DON’T HAVE A DONOR CRISIS – WE HAVE AN ENGAGEMENT CRISIS
In recent years, headlines and industry reports have declared that America is facing
a “donor crisis.” Philanthropy data show fewer donors giving to nonprofit causes,
and fundraising professionals lament shrinking donor pools. But this narrative
misses the larger, more fundamental challenge beneath the surface: what we are
truly facing is not a donor crisis — it is an engagement crisis in civic America.
