Register Today for Our Next Course: Future Ready: Leading as a Futurist Executive in the Nonprofit Sector

Wednesday April 29 at 11am PT; 1pm CT; 2pm ET

Cost – $100 for Non-Members; Free for Fulcrum Members; $50 for Fulcrum Member Referrals

Register Here – fulcrumleader.com/event/future-ready/

In today’s rapidly evolving environment, nonprofit leaders are called to do more than deliver on current priorities. They are responsible for preparing their organizations, their teams, and the communities they serve for a future that is still unfolding. The pace of change, driven by technology, shifting workforce dynamics, and evolving donor expectations, requires a new kind of leadership, one that is proactive, adaptive, and grounded in long-term vision.

In this course, Robert Santana, MBA, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Orange Coast, explores what it truly means to lead as a futurist executive. Drawing from his leadership experience and forward-thinking approach, Robert will challenge participants to move beyond reactive decision-making and instead build organizations that are resilient, agile, and positioned for sustained impact.

Participants will examine how to prepare teams for a future where many roles do not yet exist, focusing on developing transferable skills such as critical thinking, adaptability, and communication. The course will also explore how leaders can leverage data, emerging technologies, and AI to strengthen decision-making, improve organizational performance, and better inform boards and stakeholders.

A central theme of this course is the importance of focusing on what leaders can control while preparing thoughtfully for what they cannot predict. Through practical frameworks and real-world insights, participants will learn how to guide their organizations through uncertainty with clarity and confidence.

Whether you are an emerging leader or a seasoned executive, this course will equip you with the mindset, tools, and strategies needed to become future ready and to lead your organization toward a more impactful and sustainable future.

Register Here – fulcrumleader.com/event/future-ready/ … See MoreSee Less

Endowments Aren't Hoarding. They're Infrastructure. The narrative that nonprofits with endowments are "sitting on money" misunderstands what endowments actually do. They're not savings accounts. They're organizational infrastructure—the foundation that enables mission excellence most nonprofits can't achieve.

Here's what endowments provide:

*Financial stability to pursue excellence without compromise. Without endowment income, nonprofits chase whatever grants are available and twist programs to fit funder priorities. With endowments, organizations pursue what works—not just what's fundable.

*Capacity to expand access without constraint. Annual fundraising forces impossible choices: serve more people or maintain quality. Endowments eliminate that trade-off.

*Sustainability across generations. Nonprofits without endowments are one recession or funding cut away from closure. Endowments provide continuity beyond any leader's tenure or economy's volatility.

Building reserves isn't selfish—it's recognizing you can't serve communities consistently while perpetually fragile. Program excellence requires stability. Generational impact demands resources that outlast any single fundraising year.

Strategic leaders build endowments because they're uncomfortable with organizational fragility. Communities deserve better than programs that disappear when grants end, services that shrink during recessions, and organizations that close when economies shift.

If your nonprofit serves a need that will exist in 50 years, you need infrastructure that will last 50 years. That's not hoarding. That's stewardship.

This insight is part of our 365 Nonprofit Leadership Lessons series. Learn more at www.fulcrumleader.com … See MoreSee Less

What if one of the biggest challenges facing nonprofit leaders today isn’t strategy, fundraising, or governance… but the hidden cost of doing good?

In this thought-provoking episode of The Nonprofit Edge, Chris Looney sits down with Dr. Brian Evans to explore a reality many leaders feel but rarely articulate. Across the sector, an unspoken equation persists:

*Do more with less.

*Give more than you receive.

*Sustain impact at personal cost.

Over time, that equation leads to burnout, strained leadership teams, and organizations that are effective, but not sustainable. This conversation challenges that model. Together, Chris and Brian unpack:

*Why burnout has become normalized in mission-driven work

*The hidden patterns shaping nonprofit leadership and decision-making

*How inherited beliefs about scarcity and sacrifice limit growth

*What it means to redefine success beyond trade-offs

*Practical ways leaders can create alignment between impact and sustainability

This episode goes beyond tactics. It offers a deeper lens on leadership itself, one that invites nonprofit leaders to think differently about how they operate, how they lead, and what is truly possible. If you’ve ever felt the weight of leadership or questioned whether there is a better way, this conversation will resonate.

Check out the full episode on YouTube here: youtu.be/QexpCh0nvNE … See MoreSee Less

The Leadership Moment Nobody Talks About. Your volunteer is about to make their first donor call. Their hand is shaking. They've read the script five times. They're terrified. What do you do? Most leaders: "You've got this. Call me if you need anything." Then they leave. Great leaders: "Let's do this together. I'll sit right here with you." That's the difference.

Leadership isn't always strategic vision or organizational direction. Sometimes it's just being physically present while someone does something hard for the first time. Sitting beside the volunteer making uncomfortable calls. Accompanying the staff member to the intimidating prospect meeting. Being there—not directing, not correcting, just present—while someone builds capability they don't yet possess.

This isn't micromanagement. It's developmental companionship. You're not doing the work for them. You're absorbing the discomfort with them. Your presence steadies their hand. Your proximity builds their confidence. The first donor call is terrifying. The second is uncomfortable. By the fifth, they don't need you there anymore. But they needed you for the first one. And you showed up.

That's how organizational capacity actually gets built. Not through instruction. Through accompanied experience. Most nonprofit leaders underestimate how much their physical presence matters during someone else's growth edge. They send people into challenges alone because "they need to learn."

They do need to learn. But learning happens faster—and sticks better—when someone steady is sitting beside you the first few times. The question isn't whether your team can eventually do hard things alone. It's whether you'll be there while they learn.

This insight is part of our 365 Nonprofit Leadership Lessons series. Learn more at www.fulcrumleader.com … See MoreSee Less

🌟 Fulcrum Member Spotlight: Claudia Bonilla Keller 🌟

This week we are proud to feature Claudia Bonilla Keller, MPA, CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County.

With 21 years in nonprofit leadership, Claudia brings deep community roots and unwavering purpose to her work. A 40 plus year resident of Orange County, she considers it a privilege to serve the community she calls home. A proud Anteater alum of UC Irvine, Claudia leads with both local insight and long term vision.

When she is not fighting the good fight against food insecurity, you might find her gardening, playing soccer, or traveling. That balance reflects a leader who is energized by both mission and life.

Her leadership philosophy is simple and powerful: Manage process. Lead people.

At Fulcrum, Claudia’s favorite offering is the Conference, describing it as fun, inspiring, and energizing for leaders across sectors.

Looking ahead to 2026, her focus is clear. Claudia is committed to meeting rising community need while continuing to build toward long term organizational sustainability. It is a dual commitment to urgency and endurance, ensuring that Second Harvest can serve today and remain strong for tomorrow.

We are grateful for Claudia’s steadfast leadership and her dedication to strengthening Orange County. … See MoreSee Less

Insecure leaders hire people less capable than themselves. They want to be the smartest person in every room. They recruit team members who won't challenge them, won't outshine them, won't threaten their position. The result? An organization capped by the leader's limitations.

Confident leaders hire people who exceed their own abilities. Not in every domain—in specific, critical areas where the leader knows they're weak.

They recruit the finance expert who understands numbers better than they ever will. The data analyst who sees patterns they'd miss. The operations manager who brings order to their chaos. The technologist who builds what they can only imagine.

This isn't humility. It's strategy. Exceptional nonprofit leaders recognize a fundamental truth: organizational capacity isn't built by cloning the leader's strengths. It's built by compensating for the leader's gaps.

Here's what weak leaders miss: When you hire people less capable than yourself, you guarantee your organization never exceeds your personal ceiling. Your limitations become organizational constraints. Your blind spots become institutional vulnerabilities.

Here's what strong leaders understand: Your team should be stronger collectively than you are individually. That means deliberately recruiting talent that surpasses your abilities in areas critical to mission success.

The test is simple: Look at your leadership team. In which domains are they objectively better than you? If the answer is "none," you've built a team that reflects your ego, not your organization's needs. The confident leader's approach: "I'm strong in vision and external relationships. I'm weak in financial management and operational execution. So I hired a CFO who thinks about money in ways I never could, and an COO who brings discipline I don't naturally possess. They make me—and this organization—better."

The insecure leader's approach: "I need people who will execute my vision without questioning it. People who recognize my expertise. People who won't make me look bad."

One builds organizational capacity. The other protects ego.

Strong teams aren't built by hiring people who make the leader comfortable. They're built by hiring people who make the organization capable. Your weaknesses aren't character flaws requiring cover-up. They're hiring opportunities requiring strategic recruitment. Surround yourself with people better than you in the areas that matter most. Then watch your organization exceed what you could accomplish alone.

This insight is part of our 365 Nonprofit Leadership Lessons series. Learn more at www.fulcrumleader.com … See MoreSee Less

The Board Fundraising Problem Isn't Capability. It's Framing. Most board members panic when they hear "fundraising is part of your role." They imagine awkward conversations. Uncomfortable asks. Damaged relationships. Rejection. Here's the truth nonprofit leaders miss: Board fundraising anxiety isn't about unwillingness or inability. It's about how the expectation is framed.

The frame that creates anxiety: "You need to ask people for money." This frame positions board members as solicitors making uncomfortable requests from friends, colleagues, and contacts. It suggests transactional relationships. It feels extractive. It creates resistance.

The frame that creates opportunity: "Connect people you know with a cause you believe in." This frame positions board members as connectors sharing something meaningful. It assumes genuine relationships. It feels generative. It invites engagement.

Same action. Completely different psychology. When nonprofit leaders reframe board fundraising from "making the ask" to "making the introduction," board members discover they've been equipped for this work all along. They know people. They love the mission. Introduction is natural.

Effective leaders make this shift explicit: "We're not asking you to solicit donations. We're asking you to introduce people in your network to work you care about deeply. Share why it matters to you. Make the connection. We'll handle the cultivation and ask."

This isn't semantics. It's strategic. Board members who believe their role is "asking for money" approach fundraising with dread and avoidance. Board members who believe their role is "connecting people with mission" approach fundraising with enthusiasm and authenticity. The shift transforms obligation into opportunity. Suddenly, board fundraising becomes: "Let me tell you about something I'm passionate about" instead of "Can I ask you for money?" One feels like sharing. The other feels like selling.

Most boards underperform on fundraising not because members can't do it, but because they've been given a frame that guarantees resistance. Change the frame. Watch the anxiety dissolve and the introductions multiply.

This insight is part of our 365 Nonprofit Leadership Lessons series. Learn more at www.fulcrumleader.com … See MoreSee Less

IRON SHARPENS IRON

Fulcrum Nonprofit Leadership brings together experienced senior leaders in a curated environment focused on strategic thinking, meaningful peer connection, and practical growth for those carrying the weight of executive leadership.

New members who join between now and the end of April receive 50% off their first year of membership, a $300 savings.

If you are ready to SHARPEN your thinking, STRENGTHEN your leadership, and CONNECT with peers who understand the complexity of your role, this is the moment.

Join today at www.fulcrumleader.com/register … See MoreSee Less