The Day I Realized Nonprofits Are Selling Themselves Short

I was sitting in a cramped office, across from an executive director who had been running a nonprofit for nearly 30 years. The walls were lined with photos of community events, awards, and thank-you letters from people they’d helped over the decades. But there was something off.

She handed me a list of programs—dozens of initiatives, each tackling a different issue. At first glance, it seemed impressive. But as she spoke, there was a hesitation. The passion was still there, but so was exhaustion. And that’s when it hit me: this nonprofit, like so many others, had been saying yes for too long. Yes to every new opportunity, every new idea, every new problem that needed solving. But in saying yes to everything, they’d lost sight of what mattered most.

The Legacy of "Yes"

For nearly five decades, this nonprofit had added program after program. Housing, education, healthcare, community outreach—you name it, they had a program for it. But that long list of initiatives came at a cost. The core mission, the heart of why they existed, had become buried under layers of projects that didn’t quite fit.

I saw it in their strained resources, in the tired faces of their staff. They weren’t growing, they were surviving. And the reason? They were too afraid to let go. Too afraid that saying no to one thing meant abandoning their community.

Leadership Is About Focus

I told them something they hadn’t heard before: It’s okay to let go.

Leadership isn’t about doing everything—it’s about doing the right things. It’s about having the vision and clarity to focus on what makes the biggest impact and the courage to let go of the rest.

And that’s hard. I get it. I’ve worked with nonprofits long enough to understand the fear that comes with letting go. But here’s what I’ve learned: when you let go of what isn’t serving your mission, you create space for the things that will.

In this case, we found local organizations that could take over the programs they were ready to release, ensuring their community was still served. And in doing so, they freed themselves to focus on what they did best—the work that had always been at the core of their mission.

The Fear of Letting Go

It’s not easy. Nonprofits often feel like they need permission to make bold decisions. The thought of stepping back from a program, even if it’s draining resources, feels like failure. But here’s the truth: It’s not failure, it’s leadership.

This nonprofit had been spreading itself thin for decades, and in doing so, they’d been selling themselves short. They had incredible potential, but it was being diluted by their inability to focus.

The Day Everything Changed

When they finally gave themselves permission to focus, everything changed. Their staff was re-energized. Donors, once confused by the sprawling list of programs, were suddenly clear on where their dollars were going. And the community? They saw the nonprofit’s renewed focus as a commitment to real, lasting change.

That’s the power of strategic clarity. And that’s the day I realized something so many nonprofits need to hear: You don’t need to do everything. You just need to do the right things.

Focus isn’t about shrinking your vision—it’s about amplifying it. It’s about making sure every decision, every program, every resource is aligned with your mission. It’s about leading with purpose, not with fear.

The Hard Truth

The hardest part of leadership is knowing when to say no. But it’s also the most powerful. When you focus on what truly matters, you stop selling yourself short. You start leading with intention. And that’s when growth happens.

So if you’re feeling stuck, if your nonprofit is running in circles, it might not be because you’re not doing enough—it might be because you’re doing too much.

The question isn’t “What more can we do?” The real question is, “What can we do better?”

That’s the difference between surviving and thriving.

Want to find that focus for your nonprofit? Let’s chat. Schedule a Fit Call with me to figure out how to bring clarity to your mission. Or if you’re not ready for that, sign up for our newsletter for insights on keeping it simple, impactful, and, well… sane.