The Holy Sh*t Growth Strategy

Let me be clear about something from the jump: your small nonprofit is not small. It is not "humble." It is not a "tiny but mighty" operation. It is a movement waiting to happen, and the only reason you haven't seen it yet is because no one told you how to break out of the box they put you in.

That box, friend, is the lie of smallness. And you, like so many of us, have been fed that lie from the moment you started believing that your size dictates your significance. The world has always had a way of telling the oppressed, the marginalized, the forgotten that they are too few to make a difference. It’s the same story, different chapter—whether in politics, race, or in the nonprofit sector.

But let’s be real: real power doesn’t come from having the most dollars in the bank, or the largest staff, or the longest list of programs. Real power comes from turning the system on its head, from creating something that cannot be ignored, from generating the kind of momentum that makes people look at you and say, “Holy sh*t—where did they come from?”

That’s the growth strategy we’re talking about today. A strategy not rooted in the traditional metrics of success, but in the idea that a small nonprofit can harness its vision and values to become a movement. And I’m not talking about a movement that just survives—I’m talking about a movement that transforms, disrupts, and redefines.

Step One: Understand Your Power

First, you need to understand the power you already have. There’s this mythology out there that says power only belongs to the wealthy, the resourced, the well-connected. But if that were true, the greatest movements in history would have never happened. Rosa Parks was not a billionaire. The Montgomery bus boycott did not have a marketing budget. The power of a movement comes from conviction, from moral clarity, from a sense of purpose so strong it can no longer be contained.

You’ve got that power. You’ve had it since the moment you started your nonprofit, whether you knew it or not. The question is, have you allowed yourself to wield it? Or have you bought into the idea that power is reserved for the few?

Step Two: Shift the Narrative

Next, you have to shift the narrative—not just for the outside world, but for yourself. Too many nonprofits are trapped in the language of smallness: “If we only had more resources, more donors, more volunteers, we could really make an impact.” But here’s the truth that no one wants to tell you: it’s not the lack of resources that’s holding you back. It’s the story you’re telling yourself. You’re not lacking resources. You’re lacking visibility.

Your impact is already there. But if nobody knows about it, if your brand doesn’t scream your purpose from the rooftops, then you might as well be a ghost. The most successful movements didn’t start with the most money—they started with the loudest, clearest messages. A movement makes people feel something. A movement is undeniable. And that begins with how you tell your story.

Step Three: Go Bold or Go Home

To turn your nonprofit into a movement, you have to stop playing safe. Playing safe is for the status quo. Movements are dangerous, disruptive, audacious things. They don’t ask for permission; they take up space.

I see so many nonprofits tiptoe around their messaging, afraid of alienating potential donors, afraid of ruffling feathers. But the truth is, if you’re not ruffling feathers, you’re not making waves. And if you’re not making waves, you’re not building a movement.

Your nonprofit’s brand needs to feel urgent, magnetic, unavoidable. It needs to carry a clear vision of a future that people can’t help but be part of. It needs to make people say, “Holy sh*t—this is something bigger than I realized.”

Let’s be honest: boldness is scary. It’s easier to ask for incremental change, to work within the system, to compromise. But the nonprofits that go from small to unstoppable are the ones that understand something fundamental: real change doesn’t happen in the margins. It happens when you push your mission to the center of the conversation and refuse to back down.

Step Four: Build the People’s Power

Movements don’t belong to one person, one leader, or one organization. They belong to the people. You want to grow? You want to build something that lasts? Then you need to give your people—not just your staff, but your community—the tools and the power to take your mission into their own hands.

Let them own it. Invite them to shape it. Let them carry the message. The strongest movements aren’t led from the top down; they’re led from the ground up. Think about the civil rights movement. Think about climate justice. The people most affected by the system are the ones most capable of transforming it. Your role is to show them how.

And that’s where you find the magic. When you stop trying to control every element of your nonprofit and start trusting the power of the people you serve, you unlock the kind of unstoppable growth that no budget or fundraising campaign can match.

Step Five: Act Like a Movement, Not an Organization

Finally, let’s talk about how you show up. You’re not just running a nonprofit. You’re leading a movement. Movements don’t file neat annual reports and fit into tidy fundraising templates. They break through walls. They don’t operate like a business—they operate like a force of nature.

You need to stop thinking like an organization and start thinking like a movement. A movement doesn’t wait for the perfect time, the perfect donor, the perfect grant. A movement acts. A movement pushes forward even when the path isn’t clear, because it knows that waiting isn’t an option.

And that’s what you need to embody. Your small nonprofit? It’s not small. It’s a movement-in-the-making. You just have to decide to claim it.

The Bottom Line

If you’re tired of playing small, tired of scraping by, tired of waiting for the world to hand you the resources you need, then it’s time to change your strategy. You don’t need to wait for more donors or more staff to turn your nonprofit into a movement. You already have everything you need. The question is, are you ready to stop acting small and start moving like the force you are?

Because once you do, once you step into that power, the world is going to look up and say, “Holy sh*t—how did we miss this?”

And that’s when your movement begins.

Let’s Build Your Movement
Your nonprofit isn’t just another organization—it’s a force waiting to be unleashed. Ready to stop playing small and turn your mission into a movement? Let's talk about how to ignite your boldest growth yet.

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