At this year’s FAOG Conference, the most powerful insights we took back from our workshop presentation, didn’t just come from slides or polling results. They came from the Q&As and hallway conversations.
One leader shared how they had a “wish list” of culture shifts their team desperately needed, but those ideas always sat on the back burner because urgent finance and program demands crowded them out. Another told us their new CEO had inherited a small staff navigating big expectations, and they were searching for tools to build trust quickly. Others admitted they had beautifully written strategic plans that no one used — a binder on the shelf that didn’t reflect daily realities.
These conversations revealed what many in the room already knew: the nonprofit sector is navigating deep change with precious capacity, and leaders are seeking for ways to adapt.
At our session on Culture Shifting and Change Management, we heard these same themes echoed again and again.
Here are three takeaways we’re carrying forward:
1. Silos are structural, not just cultural
Silos weren’t described as “we don’t communicate enough.” They were described as “we don’t have the structures that make collaboration routine or permissioned.”
Development lives in one office. Staff data in another. Program decisions run parallel to finance. And the culture-building work that could bind these threads together is often seen as a “someday project.”
The insight: breaking silos requires more than goodwill. It takes culture and structure reinforcing each other, through shared tools, trust across roles, and intentional practices that make collaboration the default.
2. Strategy must be alive, not static
We heard the frustration with strategic planning loud and clear. Leaders talked about processes that felt extractive, about plans that were written but never used, and about consultants who didn’t listen.
The problem isn’t planning itself — it’s plans that are too rigid or generic to survive in the real world. Nonprofit work changes fast, and staff capacity is always stretched.
The idea of a “strategy refresh” hit home. Leaders want lighter, repeatable approaches that let them revisit goals, adapt to new conditions, and stay focused without starting from scratch. For organizations under new leadership or restructuring, this need is especially pressing.
3. Knowledge concentration is a solvable risk
Concentrated knowledge creates real risk. Leaders pointed to the danger of relying on the “one person who knows everything,” and what happens when they leave.
But this isn’t just a staffing issue. It’s a resilience and sustainability issue. When knowledge is widely shared, organizations are less fragile, and decision-making can be more inclusive.
Simple, everyday practices can help spread knowledge:
- Shared workspaces where files and decisions live beyond one inbox
- Rotating facilitation so meetings don’t depend on one person
- Document-as-you-go habits that build institutional knowledge in real time
Looking Ahead
The conversations at FAOG reflected the tension community foundations are living through: rising wealth that may not be aligned with community needs, paired with shrinking organizational capacity. In that environment, survival mode is tempting.
Leaders with new CEOs, organizations in restructuring, and staff imagining culture change all told us the same thing: these shifts aren’t optional. Breaking silos, making strategy adaptive, and spreading knowledge are what resilience requires.
Our Invitation
If these themes resonate with your organization, try starting small:
- Ask where silos are slowing you down.
- Revisit your strategy — is it alive, or static?
- Map where knowledge sits, and where it needs to be shared.
And if you’d like to explore these questions with peers, We Collab is here. We’d be glad to share tools, practices, and stories from our partners about what works in real settings.
You can find more about our presentation here on our resources page.