Many nonprofit organizations have an investment policy. Far fewer have a process to ensure the policy is regularly reviewed, updated, and actively followed. That distinction may seem small, but for one museum, it became an important lesson in financial resilience. The Challenge The museum's leadership believed they had the basics in place. An investment policy existed. Reserve funds had been established. Board Read More
What Giving USA’s Latest Report Means for Nonprofit Endowments
The latest Giving USA report offers encouraging news: charitable giving in the U.S. reached an estimated $617.2 billion in 2025, crossing the $600 billion mark for the first time. That headline is worth celebrating. But for nonprofit leaders and boards, the more important question is: What does this mean for long-term financial resilience? The answer is nuanced. Giving is growing — but not evenly, not predictably, Read More
Best Practices for Nonprofit Board Members: Building Financial Resilience That Lasts
Why Board Financial Leadership Matters More Than Ever Many nonprofit board members assume their role is to review financial statements and approve budgets. Those responsibilities are important, but they’re not enough. Strong missions require strong finances. And strong finances require boards that actively shape financial resilience, not just monitor it. The difference shows up in how organizations respond to Read More
Are You Using Your Board Fund the Wrong Way? How Strategic Endowment Use Builds Nonprofit Financial Resilience
For many nonprofit organizations, having an endowment or board-advised fund is viewed as a marker of financial strength. It signals foresight, stability, and responsible stewardship. But in practice, Fairlight Advisors often sees something very different: board funds quietly being used as operating reserves, eroding long-term financial resilience instead of strengthening it. We’ve looked a lot at how endowments and Read More
Why Board Buy-In Matters Before Launching an Endowment Campaign
In this article: Board support should be in place before an endowment campaign reaches donors. Trustees need a clear grasp of the fund’s purpose, the policies behind it, and the campaign structure, along with shared agreement on goals, timing, and messaging. Early board giving and visible advocacy create internal credibility and give the public phase a far better launch point. An endowment campaign asks people to Read More
Steering Clear of Icebergs: Why Nonprofits Need Risk Awareness
Imagine you're the captain of a ship navigating through uncertain waters. The seas might seem calm, but hidden beneath the surface are icebergs—silent, invisible threats that could destroy your vessel if you don’t see them coming. In the world of nonprofits, these icebergs represent the risks that can disrupt your mission, drain your resources, and even sink your organization if you’re not vigilant. A so-called Read More
Nonprofit Risk Management: Expect the Unexpected
A large institution that provides hundreds of millions of dollars in grants every year shared a secret with me. They would be reevaluating nearly 1,000 recurring grants to determine whether their nonprofit recipients were fiscally and operationally sound enough to carry out their intended impact. In other words, nonprofits that have been counting on a large grant year after year might get nothing very soon. True Read More
Nonprofit Financial Resilience and the Network Gap
Having a powerful network can bolster a nonprofit’s donor base, ensure financial resilience and open access to additional funding sources. But what happens when the Executive Director and Board Members do not have a powerful network? The result is a Network Gap. I have been following LinkedIn’s Research and Social Impact focus on The Network Gap and have been continuing to ponder it terms of nonprofit fundraising and Read More
Cracking Your Imposter Code: How to Find Your Authentic Voice as a Nonprofit Leader
At our monthly Social Impact Advisory Group meeting, we heard from Human Resources leadership expert and executive coach, Paul N Larsen, who showed our group actionable ideas Nonprofit Leaders can take to integrate and celebrate our “imposter” in our everyday lives. The following presentation was edited for length and clarity in printed format. Stephanie Shaterian In our Social Impact Advisory Group, we tend Read More
Social Impact Leaders Series: Can Technology Save the Homeless Epidemic with Jonathan Parkhurst, Seekhaven
The Social Impact Leaders Series is a collaboration between Fairlight and The Silicon Valley Podcast, spotlighting groundbreaking philanthropists and social entrepreneurs who are striving to elevate communities, improve the economy and protect the earth. These discussions are summarized and edited excerpts from interviews conducted by Shawn Flynn with social impact leaders we think you should know about. Next in the Read More
