Posts by Mackenzie Lyons
What Is an Operations Playbook?
Building Stronger Operations: Part 2 of 3 From Process Guides to an Operations Playbook Why Every Small Organization Needs a Shared Resource for Critical Work Last month, we explored why critical finance, HR, and operational knowledge should not live only in one person’s memory. Documenting essential workflows is an important first step. But individual process…
Read MoreThe Cost of Not Documenting: Why “It’s All in My Head” Is a Risk
Building Stronger Operations: Part 1 of 3 Small organizations often operate with limited staff, limited time, and limited room for error. A few key people may carry much of the organization’s institutional knowledge, manage essential systems, and keep daily operations moving. That can work for a while—but it can also create hidden vulnerabilities. When processes…
Read MoreWhen HR Should Lead, Advise, or Step Back
HR is most effective when it understands its role in the organization. Sometimes that means leading. Sometimes it means advising. And sometimes it means stepping back so leaders can make decisions with better context and support. When HR should lead, it is usually because consistency, compliance, or risk management is at stake. This includes areas…
Read MoreWhat HR Is in a Nonprofit Organization
In many nonprofit organizations, HR is still misunderstood as a purely administrative function. In reality, HR helps shape the conditions that allow staff to do meaningful work well, consistently, and sustainably. For nonprofits especially, HR is not just about hiring and paperwork. It supports compliance, employee relations, onboarding, policy development, retention, and leadership coaching. In…
Read MoreWhat to Do When HR Becomes Reactive Instead of Strategic
For many nonprofits, HR only comes into focus when something goes wrong. A key employee resigns. A conflict escalates. A compliance issue surfaces unexpectedly. In these moments, HR becomes a scramble—focused on damage control rather than long-term stability. While this reactive approach is common, it comes at a cost. Constantly operating in crisis mode can…
Read MoreHow to Prepare for Your First (or Next) Nonprofit Audit: Turning Panic Into Process
For many nonprofit leaders, the word “audit” triggers immediate anxiety. But an audit doesn’t have to be a panic-inducing event. When you build the right systems and prepare consistently, it becomes a smooth, predictable part of your annual cycle—a chance to showcase financial transparency and strengthen donor trust. Here’s how to transform audit prep from…
Read MoreHow to Compete for Talent When You Can’t Compete on Salary
Nonprofits do not always have the budget to match corporate pay, but compensation is only one part of what candidates evaluate. The strongest nonprofit employers win talent by pairing mission, flexibility, strong benefits, and a healthy culture into a compelling total employee experience. Why Salary Is Not the Whole Story In a tight labor market,…
Read MoreWhen Everyone’s Busy but Nothing Moves Forward
There’s a point many organizations reach where everyone is working hard—but it’s unclear what’s actually getting done. Calendars are packed. Teams are responsive. Tasks are constantly being checked off. And yet, key initiatives stall, priorities blur, and progress feels slower than it should. It’s not a lack of effort. It’s a lack of focus on…
Read More“How Much Reserve Is Enough? A Simple Scenario-Planning Exercise for Nonprofits Facing Funding Shocks”
Nonprofits that survive funding shocks rarely do it by luck. They do it because, long before the crisis hits, someone has asked a very specific question: “Given our risks, how much operating reserve is enough—and how do we get there?” This blog walks through a simple, realistic exercise to answer that question, and shows how…
Read MoreThe Hidden Cost of Wearing Too Many Hats
In many organizations—whether a scaling business or a nonprofit—the “HR department” isn’t a dedicated role. It’s an extra bullet point on someone’s already full job description. The office manager runs payroll on Fridays. The executive steps in for hiring. Someone else handles “whatever comes up” between client work, fundraising, or program planning. It works… until…
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