Leading Through Uncertainty: Why Nonprofits Need Change Management

Change has always been part of nonprofit work, but lately, it feels like it’s everywhere, all at once. 

Shifts in funding streams. Evolving community needs. New expectations from staff and boards. Rapid advances in technology. Rising costs. Even the most stable organizations are finding themselves in unfamiliar territory. 

In times like these, change is no longer an occasional occurrence. It’s a constant backdrop. And yet, many nonprofits are still approaching change the way they always have: reacting as issues arise, pushing forward with plans, and hoping people will adapt along the way. 

But hope isn’t a strategy. 

What’s often missing is not better planning; rather, it’s a better process for helping people move through change, especially when the ground keeps shifting. 

That’s where change management comes in. 

What Change Management Is and Why It Matters Now 

Change management is a structured, people-centered process to moving from a current state to a future state. 

As a PROSCI© Certified Change Management Practitioner, I strive to root my work at Alford Group in the ADKAR model, which outlines the five key stages individuals experience during successful change: 

• Awareness — Understanding why the change is needed. 

• Desire — Building the personal motivation to support and participate in the change. (What’s in it for me?) 

• Knowledge — Learning how to change, including the skills, information, and training required. 

• Ability — Putting new knowledge and skills into practice and overcoming barriers. 

• Reinforcement — Sustaining the change through recognition, feedback, and ongoing support. 

This model emphasizes a simple but powerful truth: organizational change only succeeds when individual people change. 

In today’s nonprofit sector, this matters more than ever. Staff, boards, and volunteers are deeply committed to the mission, but they’re also navigating uncertainty, fatigue, and shifting priorities. In that environment, even well-conceived initiatives can stall if people feel overwhelmed or disconnected from the change. 

Incorporating a change management approach helps bridge that gap by providing the structure, communication, and support people need to adapt, thereby reducing the disruption that change can bring. 

How Change Management Strengthens Nonprofit Work in Uncertain Times 

Bringing a change management lens to nonprofit work doesn’t add more work; it helps make existing efforts more resilient and sustainable, especially when the environment is unpredictable. 

When organizations guide their stakeholders through not just the what of change, but also the why, the how – and provides the support to keep it going, everyone benefits and the change has a better chance to succeed.  

At Alford Group, we encourage our clients to incorporate a change management lens into all of our engagements, regardless of the service. For example: 

• Crafting and Implementing a Strategic Plan
  Instead of launching a plan and hoping it sticks, change management helps build shared understanding about why the plan matters, cultivates genuine commitment, and ensures people have the tools and confidence to carry it out. It also creates the structures (like regular check-ins and visible wins) that keep the plan from fading as circumstances shift. Especially in uncertain times, a plan itself must be designed for flexibility. Approaches like modular planning and scenario planning give nonprofits the ability to adapt without losing momentum—treating a plan as a set of building blocks that can shift as conditions change, or preparing for multiple possible futures instead of just one. (For more on how to integrate these adaptive planning tools, see our recent blog Strategic Planning During Uncertain Times). Weaving change management into the process from the beginning ensures your organization is aligned, ready to hit the ground running when the plan launches and you’re prepared to adapt when new challenges or opportunities arise. 

• Enhancing Fundraising Practices and Results (or Launching a Campaign)
  Whether seeking to grow annual contributed revenue or launching a capital campaign, expanded fundraising efforts require a culture of philanthropy. Moving toward a culture of philanthropy involves more than new tactics; it requires shifting mindsets and behaviors. Increased goals are rarely well-received or achievable when plopped in your staff’s laps. Similarly, donors are unlikely to reach deeper into their pockets if they don’t understand why you’re asking. Change management principles help people connect emotionally to the need for change, understand how they can effectively participate and feel supported as they deepen their involvement. 

• Optimizing or Shifting Board Governance Roles
  When boards are asked to clarify roles, take on new responsibilities, or plan for succession, change management helps ease the transition. It brings members into the “why,” equips them to succeed in new expectations and reinforces progress so changes become part of the board’s culture, not just a temporary initiative. 

• Communicating Change with Donors and Stakeholders
  When navigating change – whether leadership transitions, strategic shifts, or external challenges – transparent communication is essential, not only within the organization but also among donors, partners, and community members who care deeply about your mission.Change management principles remind us that people need context and reassurance, even when all the details aren’t yet known. Sharing what you do know, explaining why change is happening, and outlining how and when you’ll keep stakeholders informed helps preserve trust and confidence. In fact, acknowledging uncertainty can strengthen relationships when it’s paired with honesty, empathy, and a clear commitment to mission continuity. 

Across all these areas, the steps of the ADKAR model (building awareness, desire, knowledge, ability, and employing reinforcement) are quietly at work in a well-implemented change effort. They offer a roadmap for helping people move through change in a way that builds capacity and confidence, rather than resistance or fatigue. 

Leading Change as Part of the Work 

Bringing change management into nonprofit work is ultimately about honoring the human side of change. It’s about recognizing that in uncertain times, people need more than a plan; they need clarity, support, and a sense of stability as they move forward. 

When organizations approach change as something to be led, not just announced, they create the conditions for meaningful progress, even when the path ahead isn’t perfectly clear. 

And that can make all the difference between ideas that fade and initiatives that take root.