Executive Directors, CEOs, and Presidents: This One Is for You

Key Takeaways: Nonprofit leaders are facing growing burnout, financial uncertainty, and workforce challenges, making strong leadership planning and support more important than ever.

You are balancing growing community needs, fundraising pressures, staffing challenges, board expectations, and financial uncertainty, often all at the same time. While your team, board, and stakeholders look to you for answers, you may be wondering how much longer you can keep carrying it all.

If no one’s said it lately, we see you.

At KEES, we talk with nonprofit leaders across the country every day, and one report continues to surface in those conversations. The “State of Nonprofits 2026” from the Center for Effective Philanthropy puts data behind what many leaders have been feeling for quite some time. While the findings may not surprise you, they may provide reassurance that what you’re experiencing is shared by nonprofit leaders nationwide.

The report highlights several realities facing today’s nonprofit sector:

• • Growing demands and uncertainty. Community needs continue to increase, even when resources do not.
• • Burnout and financial concerns. Nearly half of nonprofit CEOs now identify their own burnout as a serious concern, while two-thirds are worried about their organization’s financial footing.
• • The importance of leadership and workforce planning. Having the right people in the right roles with a clear plan for the future is critical to organizational stability.
• • The value of support. Strong organizations are built by strong teams, not by one person carrying everything alone.

So, What Now?

If you’re nodding along as you read this, know that you don’t have to navigate these challenges by yourself.

KEES is a nonprofit executive search and consulting firm, but our work extends beyond hiring. We help organizations strengthen leadership, support teams, and build the infrastructure needed to weather uncertainty and stay focused on their mission.

Our services include:

• • Executive Search — finding the right leadership when it matters most
• • Specialty & Interim Staffing — providing additional support when teams are stretched thin
• • HR Consulting & Compensation Analysis — helping organizations evaluate staffing, structure, compensation, and workforce planning
• • Additional Services — including SPLASH Plans, culture audits, and other targeted support solutions

If any of this resonates with you, we’d welcome a conversation. No pressure and no sales pitch—just an opportunity to talk about what’s happening in your organization and explore where additional support might help lighten the load.

Grab a time on Heather Eddy’s calendar here

Thank you for the work you do every day. Your leadership matters, your mission matters, and so do you.

Source: Center for Effective Philanthropy, “State of Nonprofits 2026: What Funders Need to Know”, May 2026.