You walk into a new role. The board wants growth. Staff want stability. Donors want proof. The mission needs speed.
David Bakelman has lived under that pressure for 25 years. He has led nonprofits at regional, national, and global levels. He steps in when organizations plateau. He builds infrastructure. He grows revenue. He expands programs. He leaves the nonprofit stronger than he found it.
This blog turns his conversation into practical tools you can use today.
Foundation first, then growth.
David starts before day one. He assesses the infrastructure before he accepts the job.
He looks at:
Processes. People. Board strength. Technology. Revenue systems.
He uses one core rule.
If the infrastructure cannot support growth, growth will break the team.
The first week assessment checklist:
Use this checklist in your first 5 business days, even if you are not the CEO.
- Mission and model:
- Can you explain the mission in one sentence?
- Can staff explain it the same way?
- Do programs match the mission, or has drift started?
- People:
- Do roles match current priorities?
- Do job descriptions match real work?
- Where are the skills gaps that block growth?
- Board:
- Does the board fundraise?
- Does the board bring influence and access?
- Does the board have clear expectations, attendance, giving, committee work?
- Systems:
- Are there written processes for core work?
- Are metrics tracked monthly?
- Are decisions documented?
- Technology:
- Is the CRM usable and used?
- Are donor records accurate?
- Can you report results in 30 minutes or less?
If you cannot answer fast, your infrastructure is too weak.
Action step you can take today
Block 90 minutes. Fill this checklist out. Highlight the top 3 risk areas. Those become your first-quarter priorities.
Hiring is the leader’s biggest job:
David learned this at 30, when he managed 100 staff while running a major United Way campaign.
His view is direct.
Hiring shapes culture. Hiring shapes results. Hiring shapes retention.
He looks beyond resumes.
He looks for:
Skill. Mission belief. Volunteer history. Balance. Character.
The 5-question hiring screen:
Use these five questions in interviews. They work for any role.
- Skill proof
“Tell me about a goal you owned. What was the target? What was the result? What did you measure?”
You want numbers. You want clear ownership. You want lessons learned.
- Mission alignment
“What part of our mission connects to you, and why.”
You want specifics. Not generic answers.
- Service pattern
“Tell me about how you serve your community outside work.”
Volunteer history often predicts nonprofit fit.
- Coachability
“Tell me about feedback you received that changed how you work.”
You want humility and action.
- Boundaries
“How do you protect your time and energy in high-pressure seasons.”
You want a person who can perform without burning out.
Action step you can take today
Update your interview guide. Add these five questions. Use them in your next interview cycle.
Build a culture that makes performance possible.
David stresses a culture point that many leaders miss.
Culture is not a perk. Culture is not slogans.
Culture is:
Clear goals. Clear roles. Safe truth-telling. Rest. Corrections without shame.
He sets expectations early.
He expects staff to use PTO.
He challenges people who refuse to rest.
This matters because burnout kills outcomes.
Practical tool: A simple PTO standard
Set one clear standard for your team.
- Every staff member plans at least one day off per quarter.
- Leaders model it first.
- Managers review PTO use quarterly.
- You praise rest. You do not reward overwork.
If you lead a small team, you can also do what Sara described.
Create an organization wide rest day when you see strain building.
Action step you can take today
Run a PTO report. Identify who has not taken time off in 90 days. Schedule short resets now, before burnout spikes.
Set goals, then get out of the way:
David builds a strategic plan in the first 4 to 5 months.
He sets metrics.
He sets measures.
Then he stays out of the way.
He does not micromanage.
He holds weekly management meetings.
He focuses on stress points, not status updates.
That creates speed and ownership.
The weekly stress-point meeting agenda:
Use this agenda. Keep it to 45 minutes.
- Wins, 5 minutes
One win per leader. One sentence each. - Metrics check, 10 minutes
Top 5 numbers only.
Revenue. Retention. Program output. Pipeline. Cash. - Stress points, 25 minutes
Each leader names one barrier.
Then the team brainstorms solutions.
You assign one action with an owner and a date. - Decisions, 5 minutes
What got decided? Who owns the follow up.
This meeting builds accountability without blame.
Action step you can take today
Replace your next leadership meeting agenda with this one. You will feel the difference fast.
Career moves are impact moves.
David changes CEO roles every 3 to 4 years.
He does it for impact, not ego.
He goes in.
He grows the board, the programs, the revenue.
He builds systems.
He moves on.
He does not frame change as failure.
He frames it as mission driven.
This matters because nonprofit leaders often stay too long out of guilt.
Complacency follows comfort.
Then growth slows.
The “stay or go” decision test:
Ask these four questions:
- Do you still feel challenged weekly?
- Are you still learning new leadership skills here?
- Can you point to measurable impact from your last 12 months?
- Does the organization have what it needs from you now, or does it need a different leader for the next stage?
If you cannot name growth in your role, you are at risk of complacency.
Action step you can take today
Write down your last 12 months of outcomes.
Use numbers.
If you cannot quantify outcomes, fix your tracking.
If you can quantify them, decide what the next 12 months should deliver.
Resilience is adaptation, not perfection.
David has been let go twice.
He has also left roles to care for parents with terminal illness.
He does not deny how hard it is.
He also refuses to let it define him.
He names the real situation.
Nonprofit leaders face external forces.
Economy shifts.
Board dynamics shift.
People resist change.
One board member can splinter an organization.
Even when the majority supports the CEO.
His resilience practice is simple.
He learns. He adjusts. He moves forward.
Practical tool: The post-crisis review
When a hard event hits, run this review within 7 days.
- Facts:
What happened, what changed, and what is true now. - Decisions:
What did we decide and what did we avoid deciding. - Control:
What was inside our control and what was outside. - Lessons:
What did we learn and what must change. - Next action:
What is the next right step, within 48 hours?
This keeps you grounded. It prevents spiraling.
Action step you can take today
Use this framework on your last tough moment.
Write it out. One page. Keep it factual.
AI is a fundraising advantage, not a trend.
David names a hard truth.
AI is making fundraising more precise.
It is also getting cheaper.
He points to data tools that can analyze:
Lapsed donors. Current donor behavior. Prospect match. Giving habits.
He believes mid-size and small nonprofits should explore these tools now.
Not later.
He makes a practical comparison.
Paying for data precision can cost less than adding staff.
It can also drive faster returns.
A 30-day AI adoption plan for fundraising:
Week 1: clean your base
- Remove duplicates in your CRM.
- Standardize addresses.
- Fix missing emails.
- Tag donors by last gift date and channel.
Week 2: define your top 3 fundraising questions
- Who is most likely to renew.
- Who is most likely to upgrade.
- Who is most likely to lapse.
Week 3: test tools
- Ask peer nonprofits what they use.
- Book demos with 2 vendors.
- Compare pricing, outputs, integration, time to value.
Week 4: run one pilot
- Choose one segment, lapsed donors or upgrade candidates.
- Build one outreach campaign.
- Track response rates and revenue.
This is how you reduce fear.
You start small. You measure. You scale what works.
Action step you can take today
Write your top three fundraising questions. If you cannot name them, your tech decisions will stay vague.
Mentors reduce leadership isolation.
I said it plainly.
Leadership is lonely.
David agreed. He has heard it from other executives.
He practices what he teaches.
He mentors people decades after they worked for him.
Mentors give you:
Perspective. Accountability. Calm. Challenge.
The mentor outreach message:
Send this message to one person today.
“Hi [Name], I respect how you lead. I am growing into a bigger role. I want a mentor who will challenge my thinking. Would you be open to a 30-minute call once a month for the next three months. I will come prepared with questions and actions.”
Short. Clear. Respectful.
Action step you can take today
Pick one person. Send the message. Put a date on the calendar.
Use quiet to think like a leader.
David drives without the radio.
It is his thinking time.
I walk in nature.
It resets my nervous system.
It clarifies my decisions.
Quiet is not a luxury. It is a leadership tool.
The daily 15-minute thinking block:
Do this five days a week.
- No phone.
- No music.
- No input.
- A notebook only.
Write three lines:
- What matters most today?
- What decision am I avoiding?
- What is the next action?
This strengthens judgment. It reduces reactive leadership.
Action step you can take today
Take one 15-minute walk. No headphones. One page of notes when you return.
What can you do this week?
If you want immediate movement, do these five actions.
- Use the first week assessment checklist.
- Add the 5-question hiring screen to your interviews.
- Run a weekly stress-point meeting.
- Start a 30-day AI pilot for fundraising.
- Schedule one mentor call and one quiet thinking block.
You build infrastructure first.
Then you grow.
You protect your people while you scale your mission.