Field Notes Blog

A strong strategic plan is a living framework. It helps your organization define what matters most, communicate priorities with confidence, and build the habits that turn strategy into action, especially in moments of uncertainty and change, as in the current landscape.

At Kairos Impact Strategies, we partner with nonprofits, foundations, and government agencies at inflection points: leadership transitions, funding shifts, policy opportunities, and sometimes even crises.

A New Case for Asset Framing: Lessons from San Diego’s Child and Family Wellbeing Transformation

At the Center for Effective Philanthropy 2025 conference in Los Angeles last week all roads pointed to the same truth: systems change depends on narrative change. We recap why funders need to invest in strategic communications, storytelling and narrative strategy, not just programs, if they want to truly change outcomes.

Completing a strategic plan is a win for any nonprofit leader and their team. Too often, however, the final document appears impressive, yet offers little genuine guidance. A strategic plan is only as valuable as the clarity it creates. Clarity inspires focus and trust inside and outside nonprofits. When leaders model this, donors and partners feel confident that your nonprofit knows where it’s going, even in uncertain times.

In a volatile funding landscape, philanthropy must go beyond program grants. Learn how investing in nonprofit capacity, storytelling, partnerships, and revenue planning, builds stronger leaders, fosters trust-based relationships, and drives lasting impact.

This post comes from an anonymous nonprofit leader working on housing and homelessness in Southern California. “I've worked in the nonprofit sector for many years now, serving on both executive teams and as a senior advisor to the CEO. Specifically, I've worked with organizations focused on supporting individuals experiencing homelessness, one of our region's most vexing problems to address.  Our corner of the nonprofit sector, in particular, is subject to the antiquated view of “charity,” and we are often the recipient of well-intentioned acts of generosity that may even look good on the surface but come with hidden costs that create greater burdens for our nonprofit.”

Nonprofit leadership is rewarding, meaningful, and, let’s be honest, often chaotic. The work behind mission-driven efforts rarely fits into neat success stories. It’s late-night board meetings, budget shortfalls, program pivots, and moments of doubt mixed with breakthrough wins. That’s why we’re launching a new blog series: Confessions of a Nonprofit Leader, a candid space for honest conversations about what it really takes to lead in the nonprofit world, especially in these uncertain times.

In today’s fast-paced, constantly shifting landscape, leaders and teams are being asked to do more with less, often while navigating remote work, uncertain funding, and evolving priorities. It’s all too easy to get caught in the daily whirlwind and lose sight of the bigger picture. That’s where a facilitated retreat can make all the difference.

One year ago, I launched KMC Social Impact Strategies with a vision: to provide accessible, high-quality strategic counsel to mission-driven organizations working tirelessly to create a better world. I knew then, as I know now, that nonprofits, foundations, and public agencies deserve bold, expert communication support that meets their realities: limited time and resources, complex missions, and high stakes. Today, I’m taking a moment to reflect on what we’ve built in just 12 months. And most importantly, to express our gratitude.

There’s a certain rhythm to the workday during the school year that many of us rely on. We cherish those uninterrupted hours to think, build, and create. But summer breaks that rhythm in both beautiful and chaotic ways. Suddenly, conference calls overlap with sibling disputes. Important emails are drafted in between requests for popsicles. And focus, the golden currency of remote work, becomes something we have to fight for.