Empathy and Trust — The Foundation Principles of Managing Change in Nonprofits
By: Edmund Settle
Tags: Empathy, Change Management, Leadership, Trust, Nonprofit

According to a study by the Human Capital Institute, nearly 80 percent of Human Resource leaders “report that their organization is in a state of constant change with priorities and strategies continuously shifting.” A sustainable nonprofit organization separates itself from a struggling organization by managing that change, a process called change management. No matter how varied its mission, size, or budget, every nonprofit can benefit from a healthy change management mindset and implementation.

Change is difficult, but it can also be rewarding. Preparing for and embracing change enables nonprofit organizations to adapt and transform, becoming more resilient in the process. This article is the first in the series entitled Managing Change for Nonprofits. The series aims to guide nonprofit leaders during the change management process by identifying critical steps, enabling leaders to practice transparency and empathy, resulting in greater acceptance of the process’s goals at all organizational levels.

“Culture does not change because we desire to change it. Culture changes when the organization is transformed — culture reflects the realities of people working together everyday.” — Frances Hesselbein, former CEO of the Girl Scouts

What is Change Management?

“Navigating an organization through both negative and positive changes is an essential facet of leadership and is commonly referred to as change management,” writes Ellie Burke with classy.org. Organizational change can often be internal and include leadership transitions and staff turnover, creating new policies, moving to a different strategic plan, and program growth.

On the other hand, external pressures such as fundraising challenges, cultural and political shifts, or technological changes may also push an organization into a state of change. Regardless of the type of change your organization faces, your staff must be prepared to address complacency and backslides. As a leader, you should not underestimate an organization’s or individual’s natural resistance to change.

Tips for Success

In the nonprofit sector, it is not just your in-house staff you need to sway. It would help if you also had your board members, volunteers, and donors' trust and cooperate, noted Megan Donahue from the digital fundraising platform causevox.com. Does your organization have a change management process in place to manage and lead through change? A transparent strategy that is guided by strong leadership can substantially advance your organization’s mission.

By navigating change with intent and perspective, a leader can foster a positive organizational culture that trusts the process and embraces change. This leader can then tailor an approach to change that the stakeholders will want to adopt. Change management expert, John Kotter, proposed a three-phased strategy to change management in his book Leading Change that helps leaders show how inevitable transitions can advance an organization's mission. By following Kotter’s approach of preparing, managing, and reinforcing change, you can steer your organization to sustainability.