The Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) has become a popular framework for helping small to medium-sized businesses refine their processes, improve team accountability, and accelerate growth. It offers practical tools and clear structures that enable leaders to cut through complexity and focus on what truly matters.

However, for nonprofits—where success isn’t measured in profit margins but in social impact—adapting EOS can be a bumpy road. Below, we explore why many nonprofits struggle with implementing EOS and how these challenges can be addressed in a system purpose-built for the nonprofit sector.

1. CULTURE: Passion Culture vs. Profit Culture

Nonprofits often operate on passion-centric missions rather than profit-driven goals, which can clash with a system designed to maximize financial returns. The difference becomes more pronounced when considering volunteers: they bring an irreplaceable fervor to the cause, but they don’t always fit neatly into performance metrics or hierarchies geared toward revenue targets. By centering on mission impact first, nonprofits can adapt EOS principles in a way that values passion without sacrificing operational clarity.

2. POWER: Decentralized & Distributed Power

Decentralized leadership is common in nonprofits, where boards, committees, and community stakeholders all expect a say. While this structure promotes accountability to donors and beneficiaries, it complicates swift, top-down decision-making as prescribed by EOS. Adapting EOS for nonprofits means embracing collaborative input while still empowering a leadership core to maintain momentum toward strategic objectives.

3. COMPLEXITY: The System Isn’t “Simple” for Nonprofits

Nonprofits frequently juggle multiple program areas—from direct services to advocacy—making it difficult to impose a clean, business-oriented operating system. Beyond that, strict reporting requirements for grants and government funding add additional layers of complexity that EOS doesn’t naturally address. As a result, nonprofits must deliberately tailor the simplicity of EOS tools to encompass the multifaceted activities that define their social impact work.

4. DEVELOPMENT: Unique Funding Structures

Because nonprofits typically rely on donations, grants, and government subsidies, their revenue streams can be unpredictable and harder to manage under the usual “sales” approach of EOS. Fundraising also differs significantly from selling a product: it requires cultivating donor relationships, strategic grant-writing, and cultivating goodwill, rather than simply closing a revenue-generating deal. Incorporating a development perspective into an operating system ensures financial sustainability stays aligned with the mission.

5. IMPACT: Mission-Driven vs. Revenue-Driven

Rather than measuring success solely by profit or revenue, nonprofits focus on how they transform lives and communities, which may not always lend itself to neat quarterly goals. The time horizon for true social change can span years, making it necessary to adapt EOS’s short-term Rocks and annual targets into a framework that can track both immediate progress and long-term impact. Balancing operational discipline with mission-driven metrics ensures nonprofits maintain their vision while staying accountable to their stakeholders.

6. STRATEGY: The “Value Proposition” vs. Changing the World

In the business realm, organizations differentiate themselves by offering unique value propositions to customers, but for nonprofits, the goal often involves fundamentally changing the world in a way that transcends standard competitive analyses. Without adapting EOS’s strategic component, nonprofits risk losing sight of the larger social issues they aim to solve by focusing too narrowly on incremental “Rocks” or objectives. Ensuring strategy remains anchored in mission and impact can help nonprofits harness the efficiency of EOS while staying true to their ultimate purpose.

The Way Forward? A Nonprofit Operating System

Although traditional EOS can be transformative for many organizations, nonprofits have unique missions and structural nuances that require a more tailored approach. Instead of trying to force a profit-oriented system onto a mission-driven model, nonprofits can benefit from a customized framework—one that celebrates the passion culture, accommodates decentralized leadership, and embraces the complexities of funding and measurement.

We believe in EOS’s core principles of clarity, accountability, and disciplined execution, but we also recognize the need to for an OS designed specifically for nonprofts…to design with the end in mind.

At the heart of this adaptation is a shift in metrics and language. Nonprofits need tools to measure outcomes like community engagement, volunteer retention, or policy influence, alongside any revenue figures. Meetings should track progress toward long-term systemic change as well as quarterly Rocks, balancing the need for quick wins with the reality that meaningful social impact can unfold over years. Decision-making processes should honor the voices of board members, donors, community stakeholders, and beneficiaries—while still giving staff the autonomy to solve problems and move initiatives forward.

Finally, a truly nonprofit-focused operating system must incorporate fundraising and development strategies seamlessly into its planning and execution cycles. Relying exclusively on external funding streams, especially those that fluctuate, requires rigorous scenario planning and a willingness to pivot—features not typically emphasized in traditional EOS frameworks. By crafting an operational blueprint that recognizes the role of donors, grants, and partnerships, nonprofits can create a stable structure to sustain their mission, even in uncertain times.

We love EOS—so much that we’ve spent considerable time building something specifically for nonprofits, taking the principles that make EOS effective and reshaping them to fit the realities of the nonprofit sector. 

Picture a stoic military commander barking orders from a lofty perch: troops scramble to follow instructions without question, all in the name of efficiency and obedience. That’s the old-school command-and-control style. In the world of nonprofits—and especially for younger generations—this approach is as outdated as using carrier pigeons for quick communication. Emerging generations, raised on social media and collaborative online communities, simply won’t respond to top-down directives the way past generations might have. Instead, they crave co-creation and collaboration, where everyone has a voice and a stake in the outcome.

Why does this shift matter for nonprofit organizations? Because if you’re committed to your mission—whether it’s fighting hunger, advocating for social justice, or rescuing adorable sea turtles—co-creative leadership doesn’t just align with the preferences of modern volunteers and staff; it gets better results. Let’s dive into why this style is replacing command-and-control, how it resonates with younger generations, and why adopting it can supercharge your nonprofit’s impact.

Command and Control: A Relic in the Digital Age

For decades, nonprofits often borrowed a page from corporate or militaristic playbooks. Decisions were made at the top, roles were defined in a strict hierarchy, and everyone else was expected to salute the plan. Sure, it got things done—volunteers followed instructions, staff did what was asked, and donors provided funds.

But here’s the catch: younger generations, especially Millennials and Gen Z, grew up connected. They’ve seen the power of social media movements toppling injustices. They’ve watched small groups of committed individuals—fellow students, online influencers, or local activists—create massive cultural shifts. In their eyes, collaboration isn’t just a method; it’s the normal way of doing things. They expect to be part of a conversation, not passive recipients of orders.

It doesn’t matter if we like that, agree with that or would choose it. The skillset of the next fifty years will be defined by collaboration and co-creation. And the good news? The impact results for nonprofits are better.

If you’re reading this, you’re probably leading within a nonprofit. Imagine how your level of motivation if someone came up to you and said, “This is how we’ve always done it—just, you know, do as you’re told.” My guess is you’re not going to take that well.

So, if you want to rally an emerging generation behind your cause, telling them to fall in line simply won’t cut it. They’ll shrug and say, “Thanks, but no thanks,” then go find a nonprofit that values their input and creativity.

Co-Creation: The Future of Nonprofit Leadership

Co-creation is a leadership style that ditches the old “I say, you do” format in favor of “We build this together.”

Stakeholders—including staff, volunteers, donors, beneficiaries, and community members—join forces to design solutions, strategize campaigns, and shape organizational culture. It might sound chaotic at first—after all, the more cooks in the kitchen, the greater the chance of stepping on toes or debating recipes. But this messy collaboration is exactly what sparks innovation and fosters a deep sense of ownership.

When people help create something, they inherently feel responsible for its success. Picture assembling a LEGO castle with friends. If your job was simply to hand over the right bricks on command, you’d feel like a sidekick. But if you actually got to design the turrets, choose the drawbridge style, and put the finishing touches on the courtyard, that castle becomes yours. You care about whether it stands strong or topples over. In a nonprofit setting, that sense of personal and collective investment means higher engagement, stronger commitment, and better overall outcomes.

Why the Results are Stronger: Engagement, Ownership, and Innovation

It’s not just about catering to the tastes of younger generations—though that’s crucial for long-term sustainability—it’s also about better impact results. Here’s why:

• Higher Engagement Leads to Higher Impact
  Co-creation invites everyone to contribute ideas. Volunteers who see their suggestions become reality are more likely to stick around and even spread the word. Staff members who have a say in program design don’t feel like cogs in a machine; they feel like integral architects of the mission. And beneficiaries who help shape services experience respect, partnership, and empowerment, which can spark life-changing transformations.

• Diverse Perspectives Spark Innovation
  The old command model might rely on a handful of decision-makers at the top. By contrast, co-creation pools insights from people with varied experiences. This diversity of thought often uncovers fresh solutions to persistent challenges. Maybe a volunteer living in the community has creative ideas for outreach that the leadership team never considered. Maybe a young social media-savvy intern devises an online campaign that outperforms traditional methods. When you open the door to collective intelligence, game-changing possibilities emerge.

• Better Use of Resources
  In the nonprofit world, resources—time, money, human capital—are always in short supply. Co-creation ensures these resources are directed in ways that make sense on the ground. Why waste funds on an initiative that doesn’t actually serve the community’s needs? When you involve beneficiaries and volunteers in the planning stages, you’re more likely to design solutions that genuinely address real problems. Efficiency goes up, confusion goes down.

• Stronger Commitment During Tough Times
  When the going gets tough—funding shortfalls, shifting regulations, or crises—an organization that’s built on co-creation can adapt quickly. Why? Because you’ve already got a cohesive, empowered community that feels a sense of joint ownership. People rally together to find solutions, rather than waiting for top brass to hand them a blueprint.

Making the Shift: How to Start Co-Creating

Ready to start building the skill of co-creation? Here are a few tips:

Engage Early and Often: Involve stakeholders from the get-go. Don’t wait until the final draft of a plan to ask for input. Start with brainstorming sessions, focus groups, or casual roundtable discussions where everyone is encouraged to speak.

Flatten the Hierarchy: Titles and ranks matter less in co-creation. Make it clear that in these sessions, all voices carry weight. This is especially important for nonprofits used to a strict chain of command.

Learn to Facilitate: Not everyone is comfortable speaking up, especially in diverse groups. Skilled facilitation—using methods like design thinking workshops or world cafés—can help draw out quieter voices, ensuring you don’t miss out on hidden gems of insight.

Iterate and Adapt: Co-creation isn’t a one-time event. Keep the conversation rolling, gather feedback, and be willing to pivot if the group encounters new challenges or discovers better solutions.

Celebrate Collective Wins: When you hit milestones, shout it from the rooftops—together. Recognize the people who contributed ideas, overcame obstacles, or simply showed up with unwavering dedication.

Lead a Process: Co-creation doesn’t mean that everyone has an equal voice. It means that everyone understands how their voice will shape the direction and decision-making, and through the process, everyone will see their fingerprints in the final results.

Conclusion: A New Leadership Paradigm for a New Generation

The shift from command-and-control to collaboration and co-creation isn’t just a feel-good phenomenon; it’s a strategic imperative for nonprofits committed to making real, lasting change. Younger generations demand it—and the evidence shows that it produces stronger, more sustainable results. By inviting everyone to help shape your programs, policies, and culture, you build an environment of shared ownership where engagement thrives, innovation abounds, and impact soars.

So, as you chart the future for your nonprofit, ask yourself: “Am I handing down orders from above, or am I inviting others to build alongside me?” The difference in outcome could be the deciding factor between a short-lived project that fizzles out and a transformative movement that leaves a lasting mark on the world. Because ultimately, what we create together, we own together—and when we own it, we make it succeed.

Business leaders can be like superhero celebrities in their corporate kingdoms. They stride through glass-walled boardrooms, armed with confidence sharper than their Italian leather shoes. Deals are made, targets are crushed, and corporate subordinates nod fervently at every word. Then, often out of a genuine desire to give back or champion a cause, these corporate dynamos step into the nonprofit realm. Yet instead of wowing the crowd with their usual leadership prowess, they sometimes look more like a dancing flamingo in a chicken coop—colorful, but awkwardly out of sync. Why does this happen so often? Let’s explore the surprising challenges that make even the most successful corporate leaders stumble when trying to lead well in nonprofit organizations.

The Overconfidence Trap

At the top of the list is overconfidence. When a hotshot CEO sweeps into a mission-driven environment, they often come armed with an assumption: “I’ve conquered the corporate world, so saving sea turtles or feeding the homeless should be a cinch.” They imagine the nonprofit staff will gawk in awe at their strategic wizardry. The problem? Nonprofits don’t usually need “fixing” in the corporate sense. Their complexities revolve around intangible passions—motivation, mission, and volunteer commitment—rather than just budgets and brand expansions. What works in the land of quarterly profits doesn’t necessarily translate to a realm powered by compassion. It’s like trying to use a sledgehammer to gently carve a delicate sculpture. Sure, it’s a powerful tool, but it’s more likely to create cracks than to craft a masterpiece.

The Ego Elephant in the Room

In the corporate world, a healthy dose of ego can help leaders succeed. You need to be sure of your decisions, exude confidence, and guide the team decisively. However, in a nonprofit setting, that same ego can feel like a giant elephant parked in the middle of a cozy living room. Staff and volunteers aren’t generally there to hail the brilliance of one visionary leader; they’re united by a cause, a mission, or a personal calling. If you waltz in expecting reverence for your sterling résumé and top-floor corner office background, prepare for polite smiles and silent blinking. Respect here is earned differently—through humility, empathy, and genuinely rolling up your sleeves to serve the mission rather than showcasing your corporate stardom.

The Myth of Corporate Fairy Dust

There’s a persistent myth that “corporate fairy dust” can be sprinkled onto any nonprofit, magically transforming it into a streamlined, hyper-efficient machine. After all, in the business world, leaders solve problems with strategy, data-driven approaches, and performance metrics. Why wouldn’t that be the cure-all for nonprofits? Because nonprofits revolve around humans—messy, emotional, enthusiastic, overworked, devoted humans—who often face resource constraints unlike anything in the corporate sphere. You can’t pivot your way out of a shortfall in volunteer availability or assemble a brand-new marketing team on a whim. The mission might be about saving baby sea turtles or preserving ancient manuscripts—both of which can’t be fully captured in a tidy spreadsheet. Sprinkle all the corporate fairy dust you want; if the people involved aren’t on board or if the cause isn’t flexible to a “quick fix,” nothing will stick.

The Volunteer Vortex

Volunteers are the heartbeat of many nonprofits. They show up—often unpaid, sometimes untrained—and pour their time and talent into a cause they deeply care about. Managing this group can feel like herding feral cats for a corporate leader used to having an HR department. There’s no handy contract threatening to withhold pay for lackluster performance. Instead, you’re reliant on people’s passion. If a volunteer gets frustrated because you served stale bagels at the breakfast fundraiser, they can vanish without notice. Then you’re left scrounging for replacements at the last minute. Winning over these volunteers requires a gentle touch, abundant gratitude, and a willingness to adapt. In short, you have to learn the subtle art of leading people who aren’t there for the paycheck—they’re there for the mission, which means your motivational style needs a serious tune-up.

Board Meetings on Another Planet

In a typical corporate board meeting, everyone might come with spreadsheets, analytics, and neatly prepared talking points about hitting key performance indicators. Decisions are often guided by clear data and bottom-line impacts. In a nonprofit board meeting, you might encounter discussions that are driven by personal stories, heartfelt anecdotes, or intangible concepts like “vision alignment.” You want to see a chart? Instead, you’ll get the saga of Ms. Edna, an 89-year-old beneficiary who crocheted hats for everyone in gratitude. It’s not that data is irrelevant—far from it—but it often takes a backseat to the passion and emotion that shape decisions in nonprofits. Leaders unaccustomed to these emotional conversations can be left feeling they’re in an alternate universe, one where empathy often trumps efficiency in the decision-making process.

The ROI Riddle

Ah, return on investment—one of the favorite metrics for any corporate leader. In business, ROI is tied neatly to profits or cost savings. In a nonprofit, ROI might be measured in intangible glows, improved life outcomes, or a sense of community uplift. Sure, you can track how many meals were served or how many educational sessions were held, but quantifying how much “hope” was restored or how many children now have a brighter future is trickier. This intangible side can baffle leaders used to slicing everything into digestible, numerical data points. You might find yourself staring at a spreadsheet with confusion, thinking, “Where’s the line item for intangible glow?” The good news is, once you embrace this broader perspective, you’ll discover a deeper sense of reward than any quarterly profit margin could ever provide.

From Metrics to Mission

Although nonprofits do use numbers—don’t believe the hype that they’re allergic to spreadsheets—the core driver is always mission. That mission might be eradicating a disease, rescuing stray puppies, or teaching underprivileged children to code. Numbers serve to confirm or refine strategies, rather than become the ultimate endgame. For corporate leaders accustomed to revolving entire worlds around metrics, that can be disorienting. Suddenly, it’s not all about how many zeros are in the bank account; it’s about whether the impact is resonating in the community. Balancing your love for metrics with a genuine focus on the mission itself is like learning a new dance. You already know the basic moves, but the music’s different here—slower, more heartfelt, and often accompanied by a sing-along from dedicated volunteers.

The People Puzzle

Meanwhile, the staff in many nonprofits aren’t motivated by stock options or enormous bonuses. They’re guided by a sense of purpose, a belief in change, or a personal connection to the cause. These employees might work longer hours for less pay simply because the mission speaks to their hearts. Leading them requires a delicate mix of empathy, shared vision, and a supportive environment where burnout is addressed before it becomes an inferno. A blunt, profit-driven directive might not land well with someone who’s barely sleeping because they’re packing emergency food boxes all night. These staff members need to feel seen and valued not for boosting revenue, but for being ambassadors of real, human-centered impact. Corporate leaders who make the leap successfully are the ones who invest as much in people’s well-being as they do in hitting strategic milestones.

Heartstrings vs. Purse Strings

At the end of the day, nonprofits still need a healthy financial backbone. Bills have to be paid, initiatives need funding, and an empty bank account can stall even the worthiest of causes. Balancing the emotional drive of a nonprofit with the financial realities of sustaining it is a high-wire act. If you push too hard on the “money, money, money” side, you risk alienating supporters who are there for altruistic reasons. Yet if you ignore the purse strings in favor of a purely heartstring-led approach, you could end up with a brilliant mission that’s tragically underfunded. The real art of leadership in nonprofits is blending empathy and fiscal savvy in a way that preserves the organization’s soul without sinking its financial ship.

So what now? Embracing the Awkward (and the Rewards)

So why do so many corporate leaders stumble when they enter the nonprofit space? They must adapt to a leadership style that relies less on authority and more on genuine collaboration, empathy, and relationship-building. Their standard tools—spreadsheets, profit-and-loss analyses, direct chains of command—remain valuable, but they have to be recalibrated. Nonprofits inhabit a world where success often hinges on personal connection, storytelling, community trust, and unwavering belief in a cause. It’s a place where intangible outcomes might matter even more than cold, hard data.

The good news is that once you embrace the awkwardness—once you let go of the need to be the all-knowing corporate savant—you’ll discover a realm of leadership that can fill your heart in ways no quarterly earnings report ever could. You’ll see volunteers come alive with passion, staff members transform communities with love and determination, and beneficiaries find hope. Yes, you may yearn for the comfort of ROI graphs and efficiency charts, but sometimes a crocheted doily from Ms. Edna (a grateful program participant) means you’ve done something truly immeasurable.

Leading effectively in a nonprofit calls for humility, emotional intelligence, and a willingness to dance to a different beat. Accept that you won’t have all the answers, or instant solutions, and that sometimes your best move is simply to listen. Do that, and not only will you avoid stumbling like a flamingo in a chicken coop—you might just soar in the nonprofit jungle and discover a new dimension of leadership success.

We’ve all heard the legendary Peter Drucker quote, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” It’s one of those lines people throw around as if culture is a voracious, unstoppable T-Rex forever stomping across your carefully planned strategic plans and spreadsheets. But here’s a heretical thought: sometimes, strategy holds its own at the breakfast table. Yes, even in nonprofits—where passion, vision, and a stirring mission statement are the holy trinity—strategy can outmaneuver culture now and then. 

Here are the 5 Ways Strategy Strikes Back.

1. Mission Overload: When Good Intentions Collide

The “Saving Everything, Everywhere, All at Once” Syndrome

Nonprofits often have the best possible intentions. They want to save the whales, empower local communities, promote educational equality, and end global hunger by Tuesday afternoon. This altruistic drive is at the heart of nonprofit culture. But when your organizational culture is built on an overabundance of ambitions, it can become a chaotic swirl of well-meaning energy. Strategy can sometimes step in like an exasperated parent, waving a big calendar, screaming, “We can’t do it all at once, people!”

How Strategy Prevails

A robust strategy forces the question: Which whales? By forcing focus, it ensures the “we’re going to save the world” culture narrows down to more realistic, impactful goals. When your culture is an endless buffet of missions, strategy becomes the chef who decides which dishes actually belong on the menu—just so the rest of us can, you know, breathe.

2. The Enthusiasm Gap: From Hype to ‘How?’

Nonprofit Pep Rallies

Ever been to a nonprofit staff meeting that starts with “We can do anything we set our minds to!”? The energy is off the charts. People are standing on chairs, cheering about transforming entire communities. But, like any pep rally, the loudest applause doesn’t always translate into action. There’s that awkward moment when the music stops, and someone says, “So… does anyone have a plan?”

Strategy: The Great Leveler

Culture might win hearts, but strategy wins deliverables. A well-documented strategic plan turns intangible hype into bite-sized tasks. Rather than letting organizational excitement evaporate into a mist of vague ambitions, strategy breaks it into priorities and timelines. Ironically, it’s this methodical approach that can occasionally overshadow a culture built purely on raw enthusiasm. Strategy answers the “How?” question, forcing those with a penchant for confetti cannons to reconcile big dreams with budgets, timetables, and actual staff capacity.

3. Boardroom Politics: When Culture Collides with Reality

A Knight’s Tale in the Boardroom

Picture your nonprofit’s board members huddled in a conference room named after a philanthropic legend. The culture says: We are open, collaborative, and ready to change the world. Then the meeting starts, and hidden agendas emerge. Some are worried about next year’s gala. Others are anxious about personal pet projects. A few want to pivot to a more trendy cause. Suddenly, the vaunted “collaborative” culture is overshadowed by the quiet power of a strategic plan that was hammered out months ago (or possibly years).

Why Strategy Sometimes Triumphs

Culture is wonderful—until it runs headlong into the immovable wall of boardroom politics. Even the most people-centered culture can find itself upended if influential stakeholders decide the direction needs to shift. A well-crafted strategy that took months of research and countless whiteboard sessions can become the anchor that keeps the ship from drifting in the swirl of boardroom ambitions. It’s not that culture is unimportant; it’s that a formalized strategy can trump the back-and-forth of “friendly suggestions” when push comes to shove.

4. Funding Limitations: The Unromantic Reality Check

Chasing the Grant Rainbow

Nobody enters the nonprofit sector to get rich quick. Yet money—or the lack thereof—governs so many decisions. A vibrant, inclusive, and compassionate culture might inspire staff potlucks and “We Are Family” sing-alongs, but that doesn’t always pay the rent. Eventually, everyone looks at the bank account (or the diminishing row in the Excel budget) and wonders if they can keep the lights on.

The Strategic Edge

Strategy is a cold but necessary dose of reality. It sets priorities, identifies necessary trade-offs, and systematically aligns programming with available resources. While culture says, “We should do everything in the name of our cause,” strategy quietly counters, “We have to keep the bills paid. Let’s do the right things well, rather than everything poorly.” In a world where grants and donor dollars can vanish overnight, strategy often becomes the hero that ensures financial sustainability—helping your philanthropic ship stay afloat.

5. Burnout (a.k.a. The Head-versus-Heart Showdown)

The Dark Side of Relentless Passion

Here’s the dirty secret in mission-driven work: the more you care, the more likely you are to burn out. When the organizational culture strongly values dedication at all costs, you wind up with exhausted staff members who have no work-life boundaries. It’s the volunteer who sleeps on cots in the office or the program manager who never quite leaves the building. Lovely as that “whatever it takes” ethos might sound, a nonprofit full of overworked people can implode faster than a poorly planned fundraiser.

Strategy: The Guardrail for Human Energy

A solid strategic plan recognizes people as assets that need nourishment, time off, and training. It says: “Sure, we love your passion, but please go home and sleep.” Strategy, ironically, can protect a healthy culture by setting realistic objectives, building in rest periods, and mapping out staff support. In this sense, the structure of strategy isn’t just a barrier; it’s also a shield preventing culture from devouring itself in the name of do-gooding.

So, Who’s Really Having Breakfast?

Look, it’s not that culture doesn’t matter. Nonprofit leaders know that having a positive, healthy culture is essential to doing good work, attracting top talent, and keeping staff and volunteers motivated. But the near-mythical phrase “Culture eats strategy for breakfast” can sometimes distract us from the fact that strategy is crucial—especially when budgets are tight, missions can multiply like rabbits, and board members have their own secret dictionaries.

The next time someone drops that quote as if it’s the final word on organizational success, maybe nudge them gently (with a grin, of course) and say, “Sure, culture can be a fierce diner, but strategy has a seat at the table, too.” Because in the nonprofit world—where every day is about balancing hearts and minds—you actually need both. If culture is the flavor that makes your organization special, strategy is the recipe that ensures you can serve that special sauce for years to come.

After all, a T-Rex might rule the Jurassic Park of your nonprofit, but never underestimate the staying power of a well-thought-out plan. Sometimes, even the biggest dinosaur has to share the breakfast buffet.

Here’s the truth of it: Ultimately, “best” is subjective and depends on criteria like campaign reach, social impact, creative execution, or fundraising success. However, the following examples have consistently appeared on industry shortlists (Cannes Lions, Clio Awards, Ad Council honors) and garnered significant public attention for their causes—making them strong case studies in powerful nonprofit advertising.

These are some of our favorites from the last five years, in no particular order. Then, at the end of this list, we’ll include a few “tips and tricks” that we use in working with our nonprofit partners to create great campaigns.

Girls Who Code — “Make That Change” (2019–Present)

• Organization: Girls Who Code
• Key Theme: Gender gap in tech
• Why It Stands Out:
  • Uses pop-culture references, humor, and bright visuals to engage young audiences.
  • Highlights success stories of female coders and encourages more girls to join tech fields.
  • Demonstrates how nonprofits can use upbeat, aspirational messaging to tackle systemic issues in education and career pathways.

Feeding America — “I Am Hunger in America” (Ongoing; major push around 2019–2020)

• Organization: Feeding America
• Key Theme: Food insecurity
• Why It Stands Out:
  • Personal, narrative-driven storytelling showing individuals from diverse backgrounds who face hunger.
  • Combines emotional testimonies with data on the pandemic’s impact, highlighting how quickly people can move into food insecurity.
  • Encourages both donations and volunteerism; successfully uses a consistent, empathic tone across TV, print, and social media.

Refuge — “#SafetyInANumber” (2020)

• Organization: Refuge (UK-based charity against domestic violence)
• Key Theme: Raising awareness of domestic abuse
• Why It Stands Out:
  • Launched during COVID-19 lockdowns when domestic abuse reports spiked.
  • The campaign turned something as simple as a phone number into a powerful lifeline; used social media influencers and celebrities to share the helpline number hidden in everyday content.
  • Showed how nonprofits can adapt to crisis conditions and leverage digital platforms for high-impact results.

Change the Ref — “The Lost Class” (2021)

• Organization: Change the Ref (founded by parents of a Parkland shooting victim)
• Key Theme: Gun reform
• Why It Stands Out:
  • Staged a faux high school graduation for the 3,044 students who would have graduated but were killed by guns.
  • Invited high-profile gun rights figures to speak—who only later realized the event’s true nature.
  • Widely covered by the press; used shock and subversion to highlight the urgency of gun violence prevention.

The Ad Council & Partners — “Seize the Awkward” (2018–Present)

• Organizations Involved: Ad Council, JED Foundation, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
• Key Theme: Youth mental health and suicide prevention
• Why It Stands Out:
  • Approachable Tone: Uses humor and slightly awkward social situations (e.g., two friends sitting in silence) to illustrate how starting a conversation about mental health can feel uncomfortable—but is vital.
  • Pop Culture Tie-Ins: Features YouTubers, influencers, and musicians to speak candidly about anxiety, depression, and the importance of checking in with friends.
  • Action-Oriented Resources: The campaign website provides conversation guides, videos, and GIFs to help young people open up to peers struggling with mental health issues.

Tips for Creating Great Nonprofit Ad Campaigns

Emotional Hook + Clear Purpose

Successful nonprofit ads typically zero in on a single emotional throughline—hope, anger, empathy, urgency—paired with a direct call to action.

Visual & Narrative Innovation

Many standouts repurpose familiar advertising tropes (e.g., back-to-school ads, graduation ceremonies) to heighten impact and subvert viewer expectations.

Use of Tech & Social Media

Campaigns that cleverly leverage social media, AI, or viral content strategies often reach younger audiences more effectively.

Authenticity & Credibility

Because they often deal with sensitive or urgent social issues, these ads need a strong sense of authenticity—real people’s stories or transparent data—to build trust and inspire action.

Contextual Relevance

Some of the most powerful nonprofit ads of recent years responded to timely events or crises (e.g., gun violence incidents, COVID-19 lockdowns), capturing public attention at a moment of heightened awareness.