Real results from real organizations. The Crisis: For years, this organization had been quietly fraying. Programs underperforming, rising staff conflict and burnout, Board disengaged and overlooking inequitable pay, funders losing confidence. When the long-tenured Executive Director was finally terminated, the unraveling became impossible to ignore. Before the Interim: By the time UpShift was called in, 46% staff turnover in two years, Morale was ≈ 30%, the volunteer base was

Call us before you call the fire department. There are warning signs your nonprofit is in trouble. The 5 Signs: Surprise ED exit Board/ED conflict Fundraising nosedive Staff exodus Strategic plan limbo Why Early Action Works: An interim can stabilize before a crisis hits.

We’re not just babysitting the mission. Let’s clear something up: a professional interim ED is not just keeping the lights on. The Placeholder Myth: Quietly sitting and waiting is not leadership. What a Professional Interim Actually Does: Stabilizes operations Repairs relationships Tunes the board Finds the cracks Manages the handoff Why It Matters: Done right, the new ED steps into a strong, stable organization. If your interim isn’t doing this, you deserve better.

Spoiler: the invoice is bigger than you think. A bad leadership transition can bleed your budget, gut your programs, and set your mission...

Most new Executive Directors quit or get pushed out within two years. It’s not because they’re bad leaders, but because they were set up...

Dr. David Burns has this list of “cognitive distortions” that feed anxiety and depression: overgeneralization, discounting the positive,...

Let’s be honest: We live in a reactive, traumatized world . People are seriously freaked out—constantly on edge, living in chaos. And if...

Acting ≠ Leading. You know the scenario: the ED resigns, panic sets in, and someone says, “Let’s just make Jane the Acting ED until we...