Featured essay
What Nintendo® Taught Me About Transformation, Change, and the Courage to Evolve
Written by Tricia Smith, Founder of The Jule Group®, a nonprofit operations and AI-readiness consultancy.
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Field notes from the seat, the systems, and the work underneath.
Essays for nonprofit leaders who want a clearer view of what is asking too much, what can change, and where technology can return time to the people carrying the mission.
The archive
For the work you are in now.
Leadership, boards, systems, burnout, responsible automation, and the operating choices that make a nonprofit easier to lead.
How to Automate Your Nonprofit's Board Reports and Donor Thank-You's
You've heard about it happening. Maybe you've lived it. An organization invests in a new system. It could be a CRM, a project management tool, a donor database. There's research. There are demos. There's a…
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Why My Consulting Approach Starts with People, Not Systems.
I walked into a nonprofit last year and within 20 minutes, the Executive Director was telling me about her mother's dementia diagnosis, the federal funding cuts she'd just seen hit the headlines that morning,…
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The Hidden Cost of Manual Work No One Is Budgeting For
I once watched an organization spend six months implementing a project management system. They did everything right. Researched the options. Got buy-in from leadership. Paid for the premium tier. Hired a…
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Boards Are Not the Problem. They Are Often Working Without a Clear Window In
There is a moment many nonprofit leaders recognize instantly. You are sitting in a board meeting. The questions are coming. Some are sharp. Some feel slightly off. A few drift into operational territory even…
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What I Learned Leaving Consulting to Become an Executive Director and Why I Came Back
Before I became an Executive Director, I believed I understood nonprofit leadership. I had worked alongside organizations for years. I had seen strong operations, committed staff, and thoughtful leadership. I…
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The Hidden Cost of “Good Enough” Tech in Nonprofits
Most nonprofits do not choose bad systems. They inherit them. They patch them. They make them work just well enough to get through the next grant cycle, the next board meeting, the next audit. “Good enough”…
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Burnout Is a Signal: What Nonprofit Leaders Need Instead of More Resilience
Nonprofit leadership is often framed as a calling that requires endless resilience, personal sacrifice, and emotional stamina. When leaders burn out, the story usually goes something like this: you took on too…
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Things Nonprofit Leaders Say When Their Systems Are Holding On for Dear Life
A funny, honest look at nonprofit leadership phrases and what they really say about systems, growth, and organizational reality.
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How to Implement New Systems Without Overwhelming Your Team
Implementing new systems in a nonprofit doesn’t have to overwhelm your team. A practical, human-first look at pacing change, training, and staff buy-in.
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What I'm Actually Doing While I'm Reading Your Clarity Diagnostic Responses.
When one person holds all the knowledge, your whole organization is at risk. Here are three real solutions at three different price points, from documentation to full redesign.
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If Your Nonprofit Runs on Sticky Notes, You’re Not Alone (But We Should Talk)
If your nonprofit runs on sticky notes and spreadsheets, you’re not alone. A funny, honest look at when scrappy systems stop scaling.
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Why I've Never Niched Down (And Why I Finally Did)
I've worked with fishing boats, biotech, and healthcare systems. Here's why that cross-industry pattern recognition helps me solve nonprofit problems faster.
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