What Got You Here Won’t Get You There

Written By Jacqueline Chiras

Why Organizational Sustainability Is More Than Just Staying Afloat

Let’s play a quick game.

How do you know if your nonprofit is sustainable?

  • You’re still open?

  • Your team is busy?

  • You got that last grant?

Nice… but none of those mean your organization is actually sustainable. They just mean you’re still running.

Here’s the truth:
Survival is not sustainability.
And too many mission-driven organizations are mistaking one for the other.

🧭 So What Is Sustainability, Then?

Organizational sustainability isn’t about being frugal. Or passionate. Or getting by with less.

It’s about your organization’s capacity to endure and thrive over time—without depleting your resources, harming your team or community, or collapsing the minute conditions change.

It’s not just internal. It’s not just financial.

It’s a systems-level strategy that integrates:

  • 🌱 Environmental stewardship (even in your digital infrastructure)

  • 🧠 Social responsibility (in your culture, hiring, partnerships, and programs)

  • 🏛️ Governance (in how decisions are made, shared, and upheld)

And yep, that applies to your small-but-mighty org too.

🧨 The Sustainability Illusion

A lot of nonprofit leaders think they’re building for the long term because they:

  • Have a balanced budget

  • Run solid programs

  • Got through another audit

But that’s like saying your car will last forever because you topped off the gas.

What about the engine? The brakes? The wear and tear?

Real sustainability means stepping back and asking:

  • Are we protecting our people, not just exhausting them?

  • Are we managing funding and preparing for change?

  • Are we minimizing harm—to staff, communities, or the systems we rely on?

  • Are we building practices that regenerate, not just repeat?

If not, you might be coasting on borrowed time.

🔍 What Sustainability Looks Like in Practice

Here’s what nonprofit sustainability actually involves (in plain English):

1. Smart Systems That Outlast You

Your operations shouldn’t fall apart if someone takes PTO or moves on.
Sustainable orgs invest in documentation, backup planning, and repeatable workflows.
(Translation: You don’t have to reinvent onboarding every time you hire.)

2. Governance That Works in Real Life

Boards that know their role. Staff that aren’t micromanaged or overburdened.
Decision-making that’s clear, participatory, and documented.
(Yes, this includes exit plans for leadership—and no, that’s not “bad optics.” It’s just responsible.)

3. Financial Models That Don’t Depend on Hope

Are you budgeting for reserves? Diversifying income? Scenario planning?
Or just running “until the money runs out”?
Sustainable orgs build cushions—and clarity.

4. Operational Choices That Respect the Environment

From paper use to vendor selection to digital tools—your org does have an environmental footprint.
Are you evaluating what you use, how often, and what it costs (literally and socially)?

5. People-Centered Design

Your systems should care for the people inside them—not grind them down.
Are staff empowered or overwhelmed?
Are programs designed with, not just for, the communities you serve?

🚨 What Happens If You Ignore This

Let’s be blunt. If you don’t bake sustainability into your systems, eventually you’ll face:

  • Staff burnout and turnover

  • Board disengagement

  • Compliance mistakes

  • Donor mistrust

  • Community skepticism

  • Mission drift

And no amount of passion or patching will fix it once it’s underway.

Sustainability isn’t a someday strategy.
It’s a right now responsibility.

🧠 Your Sustainability Gut Check:

Ask yourself:

  • Could we operate for 6 months without heroic effort?

  • Do our systems support people, or rely on them over-functioning?

  • Are we creating impact without causing unintended harm?

  • Could someone else step in and understand how we function?

If the answer is “ehhh… probably not”—then congrats. You’ve identified where to start.

🛠️ Want Help Building Sustainability? Start Here:

🧭 Coming Next: Tech Can’t Save You (But It Can Scale You—Sustainably)

AI and automation are powerful tools—but they’re not magic.
Next week, we’ll talk about how to integrate smart tech into your org without creating chaos or fragility.

But first? Make sure your foundation can handle the weight.

Jacqueline Chiras
Next

Scaling with Intention: Keeping Your Mission at the Center