I had a wonderful time speaking to the Nonprofit Council of the Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce alongside my colleague Jeanne E. Branthover. We fielded thoughtful questions for an hour—and easily could have gone longer!

Here are 10 takeaways from our session: Talent by Design: Creating a Sustainable Nonprofit Workforce

1. Purpose plus professionalism is the new baseline.

Nonprofit talent are no longer choosing between the two—they expect both. Mission still motivates, but it’s part of a broader career calculus. Organizations without a talent strategy are falling behind.

2. Compensation matters.

Nonprofits can’t outpay the private sector—but that’s no excuse to deprioritize pay. Define your compensation philosophy; benchmark and adjust regularly. In markets like Palm Beach, rising cost of living is a real barrier to talent when salaries are stagnant.

3. You can’t outpay—but you can out-design.

Nonprofits offer real advantages over their corporate counterparts: earlier leadership exposure, greater autonomy, meaningful networks, visible impact. The talent war isn’t one-sided.

4. Build the organization you need—before you need it.

‘Talent by design’ means hiring for tomorrow, not yesterday. Start with a multi-year strategy, define success, clarify outcomes, then build roles to deliver them.

5. If you’re asking about succession, you’re already late.

Every organization needs an emergency plan for key roles—and a strategic plan for leadership transitions. Wait, and you’ll be late.

6. Build your bench.

In tight talent markets, retention and internal development are critical. Identify “ready now / ready soon / emerging” talent and invest accordingly.

7. To create culture, focus on the fundamentals.

Performance evaluation should be ongoing, not annual. Make it a two-way dialogue. People stay where they feel heard, valued, and see a future.

8. Burnout is structural, not personal.

Teams are stretched thin, and constant connectivity makes it difficult to unplug. Sustainable organizations treat wellbeing as part of performance—not separate from it.

9. Most hiring mistakes start before the search.

Lack of clarity and alignment—especially at the board level—leads to poor outcomes. Define success upfront—and don’t underestimate onboarding.

10. Everything starts—and ends—with the board.

The right board is a force multiplier. The wrong one is a constraint. Be intentional about who you bring on—and hold them accountable.

I’m curious how others are thinking about this—what’s the biggest talent challenge your organization is facing right now?