The “tricks” for 2026

Ready for 2026

Apologies for the metaphors from public equities investing, but the New Year 2026 is a good time to take stock and invest in ourselves. Those are the “tricks” for 2026: to emerge from the shock that some organizations, many organizations, have been feeling given the uncertainty and unpredictability of 2025.

Three helpful steps are revealed in the conversations I’ve been having. Note these don’t apply only to heads of organizations, we can all take stock and invest in ourselves here in the New Year.

First, taking action for you. Looking inward at yourself as an individual leader and/or as an individual, what will you do to make 2026 a year of positive change? There are many great written pieces out there this time of year about the importance of taking time for yourself and introspection. So this is just building on that to now say to yourself: “in 2026 I am going to do these things for myself and my leadership.” Be resolved and do them.

To give an example of this first step: there is an organization with a long-time dedicated leader, and this leader has meant to find and make room for a succeeding leader to steer the organization. Yet plans had been frustrated: a hoped-for successor was not available in the end; making time and space to plan stepping away (and doing it right) seemed challenging; and this year is a time of reduced funding certainty.  This person and I spent some time together—our discussion resulted in a high-level schedule and key next steps for this leader to take for themselves.

Second, move the organizational gears. After the first step of taking action for you, next move your organization. Exit any sense of frozen despair or even inertia that has been keeping you from making the hard decision decisions needed. Help your organization thrive, and eventually if not immediately, grow again in its mission.

Building on the example before, where inertia (fortunately not despair) was present, a good next step for this organization was to request to convene board leadership and discuss the schedule and the plan to effect the transition. The board would need to be intimately involved in—and in part manage—the search for the organization’s new leader. This made convening the board a natural first step of several initially discussed, and it also introduced accountability for a quick win. 

Third, prioritize for the year and make it real. Plan for how to adeptly transition your organization to the priorities and size it needs to be in this year 2026. Bring clarity and analytical assessment to keep the organization sustainable but retain the core values and most fundable work.

For example, philanthropic foundations are feeling the challenge of many new requests, given the increased uncertainty. For those of you readers in the nonprofit sector, you are reasonably feeling very little confidence in new initiatives being funded or even existing initiatives maintaining the same level of support as seemed probable a year ago. Dust off that strategic plan your organization likely has. It may provide ideas of where you want to focus, or could at least be a springboard to brainstorm between competing organizational priorities.

As I’ve discussed in this case study, many organizations have trouble focusing their funding on priorities to realize the goals they’ve elevated in a strategic plan. Put your ‘money where your mouth is’ and use this opportunity to make good on the priorities your organization has said they want.

2026 can be a year of good changes, yet seizing those changes requires confronting our fears and holdups. Let’s believe in ourselves and our organizations to seize the day!