by Josh Jacobson | Jan 5, 2026 | Thought Leadership
It is now 2026. A new year. And with it comes no shortage of uncertainty about how social good will fare in the months and years ahead. With so many variables at play, you may be asking yourself: Is now really the time to embark on a strategic planning effort? Pardon...
by Josh Jacobson | Dec 5, 2025 | Thought Leadership
Every December, the Next Stage team looks back across the year’s retreats, board meetings, listening sessions, late-night conversations, and messy whiteboards. That’s where the real story lives — in the patterns that start to emerge from the lived experiences of...
by Josh Jacobson | Nov 7, 2025 | Nonprofit Leadership, Planning & Implementation, Thought Leadership
The season of end-of-year leadership retreats are upon us. Next Stage is supporting a number of organizations as they prepare for an unprecedented set of circumstances in 2026, and one thing is certain: It’s difficult to plan when the ground feels like it’s...
by Josh Jacobson | Sep 30, 2025 | Nonprofit Leadership, Thought Leadership
Earlier this summer, we examined how organizations can move beyond crisis messaging and shift toward approaches that center community strength and invite genuine participation. We then explored how to create compelling call-to-action campaigns and the concept of...
by Josh Jacobson | Sep 7, 2025 | Resource Development, Thought Leadership
Everywhere you look these days in the world of nonprofits, there’s a focus on threats to the sector. The optimism about the direction of social good that was so prominent one year ago has been replaced by a strong thread of pragmatism. “This isn’t going to be pretty.”...
