The Responsive and Flexible Non-Profit Board:
Lessons from The Minimalist Entrepreneur
At first glance, you might not think The Minimalist Entrepreneur: How Great Founders Do More with Less by Sahil Lavingia has much to offer non-profits—its focus is on “putting profitability first.” However, it can provide valuable insights when tweaked to emphasize sustainability, as it stresses minimalism, adaptability, and community engagement. Approaching the book to learn its broader lessons rather than as a step-by-step guide can help your non-profit remain responsive to its community and grow sustainably within its values and mission.
Community is Key
Non-profits must continually engage with and learn from their communities, not just study them or rely on outside experts. Non-profit leaders must continually ask questions, even when they believe they know their community. Your community is not static; it evolves. Demographics shift, social attitudes change, and new challenges emerge. Keeping a finger on the pulse of these changes is crucial for staying relevant and effective.
Example of Misalignment: A former client lost funding for its primary program when a new manager at the foundation that funded them suggested exploring technology integration. The client insisted it wouldn’t work—they argued it would provide a lower quality service and alienate their clients. Meanwhile, a smaller non-profit embraced the innovation, which turned out successful.
This scenario underscores the importance of continual engagement. Had the non-profit leaders spent more time interacting with their community and funders, they might have noticed an openness to using technology sooner. Formal surveys and assessments don’t always catch subtle, emerging changes in communities. Spend time in your community and let people get to know and trust you enough to share what they really need.
Questions for Non-Profit Leaders:
Who are your communities? There are often several for a non-profit, including members, small donors, institutional funders, and the people who access your services.
Are you engaged in a way that allows you to see subtle changes? Do you have feedback loops to stay informed about demographic, social, and technological changes affecting your community?
Do your non-profit leaders cultivate authentic relationships within these communities?
“For the minimalist entrepreneur trying to make an impact, community is a way to stay focused: Instead of changing the world, you can change your community’s world.” - Sahil Lavingia
Build as Little as Possible
Non-profits often need to do more with less. Like minimalist entrepreneurs who “build only what they need to,” non-profits should focus on sustainability, especially when resources are scarce. Even when serving a community with ongoing needs, you should never assume funding continues year to year. This mindset encourages non-profits to prioritize flexibility and responsiveness over rigid planning and expansion.
The “building” in this context refers to long-term commitments that might not serve future needs and might even drag your organization down if needs to change. This includes obligations like physical office and service space and long-term contracts. When they are necessary, use them as minimally as possible.
Creative Thinking for Flexible Approaches: I worked with a non-profit whose members came from three groups that all needed to collaborate in the same arena. Their office space needs were minimal—their team was never larger than six staff—but they had a large meeting room to accommodate board meetings, member gatherings, etc. When they needed to cut costs, the staff moved to working remotely from home and renting space for weekly meetings. The three member groups rotated board meetings and other events among their facilities. As well as saving money, it allowed the three groups, who needed to cooperate despite having some different interests, to get to know each other better by alternatively hosting and visiting each other.
Building as little as possible doesn't mean doing the bare minimum in providing service to your community. It means being strategic about where to invest your time, energy, and resources to sustain a stronger, more resilient organization. Minimalism is not just about physical spaces and long-term contracts. Other ways non-profits can embrace this mindset include:
Prototype and Test: Before fully committing to new programs or services, test them on a smaller scale. This approach helps identify what works and what doesn't without significant resource investment.
Focus on Sustainability: Prioritize initiatives that ensure long-term sustainability rather than short-term gains. This might mean saying no to opportunities that don't align with your core mission or that require rapid growth.
Questions for Non-Profit Leaders:
Do you have a flexible operational structure that can adapt to funding changes and evolving community needs?
Do you have a reserve fund to help you through difficult times? If your major funder limits your ability to do this, can you diversify your funding?
Do you approach the services you offer with a continual ‘test, learn, and deliver’ cycle that supports easy adaptation to changing needs in the community you serve?
Is your board culture one of flexible, adaptive thinking and openness to change?
“Instead of treading water until a lifeboat comes along to save you, build your own boat.” - Sahil Lavingia
Build the House You Want to Live In
Mission and values should be more than just nice statements on a webpage; they must be lived daily and guide big decisions. Values provide a framework for decision-making, ensuring that actions are consistent with the organization's core principles.
Mission and Values Should Guide Operations and Decision-Making: I worked with a non-profit that lost a significant amount of funding during a time of economic cutbacks. The board and management sought money to sustain them as an organization, rather than opportunities to serve their mission differently. It is a subtle difference—if the organization fails, how can it serve its community? However, this client was more focused on modifying itself to align with available funding rather than seeking funding to fulfill its objectives. This tainted the leadership team’s reputation with its members, who believed that the organization was abandoning its foundational values. A few town hall sessions with the membership led to a decision to operate as a smaller organization while they re-assessed their role in the community and how to best serve it when funding was short.
Not only should growth never come at the expense of your mission and values, sometimes cutting back is necessary to continue living your mission and values.
Questions for Non-Profit Leaders:
Are your mission and values clearly defined and communicated? Are they revisited regularly? Does the board reflect on whether they continue to serve the organization well over time and suggest changes to the membership if warranted?
Do you filter proactive and reactive decisions through your mission and values to ensure they align, even when it is tempting to compromise in stressful situations? Does the board resist opportunities that do not align with your mission and values?
Do you have a values-driven culture to help maintain integrity and foster a sense of purpose among staff and volunteers? Do you encourage recognition of actions that exemplify your mission and values?
“Values are not generic two-word commandments that companies use to state the obvious. Quite the opposite: They’re for stating the non-obvious, in non-obvious ways. They codify what you believe, putting it in a place where everyone can see—and everyone can suggest changes.” - Sahil Lavingia
Non-profits, like minimalist entrepreneurs, must prioritize doing more with less. By applying the broad principles from The Minimalist Entrepreneur, your board can help build a resilient and impactful organization. By starting with your community, building as little as possible, and living your mission and values, you can create a sustainable and responsive organization. Reflect on your current practices and consider areas for improvement to enhance your non-profit’s sustainability and community service.