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We asked 103 talent leaders whether they are equipped for what’s coming. The answer should concern every CEO, board, and funder. A guest post by Danielle Pickens, CEO, US Human Capital Academy. A few days ago, I wrote an article on how talent strategy doesn’t happen on its own. You cannot set ambitious goals and assume the workforce you need to deliver them will simply appear. But there is another part of this conversation we need to have: Who are we asking to lead that work?

Your goals are only as achievable as the workforce you build to deliver them. A guest post by Danielle Pickens, CEO, US Human Capital Academy Every organization I work with can describe its programs in detail. Far fewer can describe, with the same confidence, whether the people who have to deliver those programs are equipped to do it well. In education, we have known for decades that the single most important in-school factor in whether a student learns is the teacher standin

Organizations often address talent after a strategy has been developed and resources have been secured. They determine what they want to accomplish, design the programs and budgets to support it, and then begin adding positions as the work increases. It’s helpful to consider talent as part of strategy from the beginning: What will the organization need to be able to do, and what kind of organization will be required to do it well? As organizations grow, they do not simply nee

In our work with nonprofit CEOs, leadership teams, and boards, we often meet organizations at an inflection point. The organization has grown. Its programs, partnerships, and funding relationships have become more complex. The CEO is spending more time with funders, external partners, community leaders, and the board. Yet internally, many decisions still depend on that same person. The CEO may be leading strategy, reviewing deliverables, managing important relationships, reso

At Volution Advisors, much of our work happens at inflection points. An organization has proven something important. Demand is growing. The team is expanding. Leaders are moving from piloting and improvising to building the strategy, systems, structure, and leadership capacity that will sustain the work. This is exciting. It is also where leadership practices that once felt like strengths can begin to create friction. The founder or CEO who could once stay close to every deci

At Volution Advisors, we're exploring that question alongside our clients while experimenting internally with AI to improve our own systems, workflows, and ways of working. Like many organizations, we're learning in real time. Every experiment gives us new insight into how AI can strengthen decision making, reduce administrative burden, and create more space for the work that depends on human judgment and relationships.

Hi Colleagues and Friends, Welcome to the latest edition of Volution Viewpoint, our quarterly newsletter where we share reflections, resources, and lessons from our work alongside leaders across the social sector. Every engagement teaches us something. Across our work with nonprofit CEOs, family foundations, boards, funders, educators, and cross-sector partners, we are seeing a common theme: organizations that invest in clarity, alignment, and intentional leadership are bette

The first six recommendations in this series focused on strengthening communities, organizations, relationships, movements, and leadership. Read Part 1 & Part 2 The final four recommendations focus on a deeper question: how philanthropy can create conditions for communities to build lasting power, resilience, and self-determination. At their core, these recommendations challenge philanthropy to move beyond funding alone and toward a more equitable, participatory, and long-ter

The first three recommendations focused on trust, organizational strength, and systems change. But philanthropy's long-term effectiveness depends on more than funding decisions alone. It also depends on the quality of relationships, the strength of collective action, and the leaders who will carry this work forward. The following three recommendations focus on how philanthropy can deepen its impact by building stronger partnerships, supporting broader movements, and investing

We are entering one of the most consequential philanthropic moments in modern American history. Over the next two decades, an estimated $80–90 trillion is expected to transfer between generations — one of the largest intergenerational wealth transfers ever recorded. At the same time, inequality continues to deepen across the United States, with communities facing rising housing costs, educational inequity, food insecurity, healthcare instability, and declining economic mobili

Welcome to the second edition of Volution Viewpoint, our quarterly newsletter where we share highlights, lessons, and insights from the work we’re doing with social impact organizations. AI, M&A, donor trends, and leadership insights from this quarter

Written by Jacquelyn Davis, Managing Partner, Volution Advisors, edited by AI Over the past year, nearly every nonprofit leader we speak with raises the same question: What should we actually be doing about AI? Like many leaders, I think about ethics, accuracy, and how AI can truly serve mission-driven organizations. I worry about the loss of human connection and critical thinking. Call me a dinosaur, but I did not even understand – much less use AI, a year ago. Today, I en

Jacquelyn Davis , Managing Partner, Volution Advisors In nonprofit organizations, people often assume the most important relationships are external—between the organization and its funders, partners, or community. But the most important relationship in a nonprofit isn’t external. It’s the relationship between the Executive Director and the Board Chair. When this partnership is strong, the organization moves forward with clarity and momentum. Decisions are made efficiently,

by Jacquelyn Davis , Managing Partner Organizations rarely fail because of weak strategy alone. More often, failure occurs when culture quietly undermines execution. Diagnosing culture gaps requires looking beyond stated values and into everyday behaviors. Here are the most common signals and how to interpret them. 1. Stated Values vs. Observed Behavior Warning Signs Values posters exist, but behaviors don’t reflect them. Leaders tolerate behavior that contradicts stated no

by Jacquelyn Davis , Managing Partner Why High-Performing Organizations Build Culture as Intentionally as Strategy Peter Drucker’s famous line — “Culture eats strategy for breakfast” — endures because leaders experience its truth every day. We sometimes see organizations with brilliant strategic plans, spot-on theories of change, and ambitious growth targets, yet still struggle to execute, adapt, and sustain performance. The missing ingredient is often not strategy or imple

Each year, I choose a word as a North Star. Not a resolution. Not a checklist. Just a simple guardrail for how I want to live and show up. Something I can come back to when things feel hard or overwhelming. Last year, my word was gratitude . I chose it knowing—feeling—that 2025 was going to ask a lot of us. And it did. There was so much in the world that felt heavy, unjust, and deeply concerning. Gratitude wasn’t about pretending things were fine. It was about learning how to

This year has been tough for the social impact sector on many fronts - from federal cuts, philanthropic constriction, government shutdowns, and increased need. As we reflect on the resilience of leaders this year, we want to share what we’re seeing and learning. Over this past year, our team at Volution Advisors has walked alongside several organizations navigating two extremely difficult but defining challenges at the same time: Executing reductions-in-force (RIFs) with hum

We’re thrilled to introduce Volution Viewpoint, our new quarterly newsletter designed to share highlights and insights from our work and the field.

Jacquelyn Davis , Managing Partner, Volution Advisors He cried. He didn’t expect it. My coaching client – a 60 year old white man, raised in a culture that equated composure with strength—had spent a career with a stiff upper lip. He’d led teams, navigated crises, managed turnarounds, and carried the quiet, heavy responsibility of leadership alone. He believed, deeply, in handling things with steadiness and calm. He had always shown up prepared, thoughtful, even stoic. That

By Jacquelyn Davis , Managing Partner, Volution Advisors I know — governance doesn't sound like the most exciting topic. It might bring to mind bylaws, meetings, slide decks, and minutes. But here's what we've seen time and again working alongside our clients: strong governance can be one of the most transformative tools a nonprofit has for driving impact and ensuring sustainability. In the nonprofit world, so much focus (rightly) goes to programs and the day-to-day work