Ahead of the Healthy Nonprofit Network’s recent launch webinar, we asked nonprofit leaders a simple but powerful question:

“What aspects of working in or managing a nonprofit organization keep you awake at night?”

The responses were honest, insightful—and deeply resonant. 

What We Heard: A Snapshot

The #1 Concern: Funding to Keep the Doors Open

Across the board, leaders pointed to persistent funding uncertainty as their top challenge. Here’s how that’s showing up:

• Insufficient resources to sustain programming
• Limited access to grantmakers and grant writing capacity
• Overwhelming fundraising demands with minimal support

Beyond the Budget: Other Barriers to Sustainability

Especially for small, rural nonprofits, the challenges go far beyond funding. Here’s what else is keeping leaders up at night:

• Geographic Isolation
  “We have vast areas to cover, making it hard to reach and serve all people requesting assistance.”
• Lack of Visibility & Influence
  “Despite being closest to the issues, rural, peer-led organizations may not be on the radar of foundations and other grantmakers.”
• Limited Infrastructure
  “We struggle to implement collective impact strategies and expand capacity as smaller organizations.”
• Compliance Overload
  “There’s increased demand for compliance that strains our already limited resources.”

These aren’t new issues—but they are growing more urgent.

A Deeper Dive: The Nonprofit Starvation Cycle

For a deeper dive, the 2009 Stanford Social Innovation Review article, ”The Nonprofit Starvation Cycle,.” explains how funders’ pressure to keep overhead low leads nonprofits to underreport their true needs. This results in chronic underinvestment in critical infrastructure like technology, staff development, and financial systems.

Navigating 2025 and Beyond: You’re Not Alone

In our work with nonprofits across the South, we’ve seen how these challenges are becoming more pervasive—and the landscape more uncertain.

That’s why the Healthy Nonprofit Network (HNN) exists.

We provide training, technical assistance, and capacity-building tailored to small, rural nonprofits in the Southern U.S.—so you can focus on what matters most: creating lasting impact in your community.

Let’s Build Together

We’re listening, and we’re here to support you.

• Submit a request for assistance via the Healthy Nonprofit Network’s Contact Form.
• Take 10 minutes to complete a brief survey and let us know what would help your organization thrive—we’re building this network with you in mind.