Too many nonprofit and association conferences and convenings are built around logistics and tradition rather than purpose and participation. In episode 144 of Nonprofit Mission: Impact, Carol Hamilton and Lee Gimpel challenge nonprofit and association leaders to rethink how convenings, conferences, and member events are designed.

They discuss:

• why too many gatherings feel like a heavy lift that fails to deliver connection, energy, or real value.

• why traditional conference formats fall short—and what leaders can do differently.

• How effective events start with purpose, not logistics, and they are designed to tap the collective wisdom already in the room.

By centering participation, intentional connection, and simple facilitation shifts, organizations can transform events from passive, draining experiences into energizing spaces that actually advance mission and strengthen community.

Episode highlights:

Guest Bio:

Lee Gimpel helps organizations design and lead meetings, retreats, and conferences that are more connected and productive. He is the founder ofBetter Meetings, a DC-based facilitation, training, and experience design firm that often works on events with a high need for engagement, collaboration, and networking. Clients include theNational Association of Realtors, Conservation International, Sodexo, and WorldBank. A frequent expert contributor toForbeson the topic of meetings, he created theConference Engagement Cards and serves on the board of the Association of Meeting Professionals

Important Links and Resources:

Lee Gimpel

Better Meetings

Facilitation processes mentioned:

• World Cafe - https://theworldcafe.com/key-concepts-resources/world-cafe-method/

• Fishbowl - 60 Second Tutorial - How to Facilitate Fishbowl

• Peer Consulting - https://contemporaryleadership.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/PLC-Whitepaper.pdf

• Conversation Cafe - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COuFdEouvRQ

• Liberating Structures - https://www.liberatingstructures.com/

• Pechakucha - https://www.pechakucha.com/

• Ignite - https://www.ignitetalks.io/

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People-centered HR isn't a luxury—it's essential. Learn how nonprofit leaders can build equitable, transparent, and humane people practices that strengthen their organizations, even amid uncertainty and limited resources. In episode 143 of Nonprofit Mission: Impact, Carol Hamilton speaks with Megan Rolfe about:

• what it really means to practice people-centered HR in nonprofit and social-change organizations—especially small teams navigating limited resources, rising uncertainty, and growing demands for equity.

• reframing HR not as a compliance or risk-management function, but as a shared set of agreements about how people work together.

• equitable compensation, including the difference between living and thriving wages, transparency in pay practices, and

• balancing risk, safety and boldness in today's environment

Throughout, Megan emphasizes progress over perfection, collective responsibility, and the relief that comes from remembering: you don't have to do this all by yourself, all at once, or exactly right.

Episode highlights:

Guest Bio:

Megan Rolfe provides small social justice organizations with the HR support they need to move work forward and impact change. Having spent 15+ years supporting nonprofits and small businesses focused on making the world a better place, equipping the teams that most need capacity for their vital work holds a special place in her heart

Important Links and Resources:

Megan "MR" Rolfe

Blue Swallow Consulting: Resources including working towards a thriving wage and first steps towards more equitable compensation

Vega Mala Consulting: includes more resources on equitable compensation

Be in Touch:

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📚Find the books referred to on Nonprofit Mission: Impact

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Nonprofit organization design is about how an organization works: how decisions get made, how power flows, how people collaborate across boundaries, and how strategy actually gets translated into day-to-day action. In episode 142, of Nonprofit Mission: Impact, Carol Hamilton and Jeanne Bell dig deeply into why organization design—often overlooked or reduced to org charts—is actually a missing discipline nonprofits need to truly operationalize their strategy and values.

They discuss:

• How nonprofits are too often stuck in false dichotomies (flat vs. hierarchical),

• Why too many organizations are burdened by overly complicated compensation systems, and hindered by management team structures that don't reflect how strategy actually needs to happen.

• How by aligning Galbraith's STAR model elements—strategy, structure, processes, rewards, and people, nonprofit organizations can genuinely act on their missions.

This episode offers nonprofit leaders a grounded, liberating framework for rethinking how their organizations make decisions, how people collaborate, and what it really means to design for impact.

Episode highlights:

Guest Bio:

Jeanne Bell is the co-founder of Just Org Design. She has consulted on nonprofit strategy and organizational change for over 25 years. Jeanne also curates Nonprofit Quarterly's Leading Edge Program, recruiting and presenting nonprofit practitioners advancing more equitable nonprofit leadership practices. Previously, Jeanne led Compass Point Nonprofit Services, one of the country's premier leadership and capacity-building organizations. While serving as CEO, Jeanne also chaired the board of the Alliance for Nonprofit Management, a national association of nonprofit capacity builders and academics. She currently serves on the boards of Community Works and The Resilience Initiative (advisory). She has a Masters in Nonprofit Management from the University of San Francisco. Jeanne loves living in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

Important Links and Resources:

Jeanne Bell

JustOrg Design

The Missing Discipline: How How Organization Design Can Align and Propel Justice-Committed Nonprofits

Designing Organizations by Jay Galbraith

Be in Touch:

✉️ Subscribe to Carol's newsletter at Grace Social Sector Consulting and receive the Common Mistakes Nonprofits Make In Strategic Planning And How To Avoid Them

📚Find the books referred to on Nonprofit Mission: Impact

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