Some argue that true financial sustainability for nonprofits is a myth— an elusive ideal that can never be realized by the suckers with the wherewithal to pursue it. In recent years we’ve begun seeing more and more criticism of traditional philanthropic models, calling out their tendency to stretch NPOs rather than strengthen them. Others accuse funders of holding sustainability like a carrot dangling from a string of single-year designated grants in front of cash-strapped nonprofits. Thankfully this thinking is leading to changes in grant-making strategies. Meanwhile, here at Flourish Kenya, we remain convinced as always that sustainability is much more than a myth— for us, it’s becoming a reality.

In honor of National Nonprofit Day, we wanted to acknowledge all of the incredible selfless individuals doing incredible work to make the world a better, more just place for all.

“Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.” -Galatians 6:9

Maybe you’ve thought about starting a nonprofit or going to work for one. We thought we’d share some hard-won and brutally honest nuggets of wisdom for anyone thinking about starting a nonprofit.