673. Shift 3 — People Leave: Make Transition Readiness Part of Your Culture - Naomi Hattaway

Today's episode continues our 12-part series: 12 Shifts in 2026 for Social Impact. Over twelve episodes, we’re unpacking mindset + strategy shifts shaping the future of fundraising, leadership, and doing good in 2026. Explore the series at weareforgood.com/12shifts.Shift 3 / Build for Health (People + Systems)People Leave™ — and in 2026, the pace and intensity of transition is accelerating. In this episode, Naomi Hattaway, interim leader and organizational health builder, shares what it actually takes to build nonprofit health through uncertainty before someone resigns. We talk about the hidden fragility that uncertainty exposes (founder dependency, undocumented roles, disengaged boards), and the practical foundations that help teams stay aligned when everything feels on fire.You’ll walk away with concrete tools for transition readiness, including how to:Treat turnover as normal — not a crisis — so you plan for departures instead of getting blindsidedBuild real financial resilience with reserves and budgets that account for searches, interims, and transition supportCreate simple documentation so critical knowledge isn’t trapped in one person’s headGrow “endings literacy” by talking openly about departures, loss, and what it means to leave wellCenter humanity in hard moments with grief-aware practices, dignified layoffs, and stay interviews Because healthy systems don’t stop people from leaving — they make it possible for people to leave well.Episode HighlightsUnderstanding Uncertainty in 2026 (02:06)Proactive vs Reactive Approaches (05:39)The Importance of Infrastructure (07:54)Endings Literacy: Navigating Transitions (13:30)Creating a Culture of Grief and Loss (22:00)Leaving Well: The Art of Transition (28:26)Human-Centered Change in High-Stress Environments (31:25)Naomi’s One Good Thing (35:07)Dive Deeper:Naomi's WebsiteTransition Archetype QuizEpisode Shownotes: www.weareforgood.com/episode/673Join us at The Spread!Givebutter's biggest innovation event of the year is here — The Spread, built entirely around co-creating with nonprofits like yours. 💛We Are For Good is joining forces with GB to host in-person hackathon meetups on Friday, Oct. 2, in New York, Seattle, LA, Denver, and Indianapolis, so you can build alongside other nonprofits in the community.Learn more and save your free spot today. //Join the We Are For Good Community—completely free.Join fellow changemakers, share takeaways from this working session, and keep collaborating in a space built for connection, inspiration, and real impact: www.weareforgoodcommunity.comSay hi 👋LinkedIn / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Twitter