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Joan Garry
  • Managing Change Like A Leader

    by Glennda Testone

    Navigating a leadership transition can be challenging, but with the right mindset and strategies, it can also be an opportunity for growth. This post explores three key ingredients for a successful transition. Whether you’re leading a new organization or adapting to significant change, these insights will help you thrive.

  • Steering Through the Storm: You’re Not Alone

    by Joan Garry

    Discover key strategies and resources for nonprofit leaders to navigate the uncertainty of 2025. From embracing tough conversations to staying informed and strengthening leadership, I offer actionable tips to help you thrive in turbulent times.

  • How To Build Authentic Relationships Electronically

    by Joan Garry

    I’ve spent over a decade nurturing a meaningful friendship with Beth Kanter, entirely through electronic communication, proving that authentic connections can thrive in the digital world. In this piece, I share strategies for building and sustaining impactful relationships electronically, with humor, intention, and a touch of creativity.

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not enough money.

too many cooks.

an abundance of passion.

Joan siting on a garbage can
  • Eyes Wide Open: A Look Ahead to 2025

    by Joan Garry

    I’ve learned that the key to a meaningful year ahead is focus. Focus on what truly matters—your health, your family, your mission. Here are 10 recommendations for navigating the year ahead with clarity and purpose.

  • The Road to Refueling My Leadership Every 275 Miles

    by Glennda Testone

    Nonprofit Leadership Lab CEO, Glennda Testone, reflects on how she found unexpected inspiration and deepened her leadership skills by participating in an annual 275-mile AIDS bike ride. She highlights the power of community, personal connection, and staying grounded in her “why” as key elements of refueling her leadership.

  • What Drives How You Lead?

    by Joan Garry

    I’m so passionate about nonprofit leadership—because it’s grounded in values. I believe that staying true to one’s core values is what makes a leader truly great. Here is how and why the time is now for every nonprofit leader to take a stand…

HELPING THE HELPERS

Executive Coach & Strategic Advisor

Bring a Joan Garry consultant to your organization as a mentor, a professor, a compassionate truth teller, and your own personal management and leadership consultant.

Keynotes & Live Events

As a distinguished authority on  nonprofit leadership, Joan Garry brings wit and humor into the room. Her keynotes are substantive, engaging, and transformative.

Virtual Trainings & Workshops

Bring a Joan Garry consultant in for a 90-minute virtual presentation with your board, customize a workshop for board/staff, or add a workshop to a keynote presentation.

Not Enough Money.

Too Many Cooks.

An Abundance Of Passion.

About Joan Garry

Joan Garry is the Principal of Joan Garry Consulting. Her team works to build and cultivate leadership at the board and staff level in the service of strengthening the nonprofit sector. She is a consultant, author, blogger and a highly sought after public speaker and media spokesperson.

  • The Day After: Finding Balance

    by Joan Garry

    In this piece, I reflect on the 2024 election and the overwhelming sense of imbalance it triggered for me, personally and as a nonprofit leader. Through time spent with my family, my nonprofit community, and the right book, I rediscovered the importance of balance—not just in my life but as a crucial component for healing the polarization in our world, inspiring nonprofit leaders to bring balance and hope to our communities.

  • Why I Donated a Portion Of My Salary. And Why I Donated Nothing.

    by Joan Garry

    In this blog post, I share personal stories of being on the receiving end of donation requests and the valuable lessons they’ve taught me. From asking for the right amount to understanding the donor’s personal experiences, I offer cautionary tales highlighting common fundraising mistakes and how to avoid them.

  • I Asked For $10,000. He Donated $25,000.

    by Joan Garry

    Fundraising is both an art and a science, where preparation and authenticity play key roles. These are my real-life failures in fundraising and the lessons that you can learn from them.

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