Halfway through the year, most nonprofit leaders startasking the same question:
What else do we need to do?
More fundraising. More outreach. More events. More board engagement. More grant applications. More social media. More everything.
But the better question is not always, “What else should we add?”
Sometimes the better question is:
What do we need to stop doing so we can actually make progress?
Because here is the truth: many nonprofits are not struggling because they lack effort. They are struggling because they are spending too much time on things that are draining capacity, confusing priorities, and producing very little return.
The second half of the year is not the time to pile more onto an already overloaded team. It is the time to get honest about what is working, what is not, and what needs to be reduced, reassigned, or stopped completely.
Here are seven things nonprofits should seriously consider stopping during the second half of the year.
1. Stop Treating Everything Like A Priority
If everything is important, nothing is.
Nonprofit leaders are often carrying too many priorities at once. A fundraising campaign. A new program idea. A board initiative. A gala. A grant deadline. A newsletter. A strategic plan. A community partnership. A website update. And somehow, all of it is labeled “urgent.”
That is not strategy. That is survival mode with a calendar invite.
The second half of the year requires focus. Not because other things do not matter, but because your team only has so much time, energy, and decision-making capacity.
· What are the three most important outcomes we need by the end of the year?
· What work directly supports those outcomes?
· What work is simply making us look busy?
Then make the hard call.
Some things may need to wait. Some may need to be simplified. Some may need to be removed entirely.
Your mission does not need you exhausted. It needs you focused.
2. Stop Chasing Grants That Do Not Fit
Grant money can be wonderful. Grant chasing? Not so much.
Too many nonprofits spend hours, days, and sometimes weeks trying to force themselves into grant opportunities that are not a strong fit.The funder priorities are off. The geography is wrong. The program requirements are unrealistic. The reporting burden is too heavy. The award amount is too small for the work involved.
But the organization applies anyway because “we need the money.”
That is how nonprofits end up exhausted, frustrated, and stuck in a funding cycle that does not actually support their mission.
During the second half of the year, be more selective.
· Does this grant clearly align with our mission and programs?
· Can we realistically meet the requirements?
· Is the potential award worth the time it will take to apply and report?
· Would this funding strengthen our work or distract from it?
Not every grant opportunity is an opportunity.
Some are a trap dressed up as funding.
3. Stop Letting Your Board Stay Vague
If your board members do not know what you expect from them, do not be surprised when they do very little.
Many boards are not failing because people do not care. They are failing because expectations are unclear, inconsistent, or never directly stated.
Board members are told to “help with fundraising,” but no one explains what that actually means. Are they expected to give? Open doors?Thank donors? Attend events? Invite people to learn more? Share contacts? Help with sponsorships?
Vague expectations create vague participation.
The second half of the year is a good time to reset board expectations before year-end fundraising begins.
Instead of saying, “We need the board to be more engaged,” get specific.
Try this: “Between now and December 31, every board member will be asked to do three things: make a personally meaningful gift, thank atleast five donors, and introduce one new person to the organization.”
That is clear. That is measurable. That is doable.
Your board cannot meet expectations they do not understand.
4. Stop Hosting Events That Drain More Than They Raise
Events can be powerful.
They can build community, attract new donors, raise money, and create visibility.
They can also quietly eat your entire staff alive.
Not every event is worth repeating just because you havealways done it. If an event requires months of planning, burns out your team,barely breaks even, and does not lead to deeper donor relationships, it may betime to ask a very uncomfortable question:
Why are we still doing this?
Tradition is not a strategy.
Before committing to another event, look at the real numbers:
· How much money did it actually raise after expenses?
· How much staff time did it require?
· Did it bring in new donors?
· Did those donors give again?
· Did the event strengthen relationships or just fill a room?
· Could the same results be achieved another way?
Some events are worth improving. Some are worth scaling back. Some need to be retired with gratitude and a firm goodbye.
The goal is not to host more events. The goal is to raise more money, build stronger relationships, and advance the mission.
If the event is not doing that, it deserves a hard look.
5. Stop Posting On Social Media With No Strategy
Posting just to post is not marketing. It is digital noise.
Many nonprofits feel pressure to be visible online, so they throw up random posts whenever they have time. A flyer here. A quote there. A blurry event photo. A last-minute donation request. A national holiday graphic that has nothing to do with their actual work.
Then they wonder why people are not engaging.
Social media should help people understand who you are, what you do, why it matters, and how they can be part of it.
That does not happen by accident.
During the second half of the year, stop posting without a purpose.
Every post should connect to at least one goal:
· Build trust
· Show impact
· Educate your audience
· Thank supporters
· Invite action
· Tell a story
· Drive traffic to your website or donation page
You do not need to post constantly. You need to post clearly.
A small number of strong, consistent posts will do more for your nonprofit than a flood of random content that leaves people confused.
6. Stop Doing Work No One Owns
One of the biggest time drains in nonprofits is work that technically belongs to everyone, which usually means it truly belongs to no one.
The donor follow-up. The board packet. The thank-you calls.The sponsorship outreach. The volunteer communication. The grant reporting calendar. The website updates. The email list cleanup.
Everyone agrees it matters. No one is clearly responsible.So it either does not happen, happens late, or lands on the same overworked person every single time.
That is not a workflow. That is a slow-motion mess.
For the second half of the year, clarify ownership.
For every major task, ask:
· Who owns this?
· What is the deadline?
· What does done look like?
· Who needs to be informed?
· What happens if it does not get completed?
This is not about micromanaging. It is about reducing confusion.
Clear ownership protects time, reduces resentment, and makes follow-through much easier.
7. Stop Confusing Busy With Effective
Nonprofit people are some of the busiest people on earth. But busy is not the same as effective.
A full calendar does not mean you are making progress. A long task list does not mean you are moving the mission forward. A packed meeting schedule does not mean decisions are being made.
Sometimes being busy becomes a hiding place.
It keeps people moving, but not necessarily advancing.
The second half of the year is the perfect time to ask:
· What work is producing real results?
· What work takes a lot of time but creates very little impact?
· What meetings could be shortened, combined, or eliminated?
· What reports are being created that no one reads?
· What tasks exist only because “we have always done it this way”?
This is where nonprofit leaders have to be brave.
Because stopping something can feel risky. It can disappoint people. It can disrupt routines. It can make people uncomfortable.
But continuing to do work that drains your organization is also risky.
It costs time. It costs money. It costs morale. It costs momentum.
And eventually, it costs impact.
A Simple Mid-Year Reset Exercise
Before the second half of the year gets away from you, set aside one hour with your leadership team, staff, or board officers and answer these questions:
1. What are the three most important outcomes we need by December 31?
2. What activities are directly helping us get there?
3. What activities are draining time without producing meaningful results?
4. What needs to be reduced?
5. What needs to be reassigned?
6. What needs to stop completely?
7. What will we commit to protecting for the rest of the year?
Do not overcomplicate it.
You do not need a 40-page plan. You need an honest conversation and a few clear decisions.
Want to make that conversation easier? The free Nonprofit Mid Year Reset Worksheet walks you through a simple mid-year reset so you can review your priorities, audit where your time is going, and decide what to keep, reduce, reassign, or stop.
Download it HERE.
Final Thought
The second half of the year does not have to be a frantic sprint fueled by caffeine, panic, and wishful thinking.
It can be a reset.
It can be a chance to focus your energy, protect your team, strengthen your fundraising, and stop pouring time into things that are not serving your mission.
Your nonprofit does not need to do everything.
It needs to do the right things well.
And sometimes the smartest move you can make is not adding one more thing.
It is finally giving yourself permission to stop.
Ready to protect your time, focus your team, and stop doing work that is not moving the mission forward?
Download the free Nonprofit Mid Year Reset Worksheet and use it to reset your priorities for the second half of the year.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should nonprofits review during a mid-year reset?
Nonprofits should review their goals, fundraising activities, board engagement, staff capacity, programs, events, meetings, andc ommunications. The point is not to judge everything harshly. The point is to ask what is working, what is draining time, and what needs to be adjusted before the end of the year. A good mid-year reset should help your nonprofit decide what to keep, reduce, reassign, or stop.
How do we know what our nonprofit should stop doing?
Start by looking at the activities that take a lot of time but produce little return. These may include meetings with no clear decisions, events that barely raise money, grant applications that are not a strong fit,reports no one uses, or social media posts with no strategy. Ask one simple question: Is this helping us reach our most important goals before December 31? If the honest answer is no, it may be time to stop, simplify, or reassign it.
Is stopping a program or event a sign of failure?
No. Stopping something is not always failure. Sometimes it is leadership. Nonprofits often continue programs, events, or activities because they have always done them, not because they are still effective. If something no longer serves the mission, drains the team, or takes resources away from higher-impact work, it deserves a serious review. The goal is not to do everything. The goal is to do the right things well.
How can nonprofits reduce staff burnout during the second half of the year?
One of the best ways to reduce burnout is to stop adding new work without removing something else. Nonprofit staff are often expected to absorb more tasks, more events, more meetings, and more urgent requests without any real capacity discussion. To reduce burnout, leaders should clarify priorities, cut unnecessary meetings, assign clear ownership, protect focus time, and stop work that is not producing meaningful results. Your team does not need more motivational speeches. They need fewer unnecessary fires.
What should nonprofit boards do during a mid-year reset?
Boards should review their own role in helping the organization reach its year-end goals. This may include making personal gifts, thanking donors, opening doors, supporting sponsorship outreach, attending events, reviewing financial progress, or helping with the year-end campaign.The key is clarity. Board members need specific expectations, not vague reminders to “be more engaged.” A strong mid-year reset gives board members clear, practical actions they can take before December 31.
How often should nonprofits review what they need to stop doing?
At minimum, nonprofits should review this twice a year: once at mid-year and once during year-end planning. However, the healthiest organizations make this a regular leadership habit. Any time your team feels overwhelmed, stretched too thin, or unclear about priorities, it is time to ask: What are we doing? Why are we doing it? Is it still worth it? What needs to stop?
