Grassroots Nonprofit

Building People Systems for a Growing Community Team

A mid-sized grassroots nonprofit experiencing rapid team growth lacked formal people, culture, and talent management systems. The organization was committed to impactful community-centric programming but faced operational stress threatening team cohesion and capacity.

The Challenge

The nonprofit's onboarding processes were largely informal and inconsistent, leading to confusion and delayed integration of new staff. Feedback and communication loops were weak, causing issues to fester and impacting morale. HR policies around leave and problem resolution were unclear or slow to execute, resulting in burnout risks and disengagement.

People, Culture & Talent Systems (PCTS) solutions often include:

  • Designing standardized onboarding journeys emphasizing mission alignment and clear role expectations

  • Embedding real-time feedback mechanisms through pulse surveys, monthly check-ins, and peer evaluations

  • Clarifying HR policies and streamlining issue resolution processes

  • Providing leadership with training to embed cultural sustainability and change management skills

Why It Matters

By building foundational people systems rooted in transparency and care, nonprofits generally create supportive cultures primed for sustainable growth.

Seeking to strengthen your team's culture and capacity?

Download the full case study for insights on building scalable people systems in mission-driven organizations.