Empowering Nonprofits with Applied Wisdom
Transforming Leadership into Impact
Eight Practical Insights
Access 8 chapters covering Culture, Planning, and Implementation — the core pillars of this free training tool. Click any chapter below to view a lesson plan template for teaching these concepts in under an hour.
Cultivating Culture
“Culture Matters. It's your core organizational asset and establishes whether your nonprofit is just good or if it becomes great.”
Respect and Trust Your People
“Respecting and trusting your people is the foundation of all good management.”
Bad News is Good News
“Good news is no news. No news is bad news. And bad news is good news — if you do something about it.”
Develop Court Sense
“With court sense you'll see everything that's happening around you, and can rapidly adjust to change.”
The Whole Job
“Investing in organizational capacity contributes to excellence and impact. Commit to doing the whole job.”
Prioritize and Focus
“You must plan to succeed. And you must plan... to succeed!”
Book It and Ship It
“Planning is essential but success comes from the implementation of your ideas. Book It and Ship It: Make a decision and manage the consequences.”
Who's Got the Monkey?
“To create a culture of accountability, reinforce individual ownership of problems. Always ask, Who's got the monkey?”
Applied Wisdom for Nonprofits Digital Bundle
What’s in the Digital Bundle?
- The Applied Wisdom for the Nonprofit Sector booklet — digital, audiobook and print (by request with free shipping!)
- The complete Applied Wisdom for Nonprofits Leadership Course
- Our weekly newsletter
- Supplemental Toolkits for each of the 8 practical insights
- Additional tools for Leaders
The Digital Bundle is sponsored by Jim Morgan and offered at no cost to you. We will never sell or otherwise distribute your contact information.
What People Are Saying
Testimonials
“In my course 'Effective Leadership for Nonprofit Organizations,' the students read and discuss Applied Wisdom for the Nonprofit Sector. It's packed with insightful leadership principles as well as simple common sense. My students love the book and the relevant wisdom they glean for their future nonprofit leadership careers.”
“The principles in Applied Wisdom have become an important resource for many social entrepreneurs in Miller Center's global community, as well as for Santa Clara University students who work alongside them.”
“CEN is a training organization for nonprofits and in this capacity we see the potential for every person, regardless of title, to show up as a leader. In our programming, Applied Wisdom for the Nonprofit Sector serves as a powerful tool to aid any and everyone to improve their leadership and management skills.”
“Applied Wisdom helps nonprofit leaders strengthen organizational effectiveness, resilience, and sustainable impact worldwide. The Cornerstone OnDemand Foundation is proud to partner with Applied Wisdom to deliver a contextualized version of Applied Wisdom training for humanitarian and nonprofit staff globally through our free online portals, DisasterReady.org and NonprofitReady.org.”
“Applied Wisdom for the Nonprofit Sector captures Jim Morgan's management lessons simply and clearly. As a leader committed to developing talent and leadership, I believe it is essential that these ideas are made available for all readers, expanding their impact and relevance across our organizations.”
“Applied Wisdom for the Nonprofit Sector is one of the most practical leadership resources I've discovered. The guidance is grounded in real-world experience; this isn't theory, it's leadership in action. I reference the "Morganisms" in conversations with nonprofit leaders, board members, and my own team, because they cut through the noise and get to what truly matters.”
“A great resource for leaders of community foundations, private foundations, and nonprofit organizations alike. It's succinct, practical and inspiring all at once. Among many valuable insights, I love Jim's reminder to consistently look up, look forward, and look around.”
“This book by Jim Morgan is outstanding. Applied Wisdom couldn't have come at a better time. The workforce is multi-generational and it gives you insights that are unchanging, and apply to all of us.”
“At the Silicon Valley Leadership Group we are focused on catalyzing change around diversity, equity, and inclusion, from the boardroom to the C-suites and beyond. Applied Wisdom for the Nonprofit Sector helps to inform both our practice and structured execution on this key business imperative.”
“I keep Applied Wisdom for the Nonprofit Sector within arm's reach of my desk to periodically reference and revisit. I've read through it more than once, and I was struck by a different bit of wisdom each time.”
“I have used Applied Wisdom for the Nonprofit Sector in training multiple cohorts of the next generation of nonprofit leaders. Jim's book is filled with practical and actionable insights, and I recommend it as an excellent handbook of leadership principles that apply across sectors.”
“Simple and effective advice for chief executives to use with their staff and board. It's shaped the culture of our organization, catalyzed our strategic thinking and assisted us in implementing our strategic plan.”
“I love that book so much that I gave it to all my clients. It's a gem in terms of management and leadership tips.”
“This little booklet is EXCELLENT for the whole nonprofit sector. Well done... and it's fun to read! Jim Morgan's insights offer wisdom and ready-made learning to spur action and promote behavior change within ourselves and our organizations.”
“I have read Jim's advice religiously every week since 2022. It's as if Jim, himself, is sitting in a corner of the board room, recognizing the words of wisdom that I needed to navigate that time in my career. Jim's e blasts were on topic and written as if just for me!”
